Vietnam

finale1

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Saw few people have to buy data sim card from the counter behind the immigration ...
price is about 14sgd ...
to use their data in order to show them your booking itinenary , the data was very weak or non-existence in airport immigration area, not sure why some managed to connect ... while saw few went to buy sim card ...

So important to screenshot your return flight before you clear their customs. I ever once ask them, if i have incoming ticket but planned to stay in VN for a month before going to another country, is that ok? The customs guy says yes.

So i wonder why they often check for our return ticket.
 

grapewall

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Anyone kenna ask for kopi money by viet customs before? Or stop to ask whether u got return ticket n hotel booking?

Sent from Asus ME173X using GAGT

My last trip there, the guys in front of me kena asked for return tickets. Those clowns didn't prepare and had a hard time getting connected to retrieve their return tickets.
In every country you go, you should always prepare your return tickets for checks. You will also need them for your tickets when you depart right? So why leave things to the last minute? I always prepare 2 sets of my tickets, plus a soft copy in my phone just in case. In hcm, sometimes the officers die die want to see the printed copy.
As for kopi money, yet to encounter yet. Only in Philippines airport i encountered it.
 

Steyr69

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Thanks all for replies.
Guess I will print out and also save the soft copy inside my phone.

What about hotel booking? do they request?
 

Henabi

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So important to screenshot your return flight before you clear their customs. I ever once ask them, if i have incoming ticket but planned to stay in VN for a month before going to another country, is that ok? The customs guy says yes.

So i wonder why they often check for our return ticket.
Best to print out the physical copy of your hotel bookings and air tickets bookings.

Print the text big big. Cuz many of the more senior immigration officers don't speak good English.

Asking for return ticket is the immigration officers right and they are empowered by the VN garment to ask all sort of questions.
You should count yourself lucky when you asked that kind of questions... because in actual fact, the immigration officer has all the empowerment to suspect you and ask you more questions why you wanna stay in their country for one month and only buy single-way ticket etc etc

Don't ever try asking such questions at customs. Only invite trouble upon yourself.

And I agree. The airport WiFi is as mystical as our sinkie public wireless@sg
 
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Henabi

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No. Never heard of them asking for hotel bookings.
Have. Maybe you never see it only...

I always see the officers requesting. But so far... it's seems like they see the country and the way you dress...
those from maybe Africa oor south America or dark skinned ones, they will ask. I also seen local Vietnamese being questioned.
 

Henabi

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some other scams to take not
vinasun is white
mah linh is green
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Show..._scam_in_Ho_Chi_Minh_City_beware-Vietnam.html

if you see cabs around ben thanh market stopping, could be scam.
their meter will jump from 20k to 60k to 120k to 200k etc ...
There are two type of green taxis in hcmc. Take note that green taxi MUST have the Mai Linh company logo.

Another thing to take note, Mai Linh is most recommended by local VN but also very expensive

There are several ways to avoid such scams:
1) book Mai linh taxis through hotel concierge
2) book through their official app
PXw62CVl.png
 
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dede1217

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There are two type of green taxis in hcmc. Take note that green taxi MUST have the Mai Linh company logo.

Another thing to take note, Mai Linh is most recommended by local VN but also very expensive

There are several ways to avoid such scams:
1) book Mai linh taxis through hotel concierge
2) book through their official app

most people would just get a cab and go, instead of using their app and wait
since there are many vinasun and mai linh cabs ...

just like in taiwan, there's lots of bigger cab in hcm ...
 

rrr2015

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Hoi An

any suggestions for budget hotel in Hoi An?
for flight from HCMC - Danang, is it better to book over at HCMC or online?
 

XxlwAteRzlxX

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Henabi

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My experience at HCM, changing in SG have better rates, but negligible if we are looking at anything below S$500
Same. I always change in SG as the rate within Vn not very good. But recently I realised the rate in Vn also comparable.
Example. SG given 17000. In Vn it's 16800/16900
 

Henabi

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most people would just get a cab and go, instead of using their app and wait
since there are many vinasun and mai linh cabs ...

just like in taiwan, there's lots of bigger cab in hcm ...
I would just go with grab/uber lol
Wait a bit but save a lot and get all kinds of promo and discounts.
 

Henabi

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any suggestions for budget hotel in Hoi An?
for flight from HCMC - Danang, is it better to book over at HCMC or online?
Book online. booking directly over the counter from my experience usually more ex

But do give yourself a 2hr buffer for your connecting flights between SG and danang.
This is to factor in flight delays over at the SG side.
 
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finale1

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Same. I always change in SG as the rate within Vn not very good. But recently I realised the rate in Vn also comparable.
Example. SG given 17000. In Vn it's 16800/16900

Need to know where to change mah.
The best rates in Vietnam is always higher than the best rates in Singapore.

SG 17,000
HATAM 17,080
 

Henabi

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Need to know where to change mah.
The best rates in Vietnam is always higher than the best rates in Singapore.

SG 17,000
HATAM 17,080

Thanks a lot!

I'm heading back to hcmc next month... I will check out this HATAM and the EXIM bank you mentioned a few pages
 

audiovideo

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Dong rate used to be quite bad in sg say 2yrs back? Or maybe went to the wrong ahneh lol. Was surprise to see 16700+ everywhere for past months. Lately even higher.
 
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