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1) i am not able to walk on the street feeling as safe as in sillypore.
2) environment not as clean.. unless in PMH which i won't be able to afford.
During my 5 years of stay in HCM, i have stayed in several places. Started off in Q.Binh Thanh, then to PMH Q7 then to KDC Trung Son in Binh Chanh. The only place i feel safer is in PMH in Q7. The only weakness of PMH are the big trucks racing thru Nguyen Van Linh Street after 8pm at night. These trucks are quite dangerous. Maybe its because my bx was next to me most of the time when i was out, i didn't feel that the environment was hostile. Often, i would be out alone to meet other Singaporean cheongsters for cheonging too. The worst is that my Tieng Viet is less than half cooked. You can speak Tieng Viet so well, you should be feeling much better to fit into their society. The hostility i faced in HCM were mostly from business.
Vietnam weaknesses lie in areas like education, environment and security. Foreigners cannot study in local government school and unless one can let the children be vietnamese, or else its always international schools. International schools in HCM charge crazy fees and the quality of teachers sucks big time. The Singapore International School employs damm a lot of Filipinos and hardly any Singaporean. Other international schools are the same.
Environment is filthy and air is badly polluted. Streets are seriously flooded after raining and drains are choked. Air is badly polluted. The environment is bad for young children.
Healthcare sucks big time too. If you ever need emergency services there, expect something that's not international standard. I did a big surgery there and i am still suffering from the after effects because of it. The only good thing is that its CHEAP. Price is only 20% of what specialist charge in Singapore private hospitals.
So , is it really that bad there?
There are some good areas i really enjoyed too.
Cheap and good food. (this i need not elaborate, everybody else here knows)
Minimum stress. If you have no debts in Singapore and have rental income to collect monthly from Singapore, plus you have an apartment there, its seriously quite a good place to retire. Buy a normal apartment in Q7 or Q8, say US$75,000 , get a normal bike US$4000. If the rental income from your Singapore flat can get you SGD$2500 a month, you can lead quite a good life in HCM. Provided you don't cheong la. Have a sex partner that comes in twice a week etc. Not too bad.
Not really that bad and neither is it that wonderful. It differs from person to person and their needs and wants.
Of course they choose those imported ones if Viet Kieu or foreigner brother-in-law is paying.
i ownself ride an imported SH while i only get my wife a local VN made Vespa....kakaka...
reason i give to her is that i realised there is not much difference between imported and local version..maintanance cost is cheaper for local made...and most impt...she is Vietnamese...shld support local made...hihihi...
1) i am not able to walk on the street feeling as safe as in sillypore.
2) environment not as clean.. unless in PMH which i won't be able to afford.
expenses in PMH is actually not that high if compared to Sinkie
although all the F&B outlets at the area are all restaurants...the price is still quite acceptable..
me n my wife dine quite often at a Korean restaurant in front of Sky Garden..we always order BBQ pork and kimchi stew...the price is abt $20 which is same as abt what cost for 2 at a foodcourt in Sinkie.
can also travel out of PMH for 5 mins and can find many shops selling pho and com tam for 35k.
downside at PMH is that the provision shop there charges higher....but can always buy groceries at Lotte Mart which is nearby..for those that do not drive..can always take the free shuttle service provided by Lotte Mart..there is also free delivery.
Minimum stress. If you have no debts in Singapore and have rental income to collect monthly from Singapore, plus you have an apartment there, its seriously quite a good place to retire. Buy a normal apartment in Q7 or Q8, say US$75,000 ,
Bro SingViet,
I thought foreigners can not buy apartment or houses in VN. There are certain conditions if I am not wrong.
Bro SingViet,
I thought foreigners can not buy apartment or houses in VN. There are certain conditions if I am not wrong.
can right? but not freehold... 55years only right?
anyway if retire there means notany years left to live lah.. before enter coffin, sell off property and leave behind cash for off spring.
talking about retirement in vn leh... but that time simi age liao? still chiong meh?
Safety, environment and healthcare is a big concern by then... that is why retiring in vn is not for me.
Though sillypore is high cost, i will have a roof above me with my hdb, i have my medical subsidise, i can safely walk in the park
During my 5 years of stay in HCM, i have stayed in several places. Started off in Q.Binh Thanh, then to PMH Q7 then to KDC Trung Son in Binh Chanh.
I have stayed in D5, Chung Co Ngo Gia Tu...D7, Tran Suan Xuan Hem and D8, Au Duong Lan...all the places the locals knew I am foreigner who can speak only Primary School Tieng Viet...all treated me excellent...haha...I also had brought many friends to stay in local district...we are well received and protected by the locals...never sense any hostilities at all...in fact they see us as improving their local economies...knew most of the roads so well that I can even tell the taxi drivers or xe om riders which way to go...
what I had written above is just to share...and not mean to upset anyone...if you think I am boasting...pls ignore the post...
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I was also very concerned about healthcare...till I saw every corner of the street there is pharmacy...haha...so you need to know what to buy if you need medicines...so after many years...I knew my med quite well...what works and what is available...
Typicaly
Blood Pressure or hypertension
Diabetes
Chlolestrol
Diarrhea
Sore throat
Ulcer
Gastric pain
Fever
Morning after sex
Monthly contraceptive
Condom
Cut and wound
family nurse and doctor as friend
dental doctor as friend
I was thinking of doing my dental implant...that will be my next project during my long stay in Vietnam...
what I had written above is just to share...and not mean to upset anyone...if you think I am boasting...pls ignore the post...
__________________
Info threads are for field reports...if you want to chat post in tcss thread
Please do not post when you PM somebody
Please Do Not reply long post, always edit...
may zap and remove post
I have stayed in D5, Chung Co Ngo Gia Tu...D7, Tran Suan Xuan Hem and D8, Au Duong Lan...all the places the locals knew I am foreigner who can speak only Primary School Tieng Viet...all treated me excellent...haha...I also had brought many friends to stay in local district...we are well received and protected by the locals...never sense any hostilities at all...in fact they see us as improving their local economies...knew most of the roads so well that I can even tell the taxi drivers or xe om riders which way to go...
what I had written above is just to share...and not mean to upset anyone...if you think I am boasting...pls ignore the post...
My friend, you stay short while only. Your each trip max 1 month only. i stay in these places for for than 1 year each time. Different story when stay for much longer.
I hate doing business with Viets, but no choice. Typical trick they pull:
they confirm doing something with you, then when things are done , they say need to change. Change after confirmation, of course need to pay, then the pattern come out. `If you charge me for changing, i will not cooperate with you anymore. ' next thing, they want price cheap cheap, so that they can earn more . i use the agent type of network, so bo bian.