Vietnam is a beautiful country with low cost of living and friendly local people. It is also known as a peaceful country with a stable political background, which makes Vietnam an ideal destination for most tourists. However, there seem to be many negative feedbacks from foreigners about the country and people of Vietnam as well. The list below includes top 10 most common problems when living in Vietnam a foreigner might encounter.
How is living in Vietnam like?
According to the latest survey by InterNations, Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and Singapore are the best destinations for expats in 2022.
This is the 9th survey that InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4 million members, has conducted. This survey involved nearly 12,000 people living and working abroad in 52 countries.
The survey measures the satisfaction level of expats in the country of residence, including indicators: Quality of life, Ease of settlement, Working abroad and Personal Finance, and indicators Basic numbers like Digital Life, Governance, Housing and Languages.
The survey results show that 84% of expats say they are satisfied with their life in Vietnam. Vietnam is the best country in the world on the Personal Finance Index with 80% of respondents happy with the cost of living in Vietnam. “Affordable prices everywhere in Vietnam,” said a Swiss surveyor.
They feel no pressure about their financial situation with 4 out of 5 respondents satisfied. Over 90% of expats surveyed say their household income is enough or more to lead a comfortable life (compared to 72% globally).
Top 10 common problems when living in Vietnam foreigners might encounter
1.Traffic
“It’s a frightening yet exciting experience”- said a foreign friend of mine. Participating in traffic here is considered as an extreme sport for many expats living in some big cities of Vietnam, without any exaggeration.
Traffic is often congested, especially during rush hour. The travel time sometimes lasts for several exhausting hours.
People’s awareness of participating in traffic is still undeveloped. Most foreigners find it uncomfortable and frustrating when local people are willing to run red lights, encroach on lanes, … which make it one of the biggest problems when living in Vietnam.
Although Vietnamese people mainly travel by motorbikes, many foreigners feel like it’s too risky to travel by this means of transportation, and most of them have difficulties in getting a driver license to drive their own bikes.
During the pandemic, it’s uncomfortable for anyone to use public transport, so some foreigners prefer the transportation service such as Grab Bike or Gojek. But to some people, it’s also another horrifying adventure, as some drivers aren’t afraid to do dangerous turns, ride on the sidewalks, or sometimes drive on the wrong lanes just to get you to your destination in a minimum of time. They are really helpful when you are in a rush, but if you aren’t, it can be a nightmare sitting in the back of those drivers.
2. Language
Vietnamese is considered by many foreigners as a difficult language to learn. Among the problems when living in Vietnam that a foreigner might face, the language barrier muts be at the top of the list. Only a few Vietnamese people know foreign languages, including international languages such as “English”, but foreigners can try learning some basic sentences to help them get around easily.
3. Weather.
Vietnam’s climate is tropical with a lot of rain during a year, with strikingly hot summers and mildly cold winters (but it also depends on the region). Although the weather is not so extreme most of the time, it is not easy to adapt if you come from some Western countries with low temperatures all year round.
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4. Pickpocketing and petty theft
This is still one of the biggest concerns of people living in Vietnam. Although the Vietnamese government has taken many measures to prevent such occurrences, it can’t always be spotted or under complete control. Many tourists have encountered these types of petty crimes in Vietnam and expressed their irritation towards this issue.
5. Food safety and hygiene
Vietnam has a rich and diverse tropical cuisine which is greatly influenced by many neighboring countries in the area. Especially the street food of Vietnam is diverse, rich, many special dishes. Moreover, Vietnamese food is not too spicy, too greasy like some other Asian countries. To enjoy these special dishes, visitors have to discover every nook and cranny of the area where they live to find the best-selling food stores. However, street food becomes less appealing to foreigners because of the health risks and hygiene issues they might cause. Some people experience stomach cramps or food poisoning because of eating street food. So if you are afraid of the unhygienic dishes, you should go food shopping and cook your own meals. Coming to reliable diners to avoid these hygiene- related problems when living in Vietnam is also a good option.
6. Polluted environment
Vietnam is on its way to become a modernized and industrialized economy. In large cities, the urbanization rate is too fast, leading to severe destruction of the environment. Garbage can still be found in the sea, streets, rivers and lakes, etc. Nevertheless, we can’t deny the tremendous effort of the government throughout the years in reducing the pollution issues within the country.
7. Buying a house in Vietnam
For those who intend to work for a long time or live in Vietnam, buying a house is not an easy matter. Because the procedures are quite complicated and limited according to the provisions of the Law when foreigners buy houses here.
8. Noisy neighbors
Many foreigners say that the noise coming from their neighborhood when they’re doing karaoke is incredibly unbearable. Vietnamese people love to sing and talk loudly when partying, you are likely to be disturbed when a house is having a party going on.
9. Administrative procedures
Many foreigners coming to Vietnam complain about administrative procedures in Vietnam. Most find it quite cumbersome and time-consuming. Some of them can be mentioned such as:
– Work permit.
– Residence application procedure.
– Procedures for entry, exit and transit.
More specifically, the non-transparent ways of some officials also cause quite a lot of trouble for foreigners. However, Vietnam is currently conducting many transformations in different fields, especially in administrative reform.
10. Weak infrastructure
Vietnam is a developing country, infrastructure is still weak, especially housing, healthcare, transportation, and education. It is still in the process of being invested and developed. Foreigners, before intending to travel or work as well as settle in Vietnam, have always faced these not-so-simple problems when living in Vietnam.
Despite many of the above weaknesses, Vietnam is still a country worth living in. In the step of international integration, Vietnam is a potential country with fast economic development. Moreover, this is a beautiful country blessed by nature, sociable and friendly people.
Is it worth living in Vietnam?
Pollution, noises, chaos and other problems when living in Vietnam above sometimes make expats feel overwhelmed and some even find them unbearable. Many foreigners have left because of the stress of experiencing the cultural differences. However, no matter how busy and noisy there are, Vietnam always has a calm and peaceful character. Another thing that holds international tourists back is the people here. Vietnamese people are always warm and hospitable, always know how to care for others in the community.
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