The time zone difference between Vietnam and other countries will easily affect the travel and stay time in Vietnam for tourists. This article by VTJ will provide detailed information about time zone differences around the world!
Compare time zone differences between Vietnam and other countries
Understanding two key time standards: GMT and UTC
Theoretically, the Earth’s surface is divided into 24 time zones using 24 meridians, resulting in time differences between zones ranging from 1 to 7-8 hours, depending on the geographical distance between countries.
- GMT: Established on December 1, 1847, was the first widely adopted time standard. The official time zone is used in some European and African countries. Time can be displayed in 24-hour (0 – 24) or 12-hour (1 – 12 AM/PM) format. GMT is based on the Earth’s movement, mainly its daily rotation.
- UTC: Which stands for Coordinated Universal Time, is not a standard alphabetical abbreviation. It is not a time zone, but a time standard that serves as the basis for locating times and time zones that operate worldwide. UTC is similar to GMT, but it is based on the scientific definition of the second (the SI second of an atomic clock), which is independent of the Earth’s rotation time.
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What is the time zone in Vietnam?
Currently, Vietnam is in the UTC +7 time zone. This means that Vietnam is 7 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). For example, when it’s 12:00 PM (noon) in Vietnam, it’s 5:00 AM GMT on the same day. This time difference remains constant throughout the year as Vietnam does not observe daylight saving time.
Time zone in Vietnam compared to some other countries
Time zone in Vietnam compared to some other countries
USA
The average time difference between the US (typically GMT-5) and Vietnam (GMT+7) is 12 hours. However, in different states, the time zone will vary up and down. For example, if it is noon on the 30th in Vietnam, the California time zone is 10:00 PM on the 29th, and the Texas time zone is midnight on the 30th, etc.
Australia
Australia has many different time zones due to its large area and geographical dispersion. Therefore, Australia is divided into 3 time zones:
- Central Australia (UTC+9:30): Australia is 2.5 hours ahead of Vietnam. For example: 7 am in Vietnam is equivalent to 9:30 am in this area.
- Eastern Australia (UTC+10): Australia is 3 hours ahead of Vietnam. For example: 7 am in Vietnam is equivalent to 10 am in the cities here.
- Western Australia (UTC+8): Australia is only 1 hour behind Vietnam. For example: 7 am in Vietnam is equivalent to 8 am in this area.
UK
In principle, the time difference between the UK and Vietnam is 7 hours. However, this difference depends on whether the UK is in summer or winter. If it is summer, they will use GMT+1, and in winter it is GMT+0 as usual.
- During UK winter time, add 7 hours to UK time to get Vietnam time. Specifically, if it is 2 am in the UK, it is 9 am in Vietnam.
- If it is summer in the UK, you just add 6 hours. For example, if it is 2 am in the UK, it is only 8 am in Vietnam.
South Africa
South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. The time zone used by South Africa is UTC +02:00 (SAST). Therefore, South African time is 5 hours behind Vietnam time. For example, 10 pm in Vietnam is 5 am in South Africa.
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Some countries with the same time zone as Vietnam
Vietnam is located on the 7th meridian and has the same time zone as countries in the region such as:
- Laos
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
This information about Vietnam’s time zone and its difference from other countries can help you plan a more enjoyable trip to Vietnam. It will help you avoid sleeping at night or calling your relatives.
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