As an expat living in Vietnam, I have had so many interesting experiences. There’re many things that I love about this country. However, in this article, we are going to talk about what a lot of foreigners don’t like here.
These are seven things foreigners often don’t like that I have collected over the years living in Vietnam and highlighted in this in-depth article about complains, myths and misconceptions foreigners have about the country.
The visa
The visa policy is still quite unclear to the expats. For those who want to travel to Vietnam for a short time (3 – 6 months), it will be hard to get a standard visa.
There are other ways so if this is your concern right now, go check the video below for more insight about this issue.
Job opportunity
Even though Vietnam is emerging, there is not too much to count on in Vietnam. You can work for an international company if you have the required diploma or certificate. However, for those who are only fresh graduates, it may be challenging. Moreover, there are not that many spots available.
The hierarchy
The hierarchy relates to the cultural aspect of the country. Vietnam has a clear system of treating people of different ages. It’s clearly shown in the way they call each other in their daily life. In the working environment, the hierarchy system affects the relationship among different individuals in a company. I have heard stories about a lower-positioned staff unable to contribute his idea because of this hierarchy in the system. Therefore, this is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to Vietnamese-foreigner working relationships.
Vietnamese takes everything easily
Since Vietnam is still trying to catch up with the pace of the world, it’s still an unfamiliar experience when foreigners work with Vietnamese. Oftentimes, Vietnamese can be very passive in what they do. Sometimes they wait for an order to come out and do it. They don’t usually put out questions about their job. This might seem ok in many cases but most of the time, it affects the relationship among different individuals. Foreigners usually expect to see the enthusiasm from the Vietnamese people to feel more comfortable when working with them.
The crowd and the traffic
This is probably the most common weakness of the country that I usually hear from my fellow foreign friends. Since the country is trying to work on its traffic system, the growing population can be quite annoying. A lot of my friends complain about being late for work because of the traffic jams even though it’s only 7 in the morning.
The constant changes
Because Vietnam is an emerging country, things can change fast. The adjustment appears not only in the area where people live but also in the regulations and restrictions relating to foreigners. Therefore, it has caused a lot of difficulty for foreigners to stabilize in Vietnam as they have to constantly deal with different documents.
The financial aspects
Certain restrictions cause a lot of trouble for foreigners in finance matters. Banking in Vietnam doesn’t seem to be foreigner-friendly. The banks in Vietnam usually ask foreigners to submit a lot of documents that may get annoying sometimes. It still feels like the system has been settled yet to serve foreigners in this particular matter. Therefore, there are still many things that foreigners have to deal with when they choose or are using a banking service in Vietnam.
This article listed some of the common things that are often shared and discussed on social media by expats, aiming to share another angle about Vietnam besides many of its beautiful aspects.. Just like everywhere, there are always pros and cons in each country, and Vietnam is not an exception. To demonstrate another perspective, let me share with you the reasons why I decided to choose Vietnam to be my second home with my review of 5 years living in Vietnam.