Travel broadens the mind but stray outside of the local laws and customs and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of angry locals, or worse still, getting deported or locked up in jail. Follow these etiquette and cultural hints when exploring Vietnam;
Don’t blog in Vietnam – If you thought blogging about government affairs in Vietnam is cool, you better think again. Unlike most countries where you are free to blog about the government, in Vietnam, you certainly aren’t. Whether what you were blogging about was sensitive or not, it’d be ten times better to just use that keyboard to type about the weather in Vietnam. Talk about anything like corruption in the government or even the Vietnam War and you’ll either be deported, or you’ll be thinking about freedom behind steel bars. Blogging, in Vietnam, should be about your personal experiences. Blogging about the government is a no-go-zone.
Keep your leisure time healthy – Despite having the freedom to blog about your personal experiences, you should know that anything that depicts pornography is highly illegal. Prostitution also happens to be illegal. If you’re the kind of person that loves going to bars and nightclubs, flirting with a couple of women and then taking them back to your crib, this isn’t the place for you. Even sharing a room with a Vietnamese of the opposite sex is wrong and co-habiting is completely a no-go option. Though this law is nowadays not so strict about this, you can never be too sure when things might get serious.
As with all destinations, it’s important to practice common sense and these tips are here to assist. Regular readers of our blog know that we adore Vietnam as a travel destination and have indeed produced many posts on the subject; My Hanoi Travel Experience: My Favourite Destination in the World, What to do in Ho Chi Minh City, 5 Weird and wonderful hotels in Vietnam and many more.
Women’s dress in Vietnam – For women, the laws are even stricter then for a man. You can’t wear revealing clothing anywhere in Vietnam apart from your own bedroom. Foreigners aren’t excluded from this law and there are some who have been called rude names for wearing sexy, revealing or low cut clothing whilst out and about. Reveal less and you might just survive in Vietnam. Showing off your bust and letting the men see how attractive your legs are will do you no good. Instead, you might end up spending the night in a cell, or you might even be on your way back to your home country.
Don’t attempt to drive when in Vietnam – Your driver’s license is as good as useless in Vietnam. Having an International Driver’s License makes no difference either. However good you are at driving, you also can’t be issued with a VN driver’s license. Only a Vietnamese can obtain a driver’s license. So, kindly don’t bother driving in Vietnam if you can’t prove that you are Vietnamese. And with the roads choc-a-block 24/7 it’s no great loss to forgo driving for the duration of your holiday.
Update; whilst you can’t use your own drivers licence in Vietnam you can apply for a Vietnamese licence should you wish to, for example if you plan a lengthy stay and is required by law to drive a car or motorcycle in Vietnam. Visitors can apply via the Hanoi Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Works and Transportation, contact details can be found on the FCO Official site.
Stay safe in Vietnam – Also, the police in Vietnam aren’t interested in cases such as your bag was stolen or you got ripped off by a merchant. These cases, in the eyes of the police, aren’t crimes. They are regarded as civil matters of dispute. So, it’d be a good idea to always watch out for conmen, distraction thieves and pickpockets. They can lurk anywhere since stealing your property wouldn’t end up being a police matter. If you do lose something, hire a private investigator or someone of the sort. After that, hope that he/she isn’t a con as well. If he/she is, leave the police out of it. Always check the latest official safety and travel advice prior to travel.
Camera action – Despite criminal deception not being a major issue to the police, your camera might turn out to be a big issue. Restrain from taking pictures of military installations. All you’ll be really looking for is an unexpected arrest in which you’ll be taking pictures of your life in prison.
Drugs in Vietnam – Finally, transportation of illegal drugs is among the most offensive crimes in Vietnam. The maximum penalty for this crime is death. Though you might catch a glimpse of one or two people smoking marijuana in the streets, don’t ever be fooled into doing the same.
By Julie Bowman
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I usually don’t comment about most issues that I read on the web as so much of the content is personalized. However, your description of the 7 things not to do in Vietnam is so far from reality that I thought I must offer my opinion of your writings.
I as well as my employees have been blogging in Vietnam for quite some time, including our experiences in dealing with various governmental agencies. I do take you point about outright blogging about governmental issues using an attacking method.
Your “Keep your leisure time healthy” bears no resemblance to what life in Vietnam is for foreigners.
“Women’s dress in Vietnam” is again a polar opposite to reality. Just sit in a coffee shop alongside a road for an hour and you will see some of the most provocatively dressed women in the world. Shear tops, short skirts and shorts are readily accepted.
I have been driving both car and motorbike in Vietnam for six years. There is absolutely nothing that stipulates foreigners can obtain a license. It does not take a few “greens” as you state, how insulting to Vietnam. I applied, took a test and obtained my license just the same as any other person would in Vietnam.
Again, your “Stay safe in Vietnam “ is off point. I had a laptop bag stolen off a luggage cart in a five star hotel that I was staying in. When I reported it to the police, they scrupulously went through the video surveillance records of the hotel to determine what had happened. I have had several other instance of working with the police and in general find them very helpful. I have also seen where the police act just as you describe, but it is usually at the receiving end of a belligerent or disrespectful tourist.
Our company has taken thousands of photos in Vietnam and never had a problem. Of course one would not take photos of a sensitive area in Vietnam, just the same as trying to take a photo inside a government building in the US. Common sense, no bigger risk here in Vietnam.
As anywhere in the world, drug trafficking has harsh penalties s. There are many venues through which drugs are obtained in Vietnam, with the police raiding offending facilities. It is quite common to see Vietnamese and foreigners alike obtaining every kind of recreational drug. Vietnam is attempting to control this situation, but unfortunately they face the same uphill battle that almost all countries now face.
I am an American that has lived in Vietnam since 2006 and have been living and traveling extensively in Asia for 40 years. Vietnam is one of most welcoming places in the world that I have lived. I have never felt threatened when walking at night in any of the big cities in Vietnam as one would in most major western cities. I implore you to get the facts straight before you publish, it is unfair to paint a tainted picture of Vietnam.
It’s important not to misunderstand the intentions of this post; PureTravel has championed Vietnam as an exciting must-visit holiday destination since we started and indeed have published many news and info posts on many Vietnamese destinations, see links above. I also have travelled through much of Southeast Asia and indeed spent two weeks travelling through Vietnam a couple of years ago. The points raised are based on my own personal travel experiences and also the official advice from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the FCO.
Prior to my visit I researched Vietnam through official channels and respected guidelines and was alerted to the high incidences of pickpocketing, bag snatches and various scams. Indeed one such post online – Why I’ll Never Return To Vietnam – details many travellers’ experiences. Now I firmly believe in going and making your own mind up about a destination, after all travel does broaden the mind. If I’d listened to friends and colleagues I’d never have discovered Bangkok (described as dirty and noisy; I absolutely loved all my visits!), Hong Kong (too busy, too expensive; I have now been to HK around 6 times and adore it!) and Vietnam; I thoroughly enjoyed my trip; the scenery was amazing, the people welcoming and the history was fascinating.
And as long as travellers follow a few common sense guidelines (which is where this post comes in) then a trip to Vietnam should be trouble free. Obviously the points are based on the more extreme end of behaviour.
On your point about women’s dress, yes I’m sure sheer tops, short skirts and shorts are ‘readily accepted’ especially within large cities and tourist areas. I’m sure it’s a different case in more rural areas and also amongst the older generation – indeed I have worn such items and have attracted sharp stares. It’s more a reminder that what may be acceptable in the west; bikini tops, hotpants etc will not be the ‘norm’ in Vietnam rather than standard tourist issue of vests and shorts. Travel is all about fitting in and going with the local flow and ultimately respecting local customs and etiquette (indeed we have published many posts on etiquette and what not do, it even has its own blog category!) This is especially pertinent when visiting religious buildings and places of worship.
On your point about driving in Vietnam I have updated the section with the correct information, thanks for pointing out that local licences can be obtained, although for the average traveller this will never be a consideration.
As for your other points, yes most people would realise that taking photos of military and sensitive sites is not advisable, yet I saw quite a few travellers getting ushered away from photographing sensitive sites, so common sense doesn’t always prevail! Security is taken seriously especially at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where I saw several travellers turned away.
Thanks again for your comments, we read and value all comments received.