Living in the rapidly developing Vietnam is so simple

Text by Linki Asia Dong Sang

Compared with Thailand and Malaysia, Vietnam has not yet become a retirement destination for most Chinese. Compared with other Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam’s low cost of living has attracted many people in recent years. There are many retired elderly people in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea and an increasing number of digital nomads (digital nomads). In addition, there are a large number of Vietnamese girls who are more in line with Chinese aesthetics. The colorful and leisurely life and the rapid growth of the economy are for many Chinese people. It is said that investing, starting a business and living in Vietnam are full of attractions, so how can Chinese people easily live in Vietnam for a long time?

Currently, Vietnam does not have pension visas, elite visas, etc. for foreigners like Thailand, nor does it have a "second home" long-term visa like Malaysia. The Thailand tourist visa is for 60 days and can be extended for one month, which is up to 90 days. Recently, Thailand has introduced a 90-day visa, which can be renewed twice, with a total stay of up to 270 days. However, this is only a temporary measure introduced by Thailand to restore the economy. Thai officials are temporarily preparing to implement this policy for one year. The Thai pension visa is for people over 50 years old, and the bank deposit must not be less than 150,000 yuan.

Malaysia’s tourist visa is only for one month. Malaysia’s “Second Home Program” that has become popular in the past few years is a 10-year long-term residence visa. The requirements are more stringent than those of Thailand. Those under 50 years old need 500,000 yuan. For bank deposits, those over 50 years old need a certificate of deposit of RMB 250,000. The funds need to be deposited in a Malaysian bank and cannot be used casually. After one year of residence, part of it can be withdrawn for expenses in Malaysia. The Second Home Plan has attracted immigrants from various Asian countries. Unfortunately, Malaysia’s “Second Home Plan” has been suspended due to various political factors. It is still unknown when it will be resumed. Coupled with the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Malaysian economy has been hit hard.

Vietnam currently does not have any similar visa and long-term residence policies. In addition to work visas and investment visas for those employed by Vietnamese companies, Vietnam can only apply for three-month tourist visas for Chinese non-business people. You must leave the country at that time. But there is also an advantage of Vietnam visa. When the tourist visa is about to expire, you can buy a very low-cost cheap ticket (4, 500 yuan) and fly to the nearby Thai airport. If you return to Ho Chi Minh and enter the country on the same day, you can apply for another three-month tourist visa. , this is called Visa Run by foreigners. If you are not too tired, you can also go to Thailand by land or if you are in northern Vietnam, go directly back to the Chinese side. Of course, the premise is that you need to spend money on Taobao to purchase some entry approval documents. Price It only costs about 100 yuan, and the approval process is very fast. If it is urgent, it can be done in a few hours. Of course, if you have other connections, you can also spend money to buy a work visa, but it is relatively troublesome. We will only talk about the simplest method today.

Due to the impact of the new coronavirus epidemic, tourist visas currently staying in Vietnam can be directly renewed, but they need to be renewed once a month, costing hundreds of dollars, which is very expensive. At this stage, due to the epidemic, Vietnam has not opened its doors to ordinary tourists. Only technical experts, some important business investors, and Vietnamese family members are allowed to enter. Although Vietnam’s visa does not seem to be as convenient as Malaysia’s long-term visa, Malaysia’s political situation and policies are very unstable compared with Vietnam. Many people who invested in purchasing real estate in Malaysia suffered heavy losses due to the suspension of the “Second Home Plan”, and many people lost money. Sell ??the house and return home.

Although Vietnam’s economy is currently not as good as that of Malaysia and Thailand, Vietnam is experiencing the fastest economic development in Southeast Asia. The environment in many foreign gathering areas in Ho Chi Minh City has become more and more mature, such as District 7 and In the second county, there are many private hospitals, international schools, serviced apartments of various prices, and entertainment, shopping and leisure places. There is no need to worry about safety and harassment when living here. There are especially many Chinese doing business here. Living in an international community in a big city in Vietnam, you don’t have to worry about someone being anti-China. Vietnamese society doesn’t seem to like China. In fact, Vietnam attaches great importance to investment from China. The trade between the two countries is getting closer and closer. If it happens again like in 2014, The stupid thing about smashing all the Chinese factories.

As the top leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, further consolidates his power and eliminates internal opposition forces, Vietnam clearly realizes that the current focus is actually to develop the economy, by constantly pleasing the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. , Russia, etc. to obtain various economic benefits. They also know very well that the economy will not be able to get rid of China's influence for a long time. What is most in line with the national interest at the moment is to strike a strategic balance among the big powers to gain more benefits. In the past few years, more and more Koreans, Taiwanese, Singaporeans, and mainland Chinese have moved to Vietnam to do business and settle down. I will further introduce the cost of living in Vietnam in the future. I will also compare the differences in Vietnam when I have time. The environment, cost of living, transportation and other aspects between cities and between Vietnam and other Southeast Asian cities will be introduced to introduce the most suitable cities for starting a business, living and retiring. With the rapid development of Vietnam's economy and the improvement of the environment in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese government will make visa policies more friendly and convenient in order to attract more investment and stimulate consumption. If the country has continued to be involution, then vote with your feet. Looking for a more comfortable living space will become a choice for more people.