Vietnam Travel Tips

Vietnam Culture

Vietnam is Vietnamese. For Westerners traveling through Asia, it is always a surprise to discover countries based largely on homogeneous cultures. In many countries in the world, development has been associated with population movements and integration, resulting in systems and attitudes reflecting the multicultural nature of its citizens. Vietnam’s history is mainly the story of one ethnic group – the Kinh – still representing nowadays 85% of the population.
DO remember that Vietnam was specifically fashioned for the Vietnamese, not for foreigners. It’s their country and – for the most part – they are extremely proud of it and fiercely nationalistic.
DON’T fall for the stereotype that all Asian countries are alike. Vietnam has its own identity and characteristics, quite different from its neighbors, including China. If you were Swede, you wouldn’t consider yourself the same as a German or even a Norwegian, would you? Similarly, Vietnamese are unique.
DO accept that you are a guest in Vietnam. You will experience what it feels like to be part of a visible minority. Fortunately however, you are part of a rather privileged one.
DO reflect that guests enjoy special status but also have special responsibilities.
DO try to learn as much as you can about the culture, to integrate as much as possible into the life of the people around you. The Vietnamese will highly appreciate your efforts to understand them, their culture and their language. And you’ll benefit from better treatment, better prices, and wider smiles.

Culture shock

Everyone gets it. Talk about it, laugh about it, and share it with fellow travelers… Don’t keep it on the country. If you’re looking for home, use your return ticket.
The cure is at your fingertips: understanding your new surroundings.
Your responsibility: to learn to enjoy Vietnam for what it is, a country neither better nor worse than home, but incredibly different.
If this is any consolation in times of utmost despair…, Vietnam is host to thousands of expatriates, many of whom don’t wan to leave. There must be reasons: go out and find them!
DO remember there is no right or wrong in cultural difference: only difference.

Family, the pillar of Vietnamese society. In fact, there are three pillars of Vietnamese society, and they are family, family and family! This could be spelled out as family (immediate), family (extended) and family (projected).
It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of family and the extent to which the “family” model is present in all of the country’s institutions.
Ward and districts are run like extended families. Even in a business environment, employers and colleagues will treat you as part of an extended family, taking care of you when you are sick, visiting you at weekends and holidays, inviting you to their weddings, funerals, housewarmings, and so on (and expecting to be invited to yours!). Naturally, there is also a downside to all this intimacy: people regularly enquiring about your everyday doings or movements and interfering in your personal life. You’ll receive plenty of unsolicited advice – but if you listen, you’ll soon learn plenty about how things are done the Vietnamese way!
DO realize that the Vietnamese have a very different perspective on social, political and business organizations, most of which are modeled on the extended family concept.
DON’T be offended if newly made friends poke into every detail of your personal life. They are in fact helping you become part of a Vietnamese group.
DO enquire about your Vietnamese friends’ health, families and personal life. It will show interest and respect.
DO understand that family matters are paramount and unexpected family responsibilities will take precedence over appointments and activities scheduled previously.
Take a second look at the legend of the origin of Vietnamese people. All Vietnamese, from the deltas to the mountains, descend from the marriage of a dragon lord (Lac) and an immortal princess (Au Co). The dragon is said to have come south from China and, once all their children were grown up, the dragon and his wife the princess returned to the spirit world. What Vietnamese retain from the story is that all Vietnamese people are related to each other. More than one country, this is one (very) extended family… or at least that’s what they would like it to be!
As much as Westerners are “task-oriented”, Vietnamese are “relationship-oriented”. You have a problem? Work on the relationship.

Ethnic groups
If 85% of Vietnamese are of Kinh ethnic origin, which still leaves 15% of the population divided among the 53 other ethnic groups.
The most well known of these groups are the Tay, Thai, Hoa, Khmer, Muong, Dao, and Hmong, all of whom consist of around a million people each. At the other end of the spectrum are the Co Lao, La Ha and Ngai groups with numbers of less than 2,000, and finally the Pu Peo, Ro-mam and O-du with only a few hundred individuals remaining in each one.
Even if the government is making great efforts to present a positive image of Vietnam’s ethnic groups and is trying to ensure their inclusion in the great Vietnamese family, many individuals still consider them backwards and unsophisticated. As in most other parts of the world, ethnic groups and visible minorities have never had it easy. They need all the help they can get.
Without being overly chastising, DON’T encourage negative or degrading remarks and attitudes towards ethnic groups.
DO respect cultural differences and whenever possible, choose tour operators who appear more culturally sensitive.

What’s a Viet Kieu
You’ll hear this term used very often. It refers to all Vietnamese who have left their homeland to live in another country.
Many are now coming back to Vietnam to conduct business for their own sake or as representatives of foreign companies or organizations. Having someone who understands the local language and customs as well as being familiar with some Western ways is a boon to foreign organizations, but can sometimes also be a mixed blessing.
Most Viet Kieu has left for either political or economic reasons and has not been back for decades. Meanwhile, the country has changed so much it may seem as though they have taken a time machine from the past rather than a plane to come back to Vietnam. Their ideas, their manners and even their language can seem strange for younger generations. Those who have stayed behind to live through the difficult years will sometimes refer to those who left as deserters or even traitors.
But as more and more Viet Kieu flock back, heeding the call of the government, this distrust will vanish and family ties will once more take precedence.

Gender equality
Broadly – very broadly speaking, the Western model of gender equality has few followers in Vietnam, although Vietnamese women are as numerous (if not more) in the business and political arena as they are in most developed countries.
All Vietnamese are proud to mention that their constitution guarantees equal status to both sexes; however, separate gender roles for men and women, a legacy of Confucian teachings, are still very much ingrained.
The older generations are keen to mention the major part played by Vietnamese women in the nation’s history: their key role in the wars, their presence at higher management levels of large state-owned or private enterprises, their important role in family-based businesses, etc.
Younger generations, especially the city dwellers, are discovering the challenge of balancing their family ambitions with their professional ones, their traditional Vietnamese ideas on feminism with the trendier worldwide ones.
DO discuss with old and young alike to discover their attitudes and perceptions on gender roles. Most Vietnamese love to discuss this subject… seriously or jokingly… but they will resent condescending or “colonialist” attitudes.
DON’T judge what you cannot yet understand. As always, respect is the key word here.

Tet Holiday

Tet, the biggest event of all
You can think of Tet as being the Vietnamese equivalent of Christmas, New Year and the annual holidays rolled into one.
“Christmas” as it’s Vietnam’s most important religious and family event.
“New Year” because it actually is the Lunar New Year.
“Annual holidays” since it is the only significant break from work for the majority of Vietnamese people.
DO take into account that although Vietnamese civil servants officially only get four days off, the whole country grinds to a halt one week before and up to two weeks after Tet. In the countryside, Tet is the occasion for a month long holiday, the only break most people will have in their working year.
DON’T plan any important meeting, business transaction or access to government services during that period.
DO notice that flights into, out of, and inside the country will most probably be fully booked months in advance for the Tet period.
Tet (real name: Tết Nguyên đán) falls on the first day of the first lunar month and marks the advent of spring. In the solar calendar, it usually corresponds to late January or early February. It is a time of renewal and new beginnings, of family reunions and religious ceremonies. Beforehand, debts must be settled, arguments must be avoided, houses must be repaired, cleaned and decorated. The Vietnamese attach considerable importance to starting the year properly because it is believed that the first day will determine one’s fortune for the rest of the year.
Among the many customs associated with Tet are the New Year’s trees (cây quất, cây đào, or cây mai in the South). A few days before New Year, the streets will be filled with vendors offering these trees. Markets and stores will be completely swamped with clients getting the last items for the preparation of lavish meals and receptions.
Traditional meals – especially bánh chưng – are an integral part of Tet festivities. Many different ceremonies are conducted at homes or at the pagodas to celebrate this important event.
Before midnight, the Spirit of the Hearth is sent to report on the family’s doings during the year that is ending. Special care must be taken to try and have him depart in a positive frame of mind. Offerings and special prayers are addressed for deceased family members.
At midnight, in order to ward off evil spirits and welcome the good ones, great noises are made with firecrackers, drums and gongs. A few years ago, firecrackers were banned and replaced with fireworks at different parts of all major cities.
Vietnamese place extreme importance on the first visitor to pass the family door in the New Year.
DON’T visit any Vietnamese households on the morning of the first day of Tet unless you have been specifically instructed to do so. Vietnamese will go to considerable trouble to ensure that the first visitor to their home – and even to their office – is a “proper” person, i.e., of the right zodiacal sign for the New Year and, if at all possible, a happy, lucky and wealthy person.

The lunar calendar
Each of the 12 lunar months has 29 or 30 days forming years with 355 days. Approximately every third year, a thirteenth month is added (between the 3rd and 4th months) in order to keep the lunar calendar in synch with the solar year. Otherwise, the lunar “seasons” would gradually fall back in the yearly cycle and would loose their link to the agricultural year.
The Vietnamese lunar calendar started in 2637 BC. In ancient cosmogony, Vietnamese used 60-year periods called hồi, divided in six 10-year (called “can” or “heavenly stems”) and five 12-year periods (called “giáp” or “zodiacal stems”). The combination of a “can” and a “giáp” uniquely identified each year in a “hồi”.
You will no doubt discover your “giáp”. According to your year of birth you may be:

Hint: all Vietnamese calendars show both the solar and lunar dates. They are a must if you need to track down lunar dates.

Weddings & Funerals

Tying the knot
If you spend some time in Vietnam, it probably won’t be long before you are invited to a wedding. Although many weddings are less elaborate affairs than they used to be, there is still quite a procedure to be followed and it is widely respected.
Many marriages are more or less arranged by parents, but romantic love has definitely arrived in Vietnam with a vengeance. However, the first thing a prospective couple will do is comparing horoscopes (and ages): any incompatibility here means all wedding bets are off.
If all is well, then the young things can get engaged. This is a separate ceremony, when the boy’s relatives set off in procession to visit their future in-laws, bearing symbolic gifts in special red lacquered boxes. A fortune teller is consulted to set a date and time for the wedding. This may be as little as one month away or as much as three years later: it all depends on the stars and other factors, such as a period of mourning to be respected.
Even though the date may have been fixed far in advance, DON’T that you will only receive your formal invitation about a week or ten days before the wedding.
DON’T count on seeing the formal signing of government marriage papers: this is done separately, either before or after the wedding – in fact, any time before the birth of a first child… although, according to the law, it should be the first step.

When will the party start?
Owing to the complex superstitions determining auspicious moments for any two people to tie the knot, the date and time on your invitation may look like a printer’s error, but
DO be prepared for the party to be at seven o’clock on a Sunday morning: this way you won’t be too surprised, whenever it is…
DON’T turn up with a polite (to Western eyes) half-hour added to the time announced, or you may well miss the meal altogether – or find yourself celebrating the next wedding booked at the same restaurant!
DON’T expect to party until dawn with close family and friends. No dancing or singing (except often amplified music with a hired crooner). But at least there’s always plenty to drink, even if you have to toast with total strangers. Vietnamese weddings are huge and formal affairs, with hundreds of colleagues and obligatory guests imposed by etiquette.
DON’T be surprised if you are shown wedding photos at the ceremony, already developed and arranged in albums: these are usually taken well before at a studio specializing in that sort of thing.
DON’T attempt to kiss the bride, Western style – unless of course she invites you to!

What about a present?
DO keep it simple: money is by far the easiest gift and is universally well received. One clean, nearly-new banknote of the largest local denomination should suffice, unless you are very close to one or both of the newly-weds and you want to give more, and/or DO buy something useful to help the happy couple set up their new home, as more and more newly-weds in Vietnam are now choosing to live by themselves, instead of with the groom’s family as they did in the past.
Traditionally, the minimum acceptable money gift is one that covers the cost of the meal at the particular venue where the wedding takes place.
When choosing very upscale venues, couples run the risk of having friends or relatives politely declining the invitation or not showing up because they simply can’t afford the cost.
Most people will identify themselves on the envelopes so the groom and bride will know the extent of their generosity and will have to match it when they themselves will be invited in that particular family.

Attending a funeral
If a friend or colleague invites you to a relative’s funeral, it is really polite to show up, even if for a short time. Here’s how you should go about it:
On the way to the deceased’s house (there are no funeral homes here), buy a funeral wreath at one of the specialized shops selling nothing but.
At the friend’s place, give the wreath then slowly walk around the wooden coffin, stopping a few seconds to look at the deceased’s face. Coffins are sealed but there is a small windowpane placed above the deceased’s head.
Give proper condolences to your friend and mostly to the family’s elders. If you don’t know any Vietnamese words, just shake their hands and move on.
You will most likely be invited to sit down and eat. It is polite to accept but don’t linger at the table. Eat a few morsels then excuse yourself and leave.
Apart from funerals, you may be invited to commemorate someone’s death anniversary. These anniversaries are celebrated much more scrupulously than birth anniversaries, especially when they involve a mother or father. Your presence and that of other guests are the most important elements of such celebrations. You will be introduced, asked to toast more than once, asked to eat more than you can probably ingest.
DON’T overindulge, even amidst the insistence of all family members: eat sparingly… the family might actually have to borrow money to feed all the guests.
DON’T linger around the table after the meal is over. They might expect other guests or may have other plans for the rest of the evening.
Although you probably will not have a chance to go to the cemetery where the deceased’s body will be cremated or temporarily buried, and will also not be invited to the reinternment ceremony, you should be aware of a very particular funeral custom, mostly prevalent in the North.

2. Religion

A bit of context…
Vietnam’s traditional religious background is based on three great philosophies and religions – Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism – that coexist with a more ancient but still thriving Mother Worship cult, ancestor worship, popular beliefs, superstitions and ancient Vietnamese animism.

Religion and politics
Is religion a sensitive issue in Vietnam? To understand the “yes and no” answer, one must remember that, from the dawn of civilization, religion has gone hand in hand with politics, power and conquests.
As far as individual beliefs are concerned – especially those of foreigners – Vietnam has to be one of the most tolerant societies. Actually most Vietnamese couldn’t care less if you believe or what you believe in and will not try to convert to you to their own sets of beliefs. Winning converts doesn’t seem to be a Vietnamese trait although some Western religions did their best to change that state of mind.
However, it is also true that some religious groups are under closer scrutiny than others. Not for their underlying philosophies and values, but for their perceived intervention in the political arena. The role of their followers during the struggle against colonialism and during the American War has influenced the level of control placed on many groups.
In a still nervous “post-civil war” environment, the Government is also extremely wary of “hostile forces” trying to infiltrate Vietnam or raise followers abroad. Many of these groups have used religious covers to camouflage their actions.
DON’T be afraid to talk philosophy and religion with your Vietnamese friends and acquaintances. Most will be extremely happy to take you to their pagodas and explain their rituals.
DON’T engage in any missionary or conversion activities. This could lead to serious consequences.
DO visit all the temples, pagodas and churches you want, ask all the questions you please; just remember to respect other beliefs as you would like yours to be respected.

Temple or Pagoda
Not that it probably makes much difference to the Gods themselves, but many visitors seem fascinated by this semantic question: What is the difference between a temple and a pagoda?
Vietnamese also uses two main words đền and chùa translated respectively as “temple” and “pagoda”. Chùa refers to temples dedicated to the worship of Buddha. Chùa are tended by resident monks. On the other hand, đền are temples where all other deities are worshipped. They are tended by ordinary men or women assigned to each temple.
In Vietnamese spiritual world, many deities are actually real human beings that have lived exceptional lives and have kept their influential position in the afterlife. Buddha is the highest ranking of all. Other deities of human origin include famous and powerful emperors, mandarins and national heroes that influenced Vietnamese history. Normally, Vietnamese worshippers visit different temples, addressing specific prayers to specific deities. A business request might be submitted to a successful mandarin, a family problem may be submitted to the Mother, etc.

Beliefs and superstitions
DON’T underestimate the extent and power of popular beliefs in Vietnam. The “respect” mentioned above will be more difficult to bestow when it will adversely affect your plans, but that’s when it will be most needed. Your Vietnamese friends might not want to start a journey on a particular date and may be too shy to tell you the real reason why… it’s simply not a “good day” to travel.

Kitchen gods and village spirits
Vietnamese religious beliefs are rich and varied. The afterlife is also modeled along the same lines as the earthly one, with the family theme being all important.
In all Vietnamese homes and pagodas, you will find an altar dedicated to the ancestors. Filial piety and family cohesion DON’T end with the death of a parent. Anniversaries of death are much more celebrated than dates of birth and give rise to family reunions and elaborate dining. Occasionally, you will be invited to such ceremonies.
If you DON’T wish to attend, simply refuse politely; otherwise, enjoy the discovery. A small gift (flowers, fruits, wine) should be offered to the host family.
DO take advantage of these invitations to discover more about local customs.
DON’T be shy, simply be respectful.
In every village, there’s a temple to worship the tutelary spirit who founded the place. His death anniversary will be celebrated with numerous offerings at his temple.
Yet not all spirits are good and benevolent. Ghosts and bad spirits also thrive in the land of the dead. Most Vietnamese are quite afraid of evil spirits and many will have true stories of encounters with living dead creatures.

3. People

Character traits

Respect
This is an important aspect of Vietnamese society: respect of age, of profession, of wealth…
DO be reassured that, as a foreigner, you can get away with just about anything – so long as you do it with politeness and respect…
DON’T be afraid of “doing the wrong thing” or inadvertently insulting or upsetting people in Vietnam: it’s a lot harder to do than you’d think! Many people who travel to Vietnam believe they will give terrible offence if they forget to remove their shoes on entering someone’s house, or point at someone with their index finger. In fact, the Vietnamese are very tolerant of the foreigner’s lack of knowledge of local customs and most transgressions will be seen as minor. For important matters, don’t worry: you will be gently and firmly guided along the proper path.
DON’T lose your temper. This is usually seen as a lack of respect for others, and, what is worse, a lack of respect for yourself: to lose your temper is to lose face, and in Vietnam, not losing face is what it’s all about.
DON’T accept this last rule of thumb as a golden one, however: if, after lengthy negotiations, cajoling, smiling, counting to ten while breathing through your nose, nothing has happened, you can always try losing your temper as a last resort.
DON’T be aggressive if no-one is being aggressive to you: naked aggression is not admired as a quality of leadership or of anything else in this country and bullies get short shrift.

Politeness
DO remember that a lot of behavior in Vietnam is dictated by an incredible density of population. If you want to get anything done in this life, you may well have to put your elbow into your neighbor’s ribs to get past him. Remember to do it gently, and with a nice smile on your face. So, DON’T bother with queuing up for things: queues and line-ups just don’t happen in Vietnam. You just go for it, as though the gaggle of people in front of you were a mirage caused by the sun, waving your money, tickets, paperwork or whatever in the air and calling out imperiously to be served next.
Also, DON’T be offended by personal questions and remarks: people will often ask not only surprisingly nosy questions like: “how old are you?”, “where are you going?”, “why are you late?” but also make quite wounding personal remarks, such as “why are you so fat?” and “your husband is quite ugly!” These would obviously be considered very rude in many cultures but not this one.

Humor
Humor can be a valuable tool in Vietnam. The Vietnamese truly love to have a laugh about almost anything – and someone who can crack a joke will be appreciated, find it easier to fit in and, bizarrely, may even be taken more seriously by colleagues or associates – and indeed by any local.
The monosyllabic, tonal nature of the Vietnamese language also makes puns and plays on words particularly popular. You’ll be making a lot of these without even realizing you’re doing it when you speak some Vietnamese: that’s why people will often fall about laughing when you say anything, however simple or banal you thought it was!
DO joke about things as a polite way of dodging the many questions you may not want to answer (“How much did you pay for that?”) or as a clever way to defuse almost any kind of difficult situation. If you manage to have a laugh with people when you bargain, you’ll get a better deal when the time comes to fix a price. And you can gain people’s trust or sympathy much more easily than by any other means.
DO realize that Vietnamese people also laugh when they are sad, angry, embarrassed, puzzled, uneasy, shy, grieving, etc. – so laughter (literally) covers a lot of situations!
DON’T forget if you get stopped by the police with five kilos of heroin in your backpack, try slipping on a false nose and doing a funny walk. The firing squad will probably still shoot you.

Shyness and smiles
Younger people, particularly women, often appear painfully shy to foreign eyes.
DO understand, however, that to a great extent, this is the product of traditional Confucian values: shyness is seen as an outward form of respect and is culturally ingrained and prized as a virtue. The retiring modesty of a woman tittering behind a discreetly raised hand and cooing in a gentle voice can be quite charming – but you’ll be in for a shock when you hear this same lady giving orders at work or to her younger sister at home.
Smiles are more complicated: it’s a very Vietnamese trait, and people will smile at you wherever you go. This aspect of Vietnam maybe makes for an agreeable initial contact with people. But DO be aware that the Vietnamese smile in many situations where Westerners – and even most Chinese or other Aseans – would certainly not.
Emotions are expressed very differently by Asian peoples, when they are expressed at all. Misinterpretation is but a smile away. All this can take some getting used to for the newcomer: even when you are aware of it and have assimilated this intellectually.
However, baffling or mysterious Vietnamese smiles sometimes are, they can also often be a very uplifting experience. If you are travelling through the countryside late in the day as the sun begins to set, when workers walk or cycle home from the fields, elated by the end of long hours of hard labor, your path will be lined with smiling, waving adults and children. It makes you feel awfully important: a bit like royalty, acknowledging the acclaim of your loyal subjects. It also can make your smile muscles and waving arm quite exhausted!
There’s however an exception even to the ever-smiling reputation of the Vietnamese. Smiles are definitely NOT part of the Government clerks’ uniform. If you can wrench one from the bank teller, the post office lady or the train ticket salesperson, count yourself lucky.

Stubbornness
DO be advised that a Vietnamese will only very rarely show disagreement by confrontational means or even with a straight “no”. Nine times out of ten, he/she will say “yes”, along with one of those lovely smiles we were just discussing, and then just not do it: it’s as simple as that.
DO learn from the experts: when you’re bursting to say “no way, pal!” bite your tongue, smile and say “ye-e-es”. Culturally, it’s rarely a good move to say “no” right off the bat.

Vietnamese way of thinking

Good and bad tempers
It tends to be the accepted wisdom that Vietnamese people never really lose their tempers or get angry in public.
DO remember that, however exasperating a situation may become,
1) You may not have all the necessary elements in hand to understand fully what is going on.
2) Part of the problem is going to be your own lack of local language skills
3) It really isn’t a good idea for you to go wading in aggressively like a bull in a china shop
4) If you lose it, you’re as good as accepting that, basically, you’ve lost.
5) When you really have to tear someone off a strip, take care not to do it in front of others
6) Discretion is almost always the better part of valour: smile, even if it physically hurts sometimes.
DON’T give up, though: keep asking leading questions in order to verify and extend your knowledge of the situation.

Tolerance and patience
The Vietnamese are very tolerant of:
- Bad driving
- Noise
- Interruptions
- Invasion personal space
- Discomfort
- Sharing everything (food, clothes, books… literally everything)
And not very tolerant of:
- Insubordination
- Criticism of Vietnamese culture
- Difference displayed by their own people

Truth and lies
The most important thing in a Vietnamese context is to say the right thing, or, crucially, NOT to say the wrong thing. People will often tell you what they think you want to hear. This is intended to make life more agreeable for you, but it may take you some time to adjust to it.
DON’T feel insulted if a Vietnamese person smilingly tells you what you know to be barefaced lies: try to remember that that is just how things are here.
DO be wary of any important or controversial information you haven’t checked with an independent source: ask, confirm, reconfirm, crosscheck, ponder, and then try to make your own synthesis.

Nosy and curious
The Vietnamese are eager to share intimate space with others. Sometimes you may feel it is a bit nosy and curious, yet, if you happen to be a dull, uncharismatic bore, then here’s your chance of a lifetime to become a “star” of attention. So, in certain cases like this, when asked about you, you don’t have to be too serious to tell the truth. This is quite up to you!

Punctuality
Generally, people are very dependable when they are required to turn up and put in an appearance at a certain time. The only snag is that they might well arrive too early: DO take this into account if it is not convenient, and compensate accordingly.

4. Language

Language and Culture

Why can’t they understand me?
One of the most irritating hurdles on the rocky road to learning Vietnamese is the seeming inability of Vietnamese to understand what we perceive as rather good renditions of Vietnamese words and sentences.
DO know that Vietnamese will not easily understand foreigners’ accents.
DO understand that tones are as important as consonants and syllables and Vietnamese have a hard time guessing tones or even making the link between two words with the same spelling, but with different tones.
DON’T get shy…, get out there and talk. Expect a few laughs, a few blind stares, but also a lot of encouragement.
DO remember, if you’re serious about learning the language, there are classes… available whenever you are.

Learning Vietnamese
One of the most difficult situations to master is to control one’s rising tone tendencies. In most Western languages, rising tones are used profusely in a variety of contexts: to indicate questions, disbelief, and insistence, to ask for confirmation or simply as part of a normal sentence pattern.
In Vietnamese, as the tone alters the meaning of the word, a Western-style rising tone question will – unless the final Vietnamese syllable happens to have a rising tone – baffle your interlocutor.

Body Language

Gestures to avoid
DON’T employ the Western way of signaling someone to come, by wiggling an upward-pointing index finger.
DON’T use the Western sign for good luck, with the second finger curled over the index.
DO relax… apart from the previous gestures, unless you’re obviously and desperately trying to insult people, you won’t get into any serious trouble.

Handshake not wai
Unlike the Thai with wai-ing, the Vietnamese often use handshake for greeting. Normally, it’s either a handshake or a simple nod of the head. The rule is quite straightforward:
- With Vietnamese men, you always use a handshake, be you male or female.
- With Vietnamese women, you wait for them to initiate either a handshake.
However formal or cold a handshake might seem, you’ll find the Vietnamese to be quite physical in their contacts even among strangers or with foreigners. But remember: this is between men or between women… not between the sexes. A warm greeting can start with an interminable handshake, followed by a hug of the shoulders and a bout of hand holding that can last the whole discussion. Hands on thighs when men sit discussing, or arms over shoulders for women are also common.

5. Visa to Vietnam

Visas are still an expensive aspect of travelling to Vietnam.

DO ensure that you apply for a visa well in advance. If you do so from outside Asia, it may take even longer. Ask for a multiple entry visa (same price, but not always granted) or at least a double entry visa.

DON’T forget to arm yourself with a sheaf of passport photos: vital for visa applications and useful for other official dealings within Vietnam.

DO check for up-to-date information: regulations change frequently, as do visa lengths and prices. Once you are on your way to Vietnam, usually on the flight or when you arrive at the airport, you will be asked to fill in an entry/exit form and to keep a (yellow) copy.

DON’T lose this form, you may need it to open a bank account or show an officious hotel receptionist and if you do mislay it, you may have to fill out another one before you leave the country.

DO beware of the double dating system. Your visa will contain a termination date and your passport will most likely be stamped with a permit to stay until… date. These two dates are rarely identical! And, of course, the earlier of the two is the one that counts.
In case of staying for work in Vietnam;

DON’T leave home or lose a copy of your employment contract or an official letter from the company or agency as this is required for issuance and extensions of your visa.

DO contact the Immigration Police in Hanoi or Hochiminh City for extension of your tourist visa. A long-term visa must be renewed, although, in special circumstances, it can be extended for a few days. However, if you need to change visa category (for instance, from a tourist visa to a business visa), you will have to leave the country in order to get the new visa issued.

If you plan to leave Vietnam during your visit, for example to visit a neighboring country and then to return to Vietnam, DO make sure that it says multiple entry or double entry on your visa, or you will not get back into Vietnam without a fresh visa!
If you know where you wish to enter or exit Vietnam (other than at the three international airports in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hochiminh City), BEFORE you apply for your visa, Don’t forget to specify these border crossings so that they can be added to your visa. Otherwise, you can have them added from within Vietnam, but with a little more hassle – and money, of course.