Arriving October 6th

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September 22, 2012 - 7:16am
#1
Ryan (not verified)
Arriving October 6th

Hello, Friends,

I have received plenty of good information from this site and I'm excited to say that I'm finally coming to Saigon. I'll be arriving October 6th and I'm wondering if I could gather just a few more bits of information. I am curious to know if I should exchange currency in the States before I leave or bring U.S. dollars and exchange there? If all goes well, I'll be in Saigon for six to nine months teaching English, so would it be convenient and efficient if I continued use my Visa ATM from my U.S. bank account while I'm there. Any suggestions?

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October 1, 2012 - 2:37am
#2
tomo

When coming to Vietnam, bring dollars and bring dollars that are fresh and crisp without tears or wrinkles. Vietnamese (and some other Asians like the Burmese) are quite finicky when it comes to their Benjamins. They can still exchange old dollar bills but will give you a slightly lower rate for them. You probably can't even exchange your dollars into VND at a local bank. Technically, dong are only supposed to circulate within Vietnam and it's illegal to take VND outside of the country so there shouldn't be any in your home country.

You can use your ATM card here but you will probably pay a fee on top of the currency exchange which will not be in your favor. You will get the most for your money by bringing in dollars but note that you must declare any amount over $5000 US.

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Asian-American expat living in Vietnam over 3 years. I am involved in tech startups and do Drupal consulting. I choose to live in Saigon and Vietnam and I want to see the city and its people reach their true potential.

Where is Saigon?

It's not wrong to wonder where in the world Saigon is.

Saigon is the name of the city now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. But most people who call Saigon home call their home Saigon and it's mostly tourists who I hear refer to it as Ho Chi Minh City (or Ho Chi Minh Ville for the French).

After the Vietnam/American War ended in 1975, many place names ceased to exist such as Saigon, South Vietnam, and plenty of street names.

Tu Do is now Dong Khoi, Thong Nhat is Le Duan. And Tan Son Nhut Airport is now Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Rue Paul Blanchy has been Hai Ba Trung since the 1950s.

Those who haven't seen Vietnam for decades will be confused not just by the geographical changes but the incredible amount of development and modernization that has since taken place.

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