Thailand vs Vietnam - Long Term Living Breakdown From an Expat
I lived in both countries for years, not weeks. Here are my thoughts on Thailand vs Vietnam.
I've been a self employed expat for years, living abroad primarily in two different countries - Thailand and Vietnam.
So I'm writing this from the perspective of a man who's lived in both countries for years, not days, not a short 1 month trip, years.
If you want the hot take then I can say that I like Thailand but I love Vietnam. Everyone has their place in the world and for whatever reason, living in Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon as everyone who lives their calls it), just felt like home.
Anyways, I'm going to break down everything I can think of from general day to day living, nightlife, dating, visas, language and so forth.
Let's get started.
EXPAT ESCAPE
Expat Escape is the course I wish I'd had when I started. I've been an expat since 2011, having lived in both Thailand and Vietnam for years (not months). This is what I'd tell a friend who asked me, "How do I actually do this?"
Bangkok vs Saigon
Bangkok vs Saigon - both countries have their own respective major city.
Thailand really only has Bangkok which is a sprawling metropolis and dwarfs Saigon in terms of size. But Saigon still has that city feel to it, it's just not as huge as Bangkok.
Vietnam also has Hanoi in the north and Da Nang in the middle next to the ocean. So there is a bit more variety of places to live in Vietnam. Yea, Thailand has Chiang Mai and Phuket, maybe Khon Kaen if you're wanting to live in Isaan Thailand for some reason.
...but those places don't feel like cities.
Phuket is a vacation spot filled with Russians and Chinese now, and Chiang Mai has a burning season for 2 months of the year making the air pollution horrible, it's remote and it gets boring after a few months of living there full time.
Edge of David
I personally would describe Saigon is all the best parts of Bangkok and the best parts of a Thai town combined into one place.
Saigon is a city like Bangkok, but unlike Bangkok you're still zipping around on a motorbike with some gorgeous Vietnamese girl on the back because Saigon is still small enough where you need a motorbike to get around day to day.
Bangkok by contrast you can use the BTS, Grab App or Bolt. You also won't want a bike in Bangkok because driving in that city is stressful, not fun at all, there are a lot of police checkpoints and parking is a headache.
Saigon is still a motorbike city so it's just a fun and convenient way to get around day to day.
Nightlife
Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket specifically) wins this by a mile for better or worse. Bangkok has world class nightlife, clubs, bars and rooftop bars that Saigon simply lacks.
Phuket also has these crazy nice beach clubs that are again non-existent in Saigon. On top of that, every Thai town I've been to from Ratchaburi to Buriram has it's own cool little bar and nightlife area with live music and a great crowd.
Vietnam?
Only Saigon has decent nightlife. In all other places (including Hanoi) everything closes early around 10 or 11.
Thailand
From sleezy places like Nana Plaza and Soi 11 (a street located in Nana - soi is the word for road in Thai) to higher end areas like Thonglor, to fantastic clubs like Route 66 at RCA and stunningly beautiful rooftop bars like Tichuca. There is always something to do in Bangkok and somewhere to go.
Vietnam, including Saigon and Hanoi have night clubs, but they really suck. Way too loud, the staff places you at a table which you're not allowed to leave and roam the club. They also always put you far away from any attractive girls so what's the point?
With Bangkok you can actually go out an meet girls organically and have a great time. By contrast, it's almost like Saigon and Hanoi clubs do there best to separate groups from interacting with one another.
Finally, there are a handful of rooftop bars in Hanoi and Saigon, but they are nothing to write home about.
Vietnam
Where Saigon wins is there wide range of expat owned breweries (Heart of Darkenss, Rooster Beer, Saigon Cider, 7 Bridges, Pasture Street, Winking Seal). That city for whatever reason has an excellent range of beer and places to drink and get silly.
Another aspect I really like about Vietnam is how there are cafes open at night. It's so nice to be able to roll up somewhere and sit outside and have green tea or whatever with friends on a Tuesday night.
In Thailand, the only places open at night are bars and clubs which can get frustrating if you're looking to go somewhere in the evening that does not involve alcohol. I also like that there are a wide range of cafes to take your laptop to and work till midnight.
Overall Vietnam, specifically Saigon and Hanoi, are more cities where you'll enjoy living in instead of visiting.
The dark side of Bangkok
It would be a mistake for me not to mention this.
If nightlife is non-negotiable for you, then Bangkok all the way. But I do want to mention that I was personally way more productive in Saigon simply because I was always going home around midnight.
Just get dinner with my then girlfriend most nights, get a few drinks with friends on the weekend and call it a night.
The plethora of bars, clubs and nightlife in Bangkok means it's possible to always stay out till 4am if you really want. Bangkok can be a bit of a black hole if you're not careful.
So while visiting, the nightlife side of Bangkok is far far superior, but I do find Saigon to be the better city for living and Vietnamese women better for long term dating (more on that later).
EXPAT ESCAPE
Expat Escape is the course I wish I'd had when I started. I've been an expat since 2011, having lived in both Thailand and Vietnam for years (not months). This is what I'd tell a friend who asked me, "How do I actually do this?"
Kao San Road vs Bui Vien
Kao San Road is way more fun than Bui Vien.
First, it's much bigger with a wider range of places to go. Better bars, better clubs and you can actually meet girls naturally there.
It also has these little side roads off the main strip with additional places to go, some spots not being crazy loud and more chill if you want a break from the main stretch of road.
Bui Vien is crazy loud, to the point where you can't talk to anyone because it's so loud (a theme in Vietnam).
Bui Vien also has cars driving down the street at night so it makes that street even more packed. The clubs also suck as they are too loud and you can't meet anyone.
In short, I'm not a fan of Bui Vien. It's fine to go with a group of friends, you'll have fun. But compared to Kao San, well there is no comparison.
Dating
I wrote a whole blog post on this you can checkout:
Edge of David
...the rest is going in the Vault. Subscribe if you want access, cancel anytime.
The Chemistry of Attraction
Learn how to have choice in love, dating & relationships
