Old Saigon Hand
American expat in Malaysia
Forum posts
58
Contacts
5
About me
American
Lives in Kuala Lumpur
Speaks English
Registration: 20 July 2015
moving from Ireland to KL with our dog plus secondary school by Roisin Quinn
Hi all, We are currently looking for a house that allows a dog ,for all those expats dog owners did you find it easy to locate a house that allow your dog plus also looking for advice on good secondary schools for teenage daughter Many thanks ...
If it were me I would go to the Alice Smith School to be frank I think you should select your living area in conjunction with your working area as traveling between those two can take up a chunk of time. As others have said there are many good ... Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
Us citizens are obligated to pay tax on their worldwide income, but there is the $108,000 exclusion if you are resident abroad. Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
It might be easier for you to look at http://www1.malaysiasalary.com/salary/salary-calculation-for-2015-in-malaysia.html to see what deductions and benefits you will have available . That data is for 2015 but it should still be indicatative. Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
As best I can determine their is no income tax treaty between the United States and Malaysia. Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
Sorry but its not a double taxation treaty, Its called a Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and under IRS rules it works like this: "If your tax home is in a foreign country and you meet the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test, ... Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
From IRS pamphlet 54 "If you are a U.S. citizen or a resident alien of the United States and you live abroad, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, you may qualify to exclude from income up to $100,800 of your foreign earnings. In ... Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
There is a US tax deduction for Americans working abroad - best look that up Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
Hi Martin as I said you can live very well on RM40,000 per month especially if your company is picking up the housing and car costs. In addition to the voltage here being 240 volts the plugs in use are the British Standard 3 prong plugs which are ... Read More
Preparing for move to Kuala Lumpur by Czechmarty
Greetings to you all, I'm US citizen living in Florida and I just accepted a job from US based company that have subsidiary in KL. I'm preparing to move and I would be interesting in any and all advice you all can give me. Did anyone ...
Wow where to start? Most of your choices will relate to where your office is located as that will dictate the best areas to live in and after that if we have some idea of the salary you are being paid that will help, but in general: 1, If you have ... Read More
Clinic or hospital for pregnancy follow up in Saigon by Joanne Cheng
Hi, I'm from Malaysia and I just got pregnant with my second baby. As I just moved to HCMC, desperately seeking for advice for any good clinic or hospital for pregnancy check up. I'm staying in district 2, any recommendation? Thanks in ...
Columbia Asia has a hospital in HCM which is part of an Asian chain. I have used them a few times in Malaysia and found them to be exceptional - modern, clean, well equipped/staffed and the prices reasonable. Check them out at ... Read More
I must soon decided to stay in Vietnam or go. by kerrinkris
Last April I moved to HCM to open a hot yoga studio. I've taught hot yoga for the past eleven years in the US, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. My goal is to introduce this very popular style of yoga (aka Bikram Yoga) to Vietnam. I want to ...
It takes a while to completely change your way of life, and as a yoga instructor you should have more patience than most, but... :) This is a different society with different rules and a different way of life - Those who can adapt well will be ... Read More
Organize an Expat blog meet-up! by Julien
Hi all, Should you want to organize a gathering with the other members, in your town, we would be pleased to help :). It is indeed a great way to meet new people, isn't it? If you would like to plan a get-together, do not hesitate to ...
When is the next meetup? I will be in Saigon November 6 - 10 and hope there is something happening that weekend Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
Hi Ngattt - thanks for the response - I suspect that I am relying too much on Google translate and am glad to know I am not that outdated :/ Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
HI I Do - my point was more towards the disapperance of "com on nhu lam" in place of "C岷 啤n r岷 nhi峄�". What has happened there? - is it because the spoken language has become more formal or because ... Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
I have been digging into this topic for a couple of months now and am speaking as a foreigner who used to speak "intelligible" Vietnamese thirty years ago. Time has dimmed most of my memories of those times, but recent visits back to ... Read More
Organize an Expat blog meet-up! by Julien
Hi all, Should you want to organize a gathering with the other members, in your town, we would be pleased to help :). It is indeed a great way to meet new people, isn't it? If you would like to plan a get-together, do not hesitate to ...
uhhh... You might have better results if you stayed on topic - this thread is about organizing an expat meetup. There are several threads here regarding visa and don't forget Google is your friend Read More
Opinion on novel restaurant concept in Vietnam? by VinciD
Hello everyone, We are final year hospitality students based in Ho Chi Minh City. We are currently working on a market research on the Do-it-yourself (DIY) concept - a new trend in the Food and Beverage(F&B) Industry, and how this novel idea is ...
hmmmmm... I can see that working (maybe even from a roadside truck) if you simply put a pizza base of the customers choice on a tray and let them add the sauces, toppings and cheese and then pop it in the oven for them, but of course that old ... Read More
Opinion on novel restaurant concept in Vietnam? by VinciD
Hello everyone, We are final year hospitality students based in Ho Chi Minh City. We are currently working on a market research on the Do-it-yourself (DIY) concept - a new trend in the Food and Beverage(F&B) Industry, and how this novel idea is ...
I have had the experience of operating a successful restaurant in Viet Nam and the IMO single most important factor is good staff that are well trained and lets not forget that the location is always a consideration. Then remember that about 40% of ... Read More
13 best coffee shops (translating from online news) by ngoc anh nguyen thi
like i said, this is gonna be my first thread of translating from Vietnam local newspaper, which review best places to visit, or the most popular among locals sadly that it is only available for 1 pic :( just click to check the view of those coffee ...
Great post Ngoc Anh. I learned more about Vietnamese coffee and coffee houses than I would have thought possible. In my opinion the ambience of the coffee house is a factor in enjoying not just coffee but the unique Vietnamese "coffee ... Read More
Organize an Expat blog meet-up! by Julien
Hi all, Should you want to organize a gathering with the other members, in your town, we would be pleased to help :). It is indeed a great way to meet new people, isn't it? If you would like to plan a get-together, do not hesitate to ...
Any meetup scheduled for November ? Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Well they seem to have also advanced the technology of killing with guns and other weapons. Perhaps its inherent in Human Nature? :/ Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
And how does that differ from conditions in US hospital emergency rooms? (other than the better facilities in the US) Yes its sad that there are so many traffic accidents but if we go back beyond the 1900s when there were no motor vehicles people ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital" "I think it is much more interesting to live with uncertainty than to live with answers that might be wrong" ;) IMO in order to ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
I too originally found the continual honking of horns irritating, but riding as a car passenger gave me an opportunity to observe that it appears that horns serve as an "I am right beside" you signal which everyone uses as just one more ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
No doubt there are lots of traffic injuries and deaths in Vietnam, but are there any statistics which back up these grim ideas? In California for example (which has a population of 38.8 million (compared to VietNams population of 90 million) the ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
So it this is such a bad place why are you here?? :/ Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Why do we expats think we have the right to dictate the way Vietnamese drive??? I might go so far as to say that their driving habits could stand improvement, but stop for a moment and think what it would be like if suddenly everyone here drove like ... Read More
Need help with American accent correction by nnthuy154
Hello there...! I am Thuy, a Vietnamese lady. I need help from someone who is a native teacher can help me improve my American accents and help me how to speak English naturally because I am ready for IELTS test... I hope someone can help ...
They are the same language. Just ask the Queen of England. We used to pay taxes to the Crown back in the days. How do you suppose they communicate back then?This is part (if not most) of the problem - while technically English is a single language ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Seriously - In My Opinion if all of us could adopt the attitude and understanding of Felixthegato the local traffic would bumble along just fine, slowly making adjustments as needed and we poor expats would worry less and enjoy life more. While I am ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Hmmmmm... this fellow seems to not only understand oriental history and culture but has his head screwed on Straight ;) Please enlighten us more Oh sensei :up: Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Your conversation with 1 person in Canada is a generalization. Let me jog your memory; Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan were all in the same place as Vietnam and have moved forward in a way that's unique to their own ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Spot on! Once you understand about not being in Kansas anymore then perhaps we foreigner guests in Vietnam should then focus on the idea that its not up to us to change the way things are done here. Instead perhaps we should spend some time learning ... Read More
What do you like or love about Vietnam (Expats only) by Ottvantor
We are attracted to this country for a wide variety of reasons - wondering if you would like to share the very positive things about Vietnam that makes it unique for you. On a personal note, my list includes: - I like the VN people above many ...
There is great food to be had both Vietnamese and Western. I had a most delightful lunch today at Quan An Vietnamese Bistro not far from the Intecontinental Hotel their ch岷� gi貌 is to die for. There is a kindness and caring in the people ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
When I first came to Saigon 50 years ago it took me a while to understand how to drive here, but I finally boiled it down to: You must avoid anything or anyone in front of or to the side of you. No matter what they do you must watch carefully and ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
Ok so maybe I was out of date not having been back in Saigon for few years, but now I have been back for two days and spent most of my waking hours either walking alongside (or inside of) the small and large roads and riding about in taxis and motor ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
the OP asked for a comparison between driving in Vietnam and home (wherever it may be). I am defending previous posts calling the Vietnamese drivers 'stupid'. ok here is the list for Australians: turning without signalling at ... Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
What rules? I once asked a taxi driver about that and after he thought for a few seconds he said " Don,t hit anybody" That about sums it upThat hits the nail on the head and says in one sentence what I took 2 paragraphs to do Read More
Driving in Vietnam by Maximilien
Hi, What do you think of the way people drive in Vietnam? How different is it from your home country? Respecting the road safety rules, driving etiquette such as general courtesy, speed excess聟 what are the characteristics of the driving style ...
In my three recent visits to Saigon it seems to me that the "Real" traffic rules haven't changed much in 30 years: 1. Its your responsibility to avoid Anything or Anyone if front or at the side of you no matter what crazy things they ... Read More
Any foreigner in vung tau city needs some FREE help? by Lehuuba
Hj every body! I'm Ba - a native Vietnamese living in Vung Tau City. At present, i have free time of one and a half months before begining my new job, If any expat needs some help you could contact me *** I have a Bacherlor Degree of banking and ...
Thats a nice offer Lehuuba - very generous of you to offer to help in return for some language experience. Read More
Safety in Vietnam by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Vietnam? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
for a foreigner, you are living life on the edge there, my friend. Just saying.Anyone married to a VN, and living here is.( unless they are coffee shop/couch potatoes ).I'm sure that there are those who have learned to adapt to the local customs ... Read More
Safety in Vietnam by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Vietnam? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
A real problem if you go jungle bashing but not so much if you stay on the paved roads :o IMO a Situational awareness course should be mandatory for all new comers but I suspect that the best information will come from those who live outside Saigon Read More
Excellent experience in HCMC Hospital last night: emergency situation by Ottvantor
My 19 year old daughter is on vacation from Canada and became quite ill yesterday with a severe infection that required urgent diagnosis and treatment.....she was running a high fever of 39.5c with diarrhoea, nausea and all sorts of body pains plus ...
I guess I should just consider the source and ignore you but the fact that I lived and worked in Saigon for nine years during the war years and have resided in Asia for 49 years gives me some perspective that might be valuable to newcomers like ... Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
LOL couldn't agree more dasiavu. Since expats are guests in someone else country the onus is on them to speak well enough to be understood. Read More
Excellent experience in HCMC Hospital last night: emergency situation by Ottvantor
My 19 year old daughter is on vacation from Canada and became quite ill yesterday with a severe infection that required urgent diagnosis and treatment.....she was running a high fever of 39.5c with diarrhoea, nausea and all sorts of body pains plus ...
It was last year colinosecapee - do you actually think I would try to scam the forum by quoting 10 year old prices? Even school kids these days understand inflation. Read More
Excellent experience in HCMC Hospital last night: emergency situation by Ottvantor
My 19 year old daughter is on vacation from Canada and became quite ill yesterday with a severe infection that required urgent diagnosis and treatment.....she was running a high fever of 39.5c with diarrhoea, nausea and all sorts of body pains plus ...
Cheap compared to what? Ottvantor paid $75 for first class treatment of a seriously ailing daughter in Saigon in a modern, well equipped and staffed medical facility and the $75 he paid is nothing compared to his daughters health and comfort. I had ... Read More
Need help with American accent correction by nnthuy154
Hello there...! I am Thuy, a Vietnamese lady. I need help from someone who is a native teacher can help me improve my American accents and help me how to speak English naturally because I am ready for IELTS test... I hope someone can help ...
Don't be put off by the nit pickers here - if you can speak any either American or British English you will be understood in the United States, Canada, UK. Australia, New Zealand and by a large percentage of those in European countries. As was ... Read More
Excellent experience in HCMC Hospital last night: emergency situation by Ottvantor
My 19 year old daughter is on vacation from Canada and became quite ill yesterday with a severe infection that required urgent diagnosis and treatment.....she was running a high fever of 39.5c with diarrhoea, nausea and all sorts of body pains plus ...
Its comforting to know that you found a good hospital in an emergency situation in HCMC, - I have found that throughout Asia the Columbia Asia hospitals seem to be among the best equipped and staffed hospitals. The fact that their services are so ... Read More
Foreigners on motorbikes - good or bad? by Redmundial
Hi Everyone I hope your all well. I've been on the tripadvisor forum and there seems to be a constant outcry against foreigners driving motorbikes in VN. The general consensus there is that it's not legal, and very unsafe. I have to say ...
I am an old Saigon hand who used to drive a Honda 500 around Saigon in the old days. I am coming back for a visit soon and intend to rent a small bike to get around. I have an international driving license which is endorsed for motorbikes of any ... Read More
Why don't Vietnamese understand Vietnamese spoken by a foreigner? by I do believe
Having lived in Vietnam for 6 years and studied Vietnamese at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities it never ceases to amaze me that if I speak and pronounce a Vietnamese phrase perfectly to most Vietnamese, they don't understand me. ...
Talk about deja vu.... this sounds like me 40 years ago trying to speak Vietnamese :lol: and although I finally managed to learn enough to get by everyone still broke out laughing when I tried to say refrigerator in Vietnamese (t峄� ... Read More
I'm vietnamese, need to learn english! by itmanvn07
hello expaters! Sorry if this post bothering you I'm vietnamese, a web developer. I'm looking for a chance to learn english, i want to make friend with othesr who good at english. what i can offer: teach you vietnam culture,Vietnamese, ...
HI I am a web builder and an SEO who speaks Native American English and a tiny bit of Vietnamese. I will be on a short visit to Saigon on August 11 and 12 and would be willing to spend a few hours with you discussing web topics in English. PM me if ... Read More
Organize an Expat blog meet-up! by Julien
Hi all, Should you want to organize a gathering with the other members, in your town, we would be pleased to help :). It is indeed a great way to meet new people, isn't it? If you would like to plan a get-together, do not hesitate to ...
Anything scheduled for either the 10th or 11th of August? I am (as the moniker says) an old Saigon hand who lived in Saigon from 1965 thru 1974 and would like to meet some of those living there now. The only thing I have to contribute might be a few ... Read More
any singaporean or malaysian friends in hcmc? by johnnyyeo1980
hi hope to meet more friends in hcmc. so far i have known MR ALFRED YEO thru this forum. SO HOPE MEETING MORE NEW FRIENDS :D
Wlll ... I am not exactly a Malaysian but I have been living there since 1974 so perhaps I can qualify. I am coming to Saigon for a brief visit on 10 August and am staying in D1 Read More
Safety in Vietnam by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Vietnam? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
Sounds like good old fashioned common sense to me Owee... Read More
Safety in Vietnam by Christine
Hi, We would like to talk about a sensitive but important topic: do you feel safe in Vietnam? How would you define the level of safety in the country? Can you walk safely during the day and at night without any fear? Do you think there ...
HI new guy here, but I have lived and worked around Asia for the past 50 years so I have a bit of experience in several countries including a stint in Saigon from 1965 till 1974. Common sense goes a long ways towards safety IMO, and that applies to ... Read More