Ford Prefect
American expat in Vietnam
Forum posts
27
About me
American
Registration: 03 April 2021
ESL teaching job by Khonnie
I need some help with getting an ESL teaching job
Vietnam Teaching Jobs has a good listing of available jobs (although I haven't had much luck--I think the market has become saturated). We cannot direct link to websites so you'll have to type it in your browser: vietnamteachingjobs dot com Read More
Easiest banks to deal with ? by Michael Boylan
Hi fellow TA members.Which banks do people think are the easiest to deal with ? understand they are all pretty much governed by central government, however i鈥檝e had conflicting stories about various banks. so i thought i鈥檇 throw it out ...
@OceanBeach92107I have a work permit and my payroll is direct deposited into my HSBC account. I transfer money from that to my U.S. account and occasionally vice-versa. But I've never attempted to deposit cash or have a Vietnamese person transfer ... Read More
Easiest banks to deal with ? by Michael Boylan
Hi fellow TA members.Which banks do people think are the easiest to deal with ? understand they are all pretty much governed by central government, however i鈥檝e had conflicting stories about various banks. so i thought i鈥檇 throw it out ...
HSBC is great for transferring money to and from a U.S. bank account. Not many branches but you can use any ATM that accepts Visa cards for free. Read More
Learning Vietnamese by PhillipKim
Hi, I'm looking for an affordable Vietnamese language center here in HCMC. Is there anyone who experienced it and any recommendation ? Thanks a lot !
A friend referred me to an online teacher for one-on-one lessons. It was about 200 VND an hour. A lot of Vietnamese English teachers teach Vietnamese on the side. Read More
New Foreign English Teachers Requirements Decision 4159/QD-BGDDT by Aidan in HCMC
Aspiring English teachers to Vietnam, take note.As of Dec6th/2023, new regulations regarding foreigner's eligibility to teach English in Vietnam.Applies to native speakers (English language) with a college degree or higher, foreigners with a college ...
@Aidan in HCMCThanks, Aidan for your annotated version of the article. It got to the gist of the report. You should apply for an editor position at VN Express!The problem behind this proposal is that it isn't clear what already qualifies as a ... Read More
Dentist to clean Peridontal pockets where in VN? by narcrepellant2525
I have peridontal pockets which needs to be cleaned and聽 drained, anybody has experience with good dentist who can do that in VN?
Westcoast International Dental. Not cheap, but top notch. They speak English well and have modern facilities and equipment. Read More
Buying scooter without blue card? by narcrepellant2525
Stupid idea?
I've seen advice to carry the blue registration card (even if it's in the previous owner's name) and proof of insurance so as to avoid potential hassles with any traffic police. Especially if you haven't gotten your Viet motorcycle license yet. But ... Read More
Hernia surgery by garp09
Any suggestions for a good hospital in HCMC to go to for inguinal hernia surgery?
FV hospital. Everyone speaks English, doctors use modern methods and equipment. Read More
What is the best option to bring your US phone number to VN? by qnbui
Hello, just wondering what is the best option to bring your US phone number to VN? It would be mostly used to receive verification codes and phone calls. I thought about porting my cell number to Google Voice but I tested using my google voice ...
I use a messaging service called NumberBarn. It's about $10 a month. When I cancelled my US phone carrier, I transferred the phone number ("parked it") to them. It will forward text messages to my email (great for verification codes) and voice mail ... Read More
Are 3 year degrees not valid in Vietnam? by Mezz007
I've read everywhere that Vietnam requires a 4 year degree from whoever that holds a TEFL degree.If one has a 3 year degree, will they face problems when trying to land a job or be simply rejected?
@Mezz007 Teachers from some countries need to show English proficiency with IELTS scores for examples. I'm not sure which countries that is. Read More
Are 3 year degrees not valid in Vietnam? by Mezz007
I've read everywhere that Vietnam requires a 4 year degree from whoever that holds a TEFL degree.If one has a 3 year degree, will they face problems when trying to land a job or be simply rejected?
Vietnam requires a bachelor degree for any foreigner wanting to teach English. In some countries, like the U.S., a bachelor degree takes four years. In some, like Britain, it takes three years. But, like OceanBeach said, it should be an accredited ... Read More
Buying and Registering a motorbike by jrharvey
I know there are numberous post about this but I think my situation is weird enough it warrants a new post?I only have a 5 year visa exemption, NOT the TRC. My wife is a full blooded vietnam citizen. I thought it would be easy enough to just walk in ...
Why don't you go back to your first option, and try looking for a dealer who will hold the registration for you? I've bought two motorbikes (used) here and each time the seller has just given me the blue registration card without changing the name ... Read More
TESOL Certificate for Embassy approval OR Setup a Company? by JON92
TESOL Coarse Online Needed - Quick, Cheap and Official for Vietnam.I am a Citizen of United States. Native English speaker. I hold a Masters degree in Business. I am currently residing in Vietnam, I need an official TESOL certificate.I already have ...
All TEFL certificates are not equal. The Cambridge and the Trinity certificates are the most reputable internationally and have highly rigorous programs. However, they are expensive. In reality with the current job market for TEFL in Vietnam not ... Read More
TESOL Certificate for Embassy approval OR Setup a Company? by JON92
TESOL Coarse Online Needed - Quick, Cheap and Official for Vietnam.I am a Citizen of United States. Native English speaker. I hold a Masters degree in Business. I am currently residing in Vietnam, I need an official TESOL certificate.I already have ...
A lot of good information from the contributors here. Excuse me if I've duplicated any advice.Vietnam is not a signatory to the Hague Convention on apostille, so you should get an alternate authentication for non-apostille nations. If I recall, the ... Read More
Ordering books online - ship to Vietnam..? by jtodter
My grandchildren, 7 and 11, are moving to Vietnam soon from Australia. They are very keen readers. Anyone know online book places that ship to Vietnam?
I couldn't get Amazon to send to Vietnam. I was able to order some books from Powells Books in Portland, USA. Postage was a little spendy, but I didn't pay customs. Read More
Mattress sucks by yamcha
All the mattresses I've used here suck and are hard. I bought an all natural latex queen size Kymdan for 40 mil and it sucks too. People said it's the best sleeping experience you can get but I find it as hard as a rock but still better ...
I've got a basic foam mattress that cost 2 million. Though not as hard as some mattresses I've slept on in Vietnam, it is still medium to firm. So I bought a thick, fluffy mattress topper on Lazada for 3 million. It's a noticeable improvement and ... Read More
How much disinfectant can the cash take?
Hi All: I don't know how it is in the big city, but here in Tien Giang, a lot of times when I make a purchase, the vendor will spray my currency with a disinfectant. Sometimes they drench it. They may not keep their distance, they may not even ... Read More
Looking for some things - bamboo or rattan blinds - stone buddha? by yttocs
I'm having a tough time finding bamboo or rattan blinds (curtains); anybody know a good shop? I'm also looking for a stone, or cast cement, Buddha - approx. 90cm tall; any place that delivers? Thanks.
I ordered some very nice bamboo blinds through Lazada (seller: Th峄媙hphatremcua). Read More
Have you received a vaccination for covid yet? How? by Ford Prefect
Hi All: Have any foreigners on this list received a vaccination for corona virus? What was the process? I am in My Tho and it is just an unbelievable hassle to get the form to go receive the vaccine. I have my temporary residence registered, I have ...
In My Tho they were giving vaccinations last week at locations in wards with high numbers of F0 cases. Still not enough to go around for everyone in those areas even. You had to bring the form with you, maybe it was an official letter. That's ... Read More
Have you received a vaccination for covid yet? How? by Ford Prefect
Hi All: Have any foreigners on this list received a vaccination for corona virus? What was the process? I am in My Tho and it is just an unbelievable hassle to get the form to go receive the vaccine. I have my temporary residence registered, I have ...
Thanks! I just registered. Read More
Have you received a vaccination for covid yet? How?
Hi All: Have any foreigners on this list received a vaccination for corona virus? What was the process? I am in My Tho and it is just an unbelievable hassle to get the form to go receive the vaccine. I have my temporary residence registered, I have ... Read More
ILA offer by claka77
For an experienced teacher (I鈥檝e taught in China, South Korea and my home country Australia) is ILA a good place to start in Vietnam? Can you get consecutive days off during the week or not? Do they provide company shirts or do you have to ...
I work for ILA and I'd recommend them. I'm already past the maximum age to get a work permit in some Asian countries. If there is a bias for younger teachers I haven't noticed. I'm also well qualified in TESOL but on the other hand I ... Read More
New ESL job is torture, thinking about splitting in the night by Guest6787
I was so excited to come to Vietnam to start a new teaching job and take a modest pay rise. After months of jumping through hoops to get here, I realized after just 3 days on the job that I definitely won't be able to finish the contract at ...
Puma: I have yet to start teaching (still in quarantine), but from what you say it seems like the Wild West out there with language schools. Indeed in my day we called them cowboy schools. I would look for a school with better support (an assistant ... Read More
Good to be here! by Ford Prefect
Hi All. Came to Vietnam to teach English. Currently starting my second week of quarantine. Can't wait to get out into the real world!
Hi John: Not sure yet, but I've asked for an assignment in the south, and outside of the big city. Read More
Good to be here! by Ford Prefect
Hi All. Came to Vietnam to teach English. Currently starting my second week of quarantine. Can't wait to get out into the real world!
From my understanding, the Vietnamese government requires these documents of any ESL teacher: 1. Bachelor degree, any subject 2. TEFL Certificate 3. Police background check (in the U.S., FBI or state police) I had to submit copies of those 3 ... Read More
Good to be here! by Ford Prefect
Hi All. Came to Vietnam to teach English. Currently starting my second week of quarantine. Can't wait to get out into the real world!
A few of the big ESL schools seem able to sponsor people to come in. It's evidently an expensive and process on behalf of the school for visa and quarantine hotel. It took me a few months after being accepted for the job until I was able to ... Read More
Good to be here!
Hi All. Came to Vietnam to teach English. Currently starting my second week of quarantine. Can't wait to get out into the real world! Read More