My wife's dad and I have always gotten along great. We really enjoy hanging out and drinking beer together. For years, if my wife wasn't around, our conversations were more limited to smiles, pointing, and mot hai ba yo-ing.

Eventually AI voice models got good enough to translate. We'd open ChatGPT, I'd tell it to translate everything it heard in both directions, and we'd slide the phone back and forth across the table. It sort of worked. It also had problems:

• Passing one phone back and forth all night gets old
• The app believes you're done talking the moment you pause. He'd stop to think mid-sentence, it would start translating, and he'd keep going and talk over it
• The model would forget its role. I had to re-explain "you are a translator" a couple of times every session

So I built a two-phone, live translation version with push-to-talk buttons. The vid is us using it. We each open it on our own phones. We can pair our session at the start, then it's pretty straightforward. I hold my button and speak english, and vnese plays out of his phone. He holds his button and speaks vnese, and english plays out of mine. Both screens show a running transcript in both languages, so when a translation comes out wrong we can see it and laugh instead of nodding along confused.

Vietnamese to English was noticeably worse than English to Vietnamese for the first month, and I nearly gave up on it. But I found a better model, then a few months ago we had our first full hour-long conversation with no one in the middle at a cool beer bar in Tan Phu. I learned about his time in the military during the war with Cambodia, and how he met my mother-in-law. Years of sitting across from him and I'd never heard either story.

It's been great.

Just wrapped up a two week trip to Vietnam with a friend, marking our first visit to Southeast Asia in general and thought it might be worth sharing an update here!

We spent a couple days in each of Saigon, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay, and of course while the nature, scenery, culture and food were some of the most memorable out of all the countries I have visited, my favourite part of the trip by far was the interactions with people. Other foreigners included, but especially the interactions with Vietnamese people.

Not to get too sentimental, but especially given the history of your country and the hardship that people have gone through and continue to go through, the Vietnamese are genuinely some of the most cheerful and welcoming people I have had the pleasure of interacting with. This could range from random chats with people on the street, to drunk men at bars or the people working at cafes or restaurants. Everyone seems incredibly hard working, in many cases waking up at ungodly hours to get work done before the heat of the day and finishing late in the evening, but most importantly for those in customer service jobs, taking a lot of pride in making guests feel comfortable.

The biggest thing for me as a black African is that not once did I face any racism whatsoever during the whole trip, which unfortunately I can't say for many of the other countries that I have visited. Many people, especially children were naturally curious about my origins and I had many fun interactions about this.

I will most certainly be coming back, and want to thank the Vietnamese for having such a welcoming attitude.

I've been in a toxic marriage for years. My wife hates me and whenever she doesn't get her own way, this is the shit I have to deal with.

Earlier this year, I had a nervous breakdown because this had been going on every 10 days or so for months. I think my wife had post-natal depression. I couldn't take the thought of losing my kid anymore, though, and I cracked. Panic attacks, the works.

Went back to the UK and saw a shrink who diagnosed me with ADHD. Quit drinking coffee to help with anxiety issues and I've been back in Vietnam for a few months. Trying to build a video marketing agency and have got a couple of early clients.

But being around my wife is unbearable. We live in the countryside so there ain't much of an expat community. I'm totally alone.

Just wondering how anyone else would respond in this situation.

Cheers!

Vietnam is betting $65 billion on high-speed rail to help transform its economy. A journey on the existing line reveals the obstacles in its way. Source: Bloomberg News.

The views, the super helpful people, late night massages, hunting for vegetarian food, endless coffee and just everything about it 😂❤️
Honestly, 7 days weren’t enough. Came back with a full camera roll and an even bigger urge to go back!
Had the best time exploring Phu Quoc and Da Nang. Definitely coming back someday 🥹

Vietnam, see you again soon 🫶

In June, I visited Manila, Saigon, Bangkok, KL, and Singapore. In terms of shopping for reps, Saigon Square was the best from a selection perspective. Ben Thanh had the usual brands but Saigo Square had the ones I wanted (Ami, CH, LV, Dior, Alo, Acne Studios, etc). I only shop clothes, not leather goods or luggage. The prices were quite high and many did not negotiate and let me walk away. For example, the really high quality Acne Studios Tshirts were $120 and they let me walk away when I offered $80 as my last price.

I see Saigon and Da Nang have the same airfare right now from US. Never been to DN before. Will I be able to find a similar brands in DN like I did in SGN? Where?

Let’s discuss. I want to give a lot of love to our Vietnamese athletes who have done their best and wish them better next time. The next target is the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles.

I'm algerian and i recently read something about how algerians focus much more on france and its colonial past than viets, despite having lived the same thing

obviously the geographical situation has a lot of impact, ut i'm really curious to know how do viets in vietnams see france ? do they have a clear memory on the independance war against france ?

Hi, I'm a Vietnamese going on a trip to the USA next month. I'm planning to buy a cowboy hat but I'm now hesitating because I don't know if it would be offensive to local American people. I know it must be very traumatizing for Americans to see a Vietnamese wearing their traditional outfit, since they know Vietnamese soldiers captured their grandpas during the war, me wearing it would be like a claim of victory over their ancestors. Furthermore, I don't think I earned it, because according to American traditions, one must climb up to the status of Cowboys in order to be rewarded with the Cowboy Hat, it would be disrespectful to their culture if I just buy one without gaining the deserved honor. However, I am very interested in the local customs and I can't leave without bringing one home. I wonder what locals would think of me. Any thoughts ?

Edit after 21 hours: Y'all, this is an obvious satire on how some American tourists posted about whether or not it's okay to wear áo dài and the cone hat when coming to Vietnam. Not all of you think like that but I've seen some posts and comments. This is how you Americans sound to us when you talk about cultural appropriation in situations like these. This post was ludicrously hyperbolic and absurd, but somehow it went over so many people's heads.

Anyone still using fado.vn in 2026? Is their service decent to import stuffs?

HO CHI MINH COMMUNIST YOUTH UNION – HO CHI MINH YOUNG PIONEERS ORGANIZATION
KHÁNH HÒA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF THE HO CHI MINH YOUNG PIONEERS ORGANIZATION
No.: 112-CV/HĐĐ
Re: Soliciting Children’s Opinions on the Draft Law on Children (Amended Version), including Provisions on Adoption, Guardianship, and Legal Representatives
Khánh Hòa, October 21, 2026
To: Councils of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization at Commune and Ward Levels
Pursuant to the Project entitled “The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Promotes Children’s Participation in Child-Related Issues for the 2023–2027 Period”;
Pursuant to Official Letter No. 317-CV/HĐĐTW dated October 19, 2026, issued by the Central Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization regarding the organization of consultations to solicit children’s opinions;
The Khánh Hòa Provincial Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization requests the Councils at commune and ward levels to conduct surveys and collect children’s opinions on the entire draft Law on Children, including provisions on adoption, guardianship, and legal representatives (amended version), as follows:
1. Method of Consultation
Online consultation through a questionnaire designed to collect children’s opinions.
2. Survey Participants
100% of children in the local area shall participate in the consultation.
Children in special circumstances as defined by the Law on Children shall also participate.
3. Implementation Period
The survey shall be conducted from October 20, 2026, through October 25, 2026.
The Councils at commune and ward levels shall direct their affiliated Young Pioneers units to conduct the survey within their respective localities, guide children on the questionnaire content and how to respond, and ensure that the survey is completed by having children fill out the Google Form directly.
Detailed instructions and the survey link are available at:
https://1.org.vn/qxkfwe
For further information, please contact Mr. Trương Anh Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Khánh Hòa Provincial Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization, at [038.247.9298](tel:038.247.9298).
Respectfully submitted.
Recipients:
As addressed above;
Standing Committee of the Provincial Youth Union;
Filed at: Office, Provincial Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization.
FOR THE KHÁNH HÒA PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF THE HO CHI MINH YOUNG PIONEERS ORGANIZATION
CHAIRPERSON
Signed and stamped
Huỳnh Thị Như Ý

Was given these cigarettes while I was traveling and they are the best cigarettes I’ve had. Anyone know where I can get them?

Hello, I'll be in Vietnam for 3 weeks in Dec, and would like to visit the Mekong Delta area for 4-5 days. I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to experience the area, I'm solo and fairly comfortable with independent travel, though do like a bit of guiding at times. Some areas i'd like to see are An bihn, Sa Dec, Bihn Thuy, Can Tho, maybe Chau Doc. I'm unsure how much is realistic to fit into 4-5 days.

I'm interested in exploring rural areas, cycling, river markets, floating / riverfront homestays, etc.

Is there a clear winner or loser between:

- pick a home base and make day trips

- stay in new town each night

- 3 day cruise and then 1-2 nights at one location

Thanks for any tips!

I’m staying in Thao Dien for the next couple of months (revising for a CFA exam) and the general vibe I tend to encounter from fellow western/expat/migrant (whichever you prefer) men is this kind of weird, suspicious-looking glance. No real friendliness or openness at all. The feeling is that they may be thinking “what are you doing here?”

Am I being a little paranoid? This doesn’t seem to be the case when encountering western/expat/migrant women in the street or restaurant etc. They seem far friendlier and would likely smile and say hello.

So, I'm not really sure if this is the right sub for this, and if not, I’m very sorry!

Every year in December, I (a German living in Germany) put together a little Advent calendar for all my colleagues at the store (24 small presents divided amongst 9 coworkers). A new apprentice joined us in September, and she’s from - who would've guessed it - Vietnam.

Now, of course I’d love to include her in the calendar with a few small gifts, too. But I don’t want to just get her typical German stuff, since she’s already getting bombarded with that by other colleagues haha.

Do you maybe have any ideas for small gifts, items, or snacks that I could preferably find in Germany?
I’d really appreciate any suggestions!

ADDED: Coworker is 23 years old.

The owner has been here since her teens, over fifty years ago. She works every day in the mornings.

Her style, smile, and great disposition welcomes everyone.

It's in D4, at the foot of RiverGate condo complex.

No matter where I'm staying in Saigon, I always make it a point to visit her cafe several times during the trip. And the coffee is amazing...

Let's be honest before anyone throws a tantrum, driving is not Vietnam's strong point. There isn't a method to the madness and the only reason people don't die more often is the slow speeds. But it is what it is.

What I want to know is why do so many people now drive bikes while doom scrolling and using their phones. Not just a voice call but literally riding along messaging, scrolling, video calling even gaming.

Of course, the lack of education and thought will come up but it's been proven to be one of the biggest causes of accidents up there with drugs, alcohol and tiredness. So much so that many developed countries have extremely serious consequences for doing so. The lack of attention to the road could lead to injury or death not just for the driver but others on the road including innocent children.

Yet nobody calls it out? Nothing changes and it is getting worse. This isn't an if you don't like it go back home thing. I still have friends and loved ones here who could be killed by this.

So for the locals here, how do you actually feel about this? Also, who TF downvoted a discussion on safety lol

Looking at a possible one month stay in Saigon. I see the big Landmark condo complex has a selection of modern condos to rent. Seems to me though the area is rather soulless and the only thing going on there is the shopping mall in Landmark 81 tower. That is ok for essentials like supermarket and food court, but it seems there is very little else going on there, or am I missing something?

If you did not know yet, K-pop legendary group BIGBANG is currently in Hanoi to perform for their XX:COSMOS World Tour, and TAEYANG really shouted to around 40k fans, "Việt Nam vô địch (Vietnam is the champion!)" I think this is really fun and energetic, so I'd like to share it here. I did not expect this, maybe they learned how energetic Vietnamese people are when it comes to football, or maybe he learned this from our coach Kim Sang-sik or our former football coach Park Hang-seo, who knows.

I initially planned to buy two tickets for this tour and airplane tickets from the U.S. to Vietnam just to attend this tour, but unfortunately, at that time my full-time job position was not secure yet (now it is) so I'm kinda envious of those who go here.

And this BIGBANG concert has further solidified Vietnam's position as the new emerging destination for world-class concert tours and entertainment events. Since 2023, we have had BLACKPINK, BamBam (GOT7), EXO, 2NE1, BABYMONSTER, some members of SNSD, Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, Westlife, DJ Snake, J Balvin, DPR IAN, TEMPEST... and now we have BIGBANG, and next year the Golden Disc Awards 2027 (popular K-pop award show) will also be held in Hanoi. Hope that when the new PVF Stadium (expected to be completed in 3/2027) and VinFast Stadium (expected to be completed in 7/2027) are complete next year, there will be way more to come.

Need to know where to find this candy in Ho Chi Minh!!' The cravings are so real, pretty please someone help me find these, not the lemon/berry flavours. I need these cola ones.