When I saw your title and the posted date, I wanted to say that Vietnam has grown so much in the last 10 years and you should give it a second chance. I am so glad to see that you have updated the post and that your opinion has changed!

Hi Matt
I am a retiree backpacker who had exactly the same awful experience in Vietnam in the fall of 2018. I read warnings about scamming and ridiculing tourists in Vietnam, but dismussed them as rare occasional bad experiences. I was really interested in visiting Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, but my experiences were so exactly the same as yours that I think it means they are much more frequent than not. I am a world traveler, and have visited other fabulous countries in Southeast asia repeatedly, but was truly traumatized by the visit to Vietnam. Not only that I would not visit Vietnam again, but now I cringe when I even see a Vietnamese restaurant in the US, it’s like a case of PTSD.

Kentucky and Tennessee are some of the absolute most beautiful states in all of America. I lived in both of those states for many years and never heard about any ‘lynching’ happening during my entire lifetime. I think you’ve been reading and watching way too many very OLD stories about the South. Travel to Kentucky and Tennessee and you’ll find plenty of black and white people getting along like ‘kinfolk.’ The bonds and friendships there between blacks and whites are stronger than probably anywhere you’ll ever find in the entire world. I had plenty of very close black friends and neighbors and they never complained in Kentucky or Tennessee about racism. Go North, East and West, my friend, and you’ll find a different story.

Well said Binh Le!!

After reading almost comments on your topic about VN, I am sure that what you thought and felt about Vietnam has been changed. I don’t need to tell you my name or HOW WONDERFUL VIETNAM – MY COUNTRY – IS because I don’t think you can answer my question “How long do you need to understand a little girl?” One week is wrong answer.

One day, if you had an answer for me, that would be the day when you were old enough to have a general view. Finally, I’m pretty sure that you will come back Vietnam at least once before leaving forever ;and even you will be treated worse than last time you will also be happy to post something different in a good way about Vietnam.

Wishing you a nice day!

Bamboo

All the things you said about Vietnam are just right, although it’s just the bad side, like the other Vietnamese said, perhaps you didnt have enough time to discover all the other good things yet. Unlucky you.

Being a Vietnamese people, I dont apologize for what happened to you (if I need to do so, so you should apologize me because of a New York cab driver cheating and yelling at me, the Italian people should apologize me because of a thief in Rome, the French people should apologize me beause of the Parisian dog shit on the street as well…), but thank you for stating it out. We, as the local guys, we get used to all the bad habits that you mentioned and accept them as a part of our daily life, but hear from you, an innocent and naive traveller (I guess from your baby crying attitude), I know that those habits are really really bad for the forreigner, esp. the fragile guys like you, and we need to do something to improve the situation. Our government didnt put many efforts on it yet and hopefully thanks to your article, they will change their attitude…

On behalf of the Vietnamese people, thanks again for your contribution to your country.

However, please, please, please just state out the facts that really happened to you, dont go further to try to judge or evaluate our country, our people through some stories that you heard from someone, that’s not fair and personally I dont think you are mature enough to do such a adult thing. An example: see how you trigger and drive the racist idiot people with the stupid comments like half of Vietnamese women have STD…, the countru os a sh*t hole…Your reputation really goes bad with your subjective and uncareful opinion Matt.

But believe me, I dont judge you a bad guy just because of those bad things happen on your website. I’m not like you mate.

Good luck for you journey ahead!

Well I was meant to be here for a year. No chance. Ive stayed 6 months to earn enough money to never have to come back to work in a dump like this again.

I think that you and yr friends are unlucky.I meet many people traveled in Viet Nam and they did like it and they want to come back.When you travel in Asia almost everywhere people are try to sell smt to you with high price.and taxi drivers are trying to cheat you .One more thing is my man is foreiner and he love to live in Viet Nam than in Europe.We are now are living in both countries.but our friends who are living there many of them did like it. so what you tell me,and he hate foreiners who live in foreiner country and they think they are super man.maybe the way yr friends live may not good so the neibough they didnt like them. why didnt you think so?…..Why you didnt say anything in Cambodia when you pay for the floating boat you have to discute it too[the office of the govenment],and many countries we did travel ,we have many problems more less the same .I ASK YOU THINK WELL BEFORE SPEAK UP.Would you like we can dicuss this in 2 of us.Thanks.
one more thing that some vietnamese who live in america they are not Vietnamese in there head.but they was born in the family of traitors in the war.now we have no problem with American ,not French either.why do you have to say that we have problems with them?o did you feel sorry for what yr country have done to mine.