Ho Chi Minh City - General Info

[QUOTE=Goferring;2965498]Guys, one from left field. I've been to 5 ATMs in D1 today trying to get cash and, while they were functioning, none would give me cash. I bumped into a group is Swedes walking around trying to do the same. Anyone have some reliable banks or even specific ATMs that I should be looking for that will allow VND cash withdrawals from a foreign Wise Visa card?

I got cash from the airport ATM but in the city do I need to go into the bank branch?

There are a gazillion tourists in town so they must be getting cash somewhere.

FWIW, yes my card is being accepted everywhere for point of sale purchases.

Thanks. G.[/QUOTE]Just back from a trip in late Jan. Try these ATMs:

VP Bank - 50 k VND fee.

TP Bank - 30 k VND Fee.

OCB Bank - 20 k VND Fee.

My visa cards worked in all three above.

[QUOTE=Oopsboy;2984076]If you are in the country just for 3 days, and mongering is your main agenda, definitely Saigon.

If you want to visit Halong Bay etc, just take the quick flight out to Saigon for 1 day. Hanoi has options, but nothing as compared to Saigon.[/QUOTE]I appreciate the advice! It's definitely looking like HCMC is a strong candidate for my trip but I still got to ask the folks on the Singapore sub what its like over there. Again thanks for the input.

[QUOTE=Oopsboy;2984077]Just back from a trip in late Jan. Try these ATMs:

VP Bank - 50 k VND fee.

TP Bank - 30 k VND Fee.

OCB Bank - 20 k VND Fee.

My visa cards worked in all three above.[/QUOTE]I found that if it didn't have a Visa sign then you were out of luck. Mostly only gave a maximum 3000000 VND. (about 200 AUD). Lunar New Year meant most of the machines were empty anyway.

Hi guys,

Been to both cities last time I visited (which was 2019). Then it was clearly HCMC that had better offerings. Actually both on pricing and activities.

Is this still the case today?

Mainly also wanna try escorts to my hotel room. Is there a reliable site for those?

Planning my next trip.

There is a very wide spread of competence and reliability among dental professionals in Asia.

I happen to know the top dental doctors at HCMC's National Teeth, Jaws, Face Hospital in HCMC, the most prestigious in the country. These people are professors at their medical and dental schools, so their credentials and competence are assured. They train dentists and oral surgeons at this hospital.

They make peanut salaries from the government so they do private business in their own clinics on the side for their wives and kids. Their works are known for the best quality; rates for root canals, crowns, veneers, implants ect are much lower than any country Asia. They can do whole mouth implants with US or European anchors quickly at very low prices. Their schedules are flexible and service is good.

Any bro need dental work can make arrangement with them in advance, stay in District 1 or 3, have your dental work done in the day time, party and chase hot, young girls at night. Everything is cheaper and stricter in Vietnam. Savings in dental works likely pay for your trips and any extracurricular activities on location.

I can give you the tel # for the spouse of the top professor. You can text her and ask for details. She speaks English but Translate could help. Ask her for details and negotiate schedule, rates and terms. Take pics of your teeth and send them to her to get things going. They can send guys to pick you up at your hotel and bring you in for the procedures.

Will the escorts not visit you f. Eks in a district 5 hotel, when they are from district 10?

Or is it just the few pennies of taxi money you'd need to pay up?

Wondering where to stay.

GAITO will never go to your hotel in another district. They want you to come to their hotels where they have arrangements for security and kickbacks.

Once you know they girls and they like you, all kinds of arrangements are possible. They might stay a few days and tour the city with you. Sometimes you might even have problems asking them to leave.

In District 8, stay at hotels Micasa or Enjoy 6 B; Dis 10 hotels Friday Premium, Hoa Thuy Tien or Hoang Ha. Girls there all know those hotels and might come to you.

Dis 1 has many decent hotels on Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, nice, fun, lively with girls, bars and food all night. Better to stay there and Uber to the girls.

[QUOTE=Tomster99;2986778]Will the escorts not visit you f. Eks in a district 5 hotel, when they are from district 10?

Or is it just the few pennies of taxi money you'd need to pay up?

Wondering where to stay.[/QUOTE]

GAITO will never go to your hotel in another district. They want you to come to their hotels where they have arrangements for security and kickbacks.

Once you know they girls and they like you, all kinds of arrangements are possible. They might stay a few days and tour the city with you. Sometimes you might even have problems asking them to leave.

In District 8, stay at hotels Micasa or Enjoy 6 B; Dis 10 hotels Friday Premium, Hoa Thuy Tien or Hoang Ha. Girls there all know those hotels and might come to you.

Dis 1 has many decent hotels on Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, nice, fun, lively with girls, bars and food all night. Better to stay there and Uber to the girls.

[QUOTE=Tomster99;2986778]Will the escorts not visit you f. Eks in a district 5 hotel, when they are from district 10?

Or is it just the few pennies of taxi money you'd need to pay up?

Wondering where to stay.[/QUOTE]

Many thanks for your information.

Are there any districts that are dangerous to go or is it more or less safe? I read the rip-offs in District 1, but otherwise it seems fairly OK, right?

How is the STD-risk in HCMC? With all the BBBJ's I assume this to be quite an issue.

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;2986863]GAITO will never go to your hotel in another district. They want you to come to their hotels where they have arrangements for security and kickbacks.

Once you know they girls and they like you, all kinds of arrangements are possible. They might stay a few days and tour the city with you. Sometimes you might even have problems asking them to leave.

In District 8, stay at hotels Micasa or Enjoy 6 B; Dis 10 hotels Friday Premium, Hoa Thuy Tien or Hoang Ha. Girls there all know those hotels and might come to you.

Dis 1 has many decent hotels on Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien, nice, fun, lively with girls, bars and food all night. Better to stay there and Uber to the girls.[/QUOTE]

To clarify, some GAITOs state in their ads that they will do outcalls, usually in the same district. I had a spinner come to my hotel in Dis 1 for 1. 2 M or $50, turned out to be a nice, clean, pretty girl with GFE. Street girls on Bui Vien will go to your hotels for 1-1. 2 M, some are transexuals.

Dis 4 has been the ghetto for gangs for decades. The young ones may be deportees from the US, emulate Mexican gangs, all tatted up, cruise streets on their motorbikes and low rider jalopies. Avoid Dis 4, otherwise all other districts are benign. Even in crowded Dis 1, it's not a good idea to wander into dark alleys at night, even with friends. Drugs addicts are desperate and unpredictable. They may do hit and runs.

I have never done BBFS in Vietnam. They are very strict with condoms. HPVs are spread with or without condoms.

[QUOTE=Tomster99;2986993]Many thanks for your information.

Are there any districts that are dangerous to go or is it more or less safe? I read the rip-offs in District 1, but otherwise it seems fairly OK, right?

How is the STD-risk in HCMC? With all the BBBJ's I assume this to be quite an issue.[/QUOTE]

Thanks again for your insights well noted.

Concerning STD's, don't plan to have BBFS, just BJs without condom. So it's more about gonorrhea / chlamydia that can be transmitted anyway. I guess a HPV refresher vaccine might be a good idea yes if it's still wide-spread.

Do you know a good clinic for testing localy?

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;2987008]To clarify, some GAITOs state in their ads that they will do outcalls, usually in the same district. I had a spinner come to my hotel in Dis 1 for 1. 2 M or $50, turned out to be a nice, clean, pretty girl with GFE. Street girls on Bui Vien will go to your hotels for 1-1. 2 M, some are transexuals.

Dis 4 has been the ghetto for gangs for decades. The young ones may be deportees from the US, emulate Mexican gangs, all tatted up, cruise streets on their motorbikes and low rider jalopies. Avoid Dis 4, otherwise all other districts are benign. Even in crowded Dis 1, it's not a good idea to wander into dark alleys at night, even with friends. Drugs addicts are desperate and unpredictable. They may do hit and runs.

I have never done BBFS in Vietnam. They are very strict with condoms. HPVs are spread with or without condoms.[/QUOTE]

There is government STD clinics in many locations, but will be crowded with prostitutes and drugs addicts.

Better to search for private clinics.

[QUOTE=Tomster99;2987085]Thanks again for your insights well noted.

Concerning STD's, don't plan to have BBFS, just BJs without condom. So it's more about gonorrhea / chlamydia that can be transmitted anyway. I guess a HPV refresher vaccine might be a good idea yes if it's still wide-spread.

Do you know a good clinic for testing localy?[/QUOTE]

I have never read or heard that gonorrhea / chlamydia can be transmitted by mouths via BBBJ, unless the girls' mouths have oozing open sores and your dick have open wound.

[QUOTE=Tomster99;2987085]Thanks again for your insights well noted.

Concerning STD's, don't plan to have BBFS, just BJs without condom. So it's more about gonorrhea / chlamydia that can be transmitted anyway. I guess a HPV refresher vaccine might be a good idea yes if it's still wide-spread.

Do you know a good clinic for testing localy?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CaptainSolo;2987184]I have never read or heard that gonorrhea / chlamydia can be transmitted by mouths via BBBJ, unless the girls' mouths have oozing open sores and your dick have open wound.[/QUOTE]Well, only small wound in her mouth can be enough afaik. HPV probably 80-90% of the western civilisation is said to have this. Me in my 40's probably too.

Hepatitis A & be we were probably all vaccinated some 20 years ago and that should make you safe apparently for the rest of our lives.

So fingers crossed. Or what do you suggest.

I should have researched more beforehand before finding its just drink hustle culture at all these bars in Vietnam. This trip sucks. The girls don't go out to motels rooms at all. At least that was a possibility in Cambodia. What are you guys methods, cause I'm about to alter my trip to Thailand instead. Maybe some vets can chime in. Was it always like this??