Mr Cynical wrote: ↑Sat Mar 26, 2022 2:39 pm I should have also mentioned apart from immigration officials most foreigners get little or no hassle from the police. If you are around Mui Ne the police are after tea money for no Moto license etc. but for the rest of the country generally speaking they leave foreigners alone unlike Cambodia or Thailand.

I think that's pretty true. In fact, I never thought of this particular pattern until you mentioned it.

Number of times stopped on foot or motorbike:
Thailand (especially Pattaya) -- 15-20 times
Cambodia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville) -- 3-4 times
Vietnam (An Giang, Vung Tau) -- Zero

I think the only time I ever got stopped in Vietnam was back in 97 or 98. Very little traffic at the time and I decided to shortcut down a one-way street. They probably wouldn't have stopped me anyway if it hadn't been for my ex-wife being on the back of the bike. Mui Ne police is notorious for stopping foreigners but they never stopped me. Got stopped in Cambodia twice, and both times I was in the wrong.

two n a bit weeks till I get to head back Asia, with Vietnam being this trip... fucken keen to travel again, though I'm now more scared of covid then I've ever been.... don't want my holiday cancelled.

Some more good news out of Vietnam just hours ago. It has dropped the requirement for the (PITA) health declaration.

So now the only two things you need to enter VN are: 1. A negative PCR test, the usual 72 hours or less before boarding, or an authorized ATK result within 24 hours, and 2. Proof of $10,000 of insurance. No testing after arriving and no quarantines. Or course, this all only applies to those fully vaccinated. Also, you have to install their PC-COVID app (wonder if they'll drop this now).

This declaration has been a big problem at landing since many people didn't know or have trouble understanding the questions, which has led to huge backups in the arrivals hall, so the government decided to simply drop the chaos-inducing PITA.

Headline: Vietnam ditches medical declaration for foreign entrants

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietn ... 56640.html

This is Viet Nam News' story on the end of the health declaration forms:

Headline: Việt Nam temporarily stops health declaration for arrivals from April 27

https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1176321/ ... il-27.html


This story, describing all the current requirements, was published this past Monday, 25th, before the dropping of the health declaration:

Headline: Detailed entry requirements for international visitors to Vietnam

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/detailed-entr ... 225225.vnp

Is the land border now open. I have seen contradictory remarks online. If so, same conditions?

Pizzalover wrote: ↑Fri Apr 29, 2022 11:47 am Is the land border now open. I have seen contradictory remarks online. If so, same conditions?

As far as I am aware, the land borders between China and Vietnam and Laos and Vietnam are still closed. The border between Vietnam and Cambodia is open.

I can't seem to nail down anything definitive on land borders either, except the open Cambodia/Viet border. Seems a few buses are running between PP-HCMC. Mekong Express shows a few but not sure they are actually running. Giant Ibis and Camboticket show none.

The current revised regulations refer to ALL border gates, as does the recently released graphic noting the PCR test, listing air separate from marine and land.

ExPenhMan wrote: ↑Fri Apr 29, 2022 4:31 pm I can't seem to nail down anything definitive on land borders either, except the open Cambodia/Viet border. Seems a few buses are running between PP-HCMC. Mekong Express shows a few but not sure they are actually running. Giant Ibis and Camboticket show none.

The current revised regulations refer to ALL border gates, as does the recently released graphic noting the PCR test, listing air separate from marine and land.

I know of people that took buses to PP, so there must be some.

The current revised regulations refer to ALL border gates,

Vietnam might be willing to open the border, China and Laos are not.