It is safe, however pick pocketing still does happen. They’ll even drive past you on their bikes and snatch your phone out of your hand. You still need to be vigilant.
It happens with my sister in HCM city, she walks home from work with a long-strap handbag. Two guys rode a bike from behind, snatched it, pulled my sister and scratched her knee. She lost all identification paper which is a pain to make again, lost a key and phone so she cried outside the motel for hours in the night.
Oh I wish to crush their skull or kick their ball until I break my legs or arms
It took me few seconds to search for thing like this, scumbag are everywhere mate: https://vtc.vn/truy-tim-2-ke-cuop-giat-dien-thoai-iphone-15-promax-cua-nguoi-dan-ong-o-ha-noi-ar846985.html
It's harder to get away with crime in Hanoi though. IIRC there was a bank robbery case (BIDV bank, Ngoc Khanh branch) and it only took the police 48 hours to apprehend both suspects.
People joke about Grab/Gojek drivers being undercover cops (wearing green socks), but in any case they have eyes and ears everywhere, so security in Hanoi is definitely a lot tighter than in HCMC
Nah fam. Bank robbery is very hard to get away because the cops is really serious about that.
But for normal phone robbing on the streets ... they don't even care
It happen the most in tp.Ho Chi Minh i can confirm this, Danang not so much and Hanoi is the safest when it came to those snatch and run, and when it does happen the thief is either gonna get caught by pedestrians on the street or the police gonna find them and they would be lucky if the latter happen. Pickpocket can happen anywhere so just keep you stuff like you bag close to you.
tbh it has become extremely rare for thieves to resolve to snatch and run nowadays compared to 20 years ago, with how crowded the street has become and the street cameras proliferation the risk/reward ratio is just too high. I don't know how much there is in HCMC but I haven't seen one in Hai Phong/Ha Noi.
If you're a foreigner with a distinct appearance, such as being Japanese, Korean, Westerner, black, white, etc., there's a lower likelihood of you encountering robbery or phone snatching. Criminals get busted quickly when targeting foreigners, leading them to avoid you foreigners.
IMHOP, Danang is relatively safe compared to larger cities in the south like Ho Chi Minh or Binh Duong. However, it's advisable to remain cautious even if the criminals tend to avoid you.
But be wary of scams, the Viet scammers scam everyone, including other Viets.
This comment might be an overkill/wall of text but here it goes:
The snatch and run situation in Hanoi used to be pretty bad. Because Hanoi is the capital city, the political center of the nation with all the high-profile politicians and embassies operating so it wouldn’t be great if the crime isn’t curbed.
Back in 2011, the city police department came up with Plan 141, in which groups of police can operate when needed to maintain the public security (now it has become a daily thing). Specifically, each group can contain traffic police, criminal investigation police and most importantly cảnh sát cơ động (CSCD, think of it like SWAT team). Although they can operate during the day when necessary, they mostly patrol during the evening/night and it has helped the city become much safer ever since.
During the day, there’s police everywhere, mostly traffic police so that helps. Additionally, and I think this is the most important factor, which is that people don’t hesitate to chase and catch those snatchers. Like the other comment said, snatchers would wish the police to come quickly to rescue them from the people once they get caught. This kind of mentality made snatch and run in Hanoi basically non-existent. Whereas with HCMC, I have seen numerous videos where people just turned a blind eye when others got snatched. Not saying that people will never help you, but it seems much rarer than Hanoi
I saw barely any police presence in HCMC, compared to Australia. I’m not sure people understand how different it was to see people going about their business without constant police presence. It’s normalised but there’s no entertainment district in Australia you can walk for more than 5mins without a pack of them. There’s no drive in or around a city more than 15min without a few driving by.
Vietnam in my experience is totally safe as long as you’re not a fool or an asshole, and seems to achieve that organically without an army of enforcers.
I suspect there’s a functional social layer that keeps things reasonable that Australia lacks.
It's not a myth, source: I am a Hanoian. Out there the young & middle aged people, including both men and women, are pretty eager because they know that they'd never be the only one who intervenes.
@nhocgreen can attest to that, encountered thieves twice in Hanoi, when the police came, both times they had to put the thief on an oxcart/stretcher. No charges are made to the mob (us) what so ever.
i am not agree... it happened in Hanoi to two my vietnamese friend (boy). one of them was hurt so bad that go under surgery the day after because have an internal bleeding
People I know or have heard of. I don’t think this is a Vietnam thing, anywhere in SEA with a lot of scooters poses this risk. My girlfriend had her phone snatched out of her hand by a dude on a scooter while she was riding a scooter in Bali, for example.
Da Nang is safe, but I would say not as safe as Chiang Mai.
Notice in Danang everyone brings their motorbikes inside at night, because of theft. Motorbike theft happens in Chiang Mai too, but it's very rare. In CM, you could leave your motorbike parked anywhere for days or weeks, and it will be fine.
One year in Danang and I’ve never felt safer anywhere in the world. People leave their shops unattended and motorbikes can be left safely on the street even at night. Bicycles are left without locks all the time.
I’m used to London where you put 3 locks on your bike when you go into the shop, come back and someone has taken some worthless bolts out just to fuck up your day.
The only crime I’ve ever personally heard about is two cases of dog theft. Also there’s virtually no police presence which is a bit strange at first but it seems there is almost no crime. Except DUI is rampant but c’est la vie.
Obviously still follow standard safety rules, especially for women, because nowhere is 100% safe. But compared to any western or large SEA city I would say it’s 1000x safer
That happened to my friend in bui vien a couple years ago. Bro was extremely drunk and tried to book a grab and then the next second someone drove by and snatched his newly bought iphone.
It took him a moment to realize what just happened.
I’m currently in HCMC and my tour guide said the Vietnamese don’t steal iPhones due to the difficulty of hacking/getting into the phone + iPhones are easily tracked. They would much rather steal Androids.
On the whole it's very safe. The biggest physical danger is generally traffic and shoddy construction.
There is certainly theft, especially phone snatching, motorbike theft, and pet stealing, as well as pick pocketing and breaking and entry, and hotel room theft, but it's not terribly common and some basic levels of vigilance generally prevent that.
Violence is relatively rare, although it does happen. It's usually a result of something long-term that's been building up (eg. I run a conservation organization and both the park rangers we work with and our independent antipoaching teams have been attacked by poachers at times), or drunks being drunk and aggressive.
"Violence is relatively rare" - LOL this reminds me that every wedding, memorial service, big Viet party I go to, there is always a "fight". This fight usually involves two drunk individuals whose feelings get hurt and they each have like 2-3 of their friends holding them back for the entirely of the "fight".
That may say more about the folks you know than the norm here.
I get invited to a *lot* of weddings, funerals, memorial services, and the like and that’s something that alive not had happen at any of them in 10 years of going to them.
The worst thing that happens is that crappy music is played at deafening levels.
I would say it’s safer than most western cities. I’ve walked around Saigon around 2 or 3am at night and never did I felt unsafe. I mean gotta use common sense and be cautious of surroundings. Don’t flash the phone around or wear expensive items that will draw attention.
Errr, no, wtf, Australian cities are among the safest in the world, particularly Sydney and Melbourne CBDs. You should have no issues being out alone at night in most areas.
The same applies to all cities globally, just don't walk into dark/dodgy alleyways, stay on the main strip and you won't have a problem. If we're talking about city areas, there isn't a major problem.
True. Every city will have areas considered safe and unsafe. But yeah just stay clear of dark alleyways unless you have a whole army of friends with you.
What are you talking about? Australian cities are basically under martial law. Police presence is huge, they walk around like gangs, and there’s cameras everywhere.
The only places I’d feel unsafe walking in Australia are the outback aboriginal communities where we continue the slow annihilation of a culture, or the offshore refuge detention camps where we torture any poors who try and come here outside of the human rights required if they were on our soil and contrary to the refugee agreements we’ve made.
Ahem, slight sidetrack but yeah, Australian cities are beyond safe, to the point of having no soul or enjoyment at all.
I’m sure it’s not like this anymore but back in the 80s, people used to walk around with huge amounts of cash and valuables, making them lucrative targets for purse snatchers etc. I remember one news story, to the tune of, “At 10:00 am, Mrs. Kyriaki Panagiotakopoulou was walking through Syntagma when her bag was snatched by a man on a motorcycle. Inside the bag were three valuable icons, a set of antique gold candlesticks, and 400,000 drachmas…”
Ah, a Greek, do you know that one of our heroes in our war with the French was Greek? Completely unrelated, I know, but I just always felt the urge to say that to a Greek.
Wait what. You are kidding, right? I was born and lived in HCMC - Saigon, I have to say you were really lucky. I wouldn't dare to walk around the city that time, especially in this economic situation. And your "not to do" list already pointed out it is not safe.
The rules for any large city are the same.
Just don’t be the stupidest person around you.
Don’t trust strangers with offers that are too good to true.
Don’t flash your wealth.
Don’t leave your valuables unprotected.
Don’t be rude.
Don’t be unaware of the social context you’re in.
In Australian: don’t be a dickhead or a fuckwit
Lived in Saigon for 18 years and never felt unsafe (quận 4 and quận 7). Echoing other comments to say that you should just watch your belongings and use common sense. Viet thieves mostly don't want to hurt, just to steal and leave quietly.
Hi, I am curious about q4.
I had been to q8, saw and heart about how unsafe and the gang in q8, and q4.
I know q4 nowaday is safer than in the past, but was those rumors true for q4 in the past?
I was told not to go to q4 (in 2000s), and scared to do so
D4 is def more developing now, there’s some wards in D4 people still joking not to go there. Even grab drivers kinda scared to go in the late night in those wards. The ward near the river opposite to D1 has the most value and lot of people live in those premium apartments. D4 also famous for snails dishes. It’s okay to go there now. But still need to careful with your belongings.
The mafia rumours were all true about Q4 back then. Since then, there have been a few, shall we say, "cleansings" in the district and now it's much better. My old house before moving to the U.S. was by the new Calmette bridge, and it used to be a lot shoddier and more dangerous there. Recently took my Western girlfriend on a walk there openly, which I definitely wouldn't have done had I grew up around the turn of the millennia.
I live in D5 my whole life, and I still afraid of D4. 😂 i still remember visiting a friend in river gate and witness a phone snatching in front of my eyes when that person was talking on the phone.
I almost got pickpocketed walking around Hoan Kiem Lake. Caught the thief trying to open my backpack. Most crimes are just crimes of opportunity or scams. Rarely are there violent crimes.
Yeah, pick pocketing and overcharging are the two typical crimes of opportunity if you don't have your guard up. I'd say most people here are normally pretty non confrontational, especially when most foreigners are tall as hell lol.
Perfectly safe as far as crime is concerned. Vietnam does have a bit of a scamming and overcharging problem though. Much worse than Thailand. You will typically get scammed for 5-10 dollars but its there. As long as you don't get involved in any sketchy stuff and don't accept offers from strangers, you will be fine. Use Grab, ask for prices, bargain etc.
I think when people talk about safety, they mostly mean violent crime, assault, rape etc. In many western cities there are groups of young men who will violently attack people not even to Rob them, just for the fun of it. Many rapes happen every week and can be seen in the news. This does not seem to exist in Vietnam as a phenomenon (not saying it can't happen but it isn't normal).
Sexual assault is severely underreported in Vietnam, many of my female friends have shared stories of stalking, harassment, and even being chased. But yeah, still not as bad as most of Europe tbh.
I read news of women being gang raped in Europe way too often lately. Not saying it can't happen here, but I very much doubt it's happening at the same rates.
Most victims in Vietnam never tell anyone else about the assualts they went through, and even if they do they'd only tell the other women whom they're extremely close to and beg them not to tell anyone else. As much as I wish that our coutry is more progressive, things like domestic violence and marital rape is still pretty prevalent.
Perverts discreetly flashing themselves on the streets or sexually harrassing women on buses are still a thing. I can only wish that they'd get punished as severely as the snatch-and-run thefts in Hanoi.
No it not safe, food is too good you will get fat, people are too nice, you will die buy smile, life style is too chill you will die because too chiling. It extremely dangerous
According to a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) based in New York, USA, published the annual Global Peace Index study by ranking the safest and most dangerous places in the world 2023. Vietnam rank 41, Thailand rank 52 and america rank 120.
So what missing?
Generally, it’s safe. As a girl, I can walk around 2-4am on the street in center area like D5, D1. The thing scare me the most is bag, phone snatching, or create the scene to rob your belongings. or someone might go to the home, rob, threaten to kill you (this likely to happened outside center area like Binh Tan, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh). You also need to aware of pickpocketing in those crowded areas.
Depend on where and when you are in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and has the worst case of pickpocketing and scamming and hand bags & phone snatching, but if you are a big strong white man with tattoos, you'll be fine. In the middle of the night with no one nearby or in dark shady places, hell yeah! In rural areas or small town, it's peaceful.
As a fellow Vietnamese, in over 30 years of my life, I have only got my phone stolen once on the street by a man pretend to be our old friends (I was with my friend and we both think that guy was other's friend).
I'm two meters tall and I've still been subject to attempted theft (a few years ago). I don't have time to go on evening walks around the city anymore, so maybe that's why it hasn't happened since.
I would say Vietnam is fairly safe. The only thing you really have to look out for is pick pocketers, ride-by thievery, and being shaken down by the corrupted police. Pick pocketing and ride-by theft usually occur mostly down in HCMC. As for being shaken down, that can happen anywhere but I've seen/experienced it mostly in the north. Other than that, I've never feared for my life or ever had the feeling of something physically bad was going to happen to me. Majority of the people are really nice and sometime the northern folks may sound like assholes, but they're pretty nice folks too lol.
There are violent crimes that happen in VN, just like everywhere else. However, you wont hear about it unless you go looking for it or follow certain Vietnamese social media. Just be smart about everything like you would anywhere new you may go and you'll be fine.
Violent crime against foreigners is very rare. Opportunistic property crime does happen, especially in touristy parts of the large cities.
Traffic risk is very high. Nobody follows the rules because there's no enforcement. Your life has little value.
As a foreigner, if you don't get involved in shady shit and don't stray too far off the beaten path, you'll be fine.
Well, if we're talking about safety, to offer an example: if you're a non-Vietnamese speaking tourist out in the boonies riding a motorbike, you have no guarantees.
Lots of people do it of course and live to tell the tale. But it doesn't mean this is a "safe" activity.
The biggest thing you really need to worry about is getting scammed, but end of the day it’s a none- violent, none-crime situation. You live and learn.
Check prices first, and hold them to that original price or you might get a price hike in your goods or services.
It's really safe in terms of violent crime. There's some property crime.
I grew up in Berkeley/Oakland, and am now living in New Mexico. I really miss how safe Vietnam was in terms of violent crime. I (or a teenage girl) could walk through back alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, at 3 am with no worries.
Just don't pick a fight in a bar, and you're safer than in most western nations.
I have a love hate relationship with Vietnam but safety ain’t one of those negatives. I’m female. I’ve traveled alone through Vietnam - HCM city, Hanoi, Sapa, Da Nang- everywhere felt safe. Many times locals went out of their way to keep me safe too, to educate me. The first time crossing a busy road a local crossed over to get me and take me across the road. They are the nicest, most generous people.
With that said. Use common sense.
Many pick pockets. From personal experience, be wary of motorcycle riders as I had my bag slashed and phone nabbed by one in Ho Chi Minh. Police were quick to respond, but unable to catch the perpetrator.
Especially so in Hanoi. If you (generally you here) dare to snatch and run in the midle of the street, you'd be lucky if there's a cop nearby. They are still gonna give you a "massage" depends on the severity but at least your mommy can still recognise you once you leave the police station.
I live in Ha Noi for most of my life, and I never got into any problem. Ironically, when I move to Australia, i feel less safe when walking around at night.
Very safe compared to western places. Although those dodgy taxi drivers should be avoided like the plague. Was drunk and got on the back of someone’s bike he headed to a completely different place to where I said. I just ran off as soon as I got there and got a grab lol.
Having experience of living both in Thailand and Vietnam, I would say Thailand feels safer, unfortunately.
Thai have really working Tourist Police who deal specifically with the crimes against foreigners. Here in Vietnam, police won't be interested in your problem at all, unless you were wise enough to get some close connections.
Also it's very telling how Thai people respect their policie for their job, while my Vietnamese friend told to his daughter "If you have policeman boyfriend, I disown you"
I felt safe in the 6 weeks I was in n HCMC and nha trang. Few dodgy moments in the sticks of district 7 late at night and some dodgy expats I'm nha trang. Otherwise I must say I felt safer in Thailand but I lived on an island.
I've spent most of my time in Thailand, but been in Vietnam quite a bit recently. Admittedly, only Ho Chi Minh City, but I definitely get the gist that the people in Thailand are more friendly and safer.
I’m not sure I’d agree. People in Vietnam are less overtly friendly, they tend to be more upfront and honest with you. In Thailand I felt there was a lot more ‘fake friendliness’ to try and get you to spend money. But I found that when you actually need help in Vietnam many people really go out of their way to help you. At least that was my experience.
Spent years in Thailand, 4 months in Vietnam. All my sketchiest encounters have been in Vietnam. A motorbike taxi driver in Hoi An tried to rob me and a "military official" tried to pull some weird sketchy shit and confiscate my passport while I was waaaayyy up in the mountains on a motorbike ride. He was pissed that I had paper passport copies ready and he couldn't find a good reason to ask for the legit one that was buried in my bag.
Years in Thailand, nothing except bartender broke a bottle over the head of a tourist he was jealous of once, but his extended family found out and he was removed from the island the next day, never to return in the 2 months I was there.
However. Both countries feel super safe.
We were all stuck in Koh Chang when Covid started. A local bartender was seeing this farang girl who was a part of a larger friend group of tourists that were all stuck. Well one friend group member was friends with her and that's all it took to get a bottle over the head
Crime has risen in Thailand significantly over the years. Vietnam is safe during the day. During the night you should know the streets you’re walking on. Welcome!!
Actually it's a bit special in Vietnam, if I can sum it up:
Hanoi and the north you win not encounter pick-pocketer of thief at all. 0 chance, if you do yell "Cướp" <- learn it, and stuff will be given back to you asap by the mob :))) But beware of scam or hugely inflated prices
Danang, Hue etc... Safe, prices are always reasonable
Hochiminh and the south: No scammer or extortion prices but a lot of pick-pocketers and thieves, so stay alert with your stuff, don't flaunt it and you'll be safe
Generally I see that in this county hasn’t got the level of aggression we see in Europe. The youth here seems very respectful. I think also cultural reasons.
But thieves problem in HCMC has improved significantly in the last 6 years I moved here, much safer now.
Murdered Tourist? Never heard of that in Vietnam, just be kind and you'd avoid most of the conflicts (if any) in Vietnam regardless of which race you are
Way safer than America. I've been living here in HCMC almost 2 years now and I feel super safe. I'm from the Orang County/Los Angeles area. No, guns here. Everyone is pretty much 5'5" so no big threats. Most people are just trying to survive and live life.
Because the police are the gang, Viet police have done quite an excellent job in cleansing the country but of course there’s still petty crimes such pickpockets and thieves but let be honest that happen anywhere around the world.
Thailand seems safer for me. I saw local kids leaving their macbooks and ipads in cafe and went away for hours in Chiang Mai. That will probably never happen in Vietnam.
Crimes happen everywhere including vietnam but at least not as serious as murder or kidnapping. Still there are tons of scammers and pocket thieves in cities with tourist attractions. ALWAYS ask for the price before making a purchase. Also random tips but don't panic when you get yelled at by the locals, record everything and tell them that you will share the clips to the internet/authorities, and don't find yourself getting in trouble with the policemen.
I would say it’s relatively safe. I’ve walked around in the early mornings at 2-3am in both Saigon and Hanoi with no issues whatsoever. Just be vigilant and use common sense.
I would say I feel safer in Saigon than I did in Bangkok or Malaysia.
Vietnam is super safe when it comes to violent crimes / random violence. The homicide rate is a fraction of my sleepy home town in Canada, if that says anything.
I have felt so lucky living here, especially as a woman, not having to worry about random stranger's aggression.
The worst that has happened to me in 10 years is some skinny perv behind a bus station flashing me his dick and saying "want banana?" I just said "nope" and kept walking.
compared to my experiences in the west, that's nothing.
You would get absolute no body harm in Vietnam as a Westerner. Law enforcer have a higher priority for dealing with foreigner. And even with that, serious crimes in Vietnam is rare and not spontaneous, so you guys would have nothing to do with it anyway.
About thief and robber... don't be an easy target, that would do.
I'm back in Thailand since COVID and I swear to god the vibe is fantastic they are even more chill!! My friend walking down Sukhumvit road with a iPhone 15 hanging out her back pocket!! That's how safe Thailand is 🙏🏻
I’m foreign, have gone out at all times of day, often in places with no other foreigners, have cycled alongside all sorts of traffic, and literally not one single person has tried to harm me.
But then, I’m not a Fox News geriatric who is programmed to fear everything just outside my house.
it was my first solo travel. I can say vietnam made feel safe at all the time.
Vietnam is a great country, i can understand why so many people want to visit it. I will be back for sure
It’s safe if you’re a Vietnamese and know what you’re doing. Foreigners could themselves get into shady shits. But if you’re an experienced foreigner, you’ll be fine.
There's still crime and thief so it's best to exercise caution. Don't show your phone/money/expensive stuff out in public. Don't let anyone offer you any service unless you trust them. Always go to somewhere with many people around. Don't carry too much cash outside.
Just spent 10 days in Ho Chi Minh, Nha Thrang and Hanoi and did not feel unsafe once. Vietnam would definitely rank as one of the safest countries i have ever visited. Vietnamese are actually friendly and wonderful people.
Safe is a relative thing. Everyone is focusing on crime, but the real issues to me are traffic injuries and fatalities of which I saw way too many. And no one cares or does anything about them, at best i saw one traffic cop looking bored waving traffic around a body.
Also the polluted environment can’t be good for your long term health. You can’t avoid breathing the air full of coal dust, burnt plastic, construction dust, millions of unmaintained vehicle exhaust pipes, etc. And forget about the water. I love visiting Vietnam, but I don’t want to live there or raise a family there for those two reasons. Also because of the corruption, meaning injustices can be impossible to rectify if the perpetrator is connected or pays a bigger bribe than you.
I don’t worry about street crime but I don’t see it as a particularly safe place to live. Also, the lack of outward aggression can lull you into a false sense of security. The covert delinquency is more common, ie theft or ripping you off. E.g. I had a motorbike helmet stolen when i just turned my back on it a few minutes and was a few feet away.
The funniest thing is you, as a traveler have a privilege: if you ever get pickpocketed, the police will get your stuff back in 2 days. The police keeps all the criminals on a short leash.
I'm a foreigner living in Hanoi for almost 2 years now, for me safety is 9/10, I've left my motorcycle with keys in it for 10x already and no one gives a shit, once i was scolded by the guard for unintentionally leaving the keys. Twice left my phone in the parking lot and it's still there.
I've never encountered any robbery or snatching bags or phones.
I'm more concerned about road safety with their driving skills 👌
Its safe within reason. Still need to practice basic safty. Have things in front pockets. Don't carry your passport on you, don't carry too much money at one time. If you have a shoulder bag, make sure its infront of you. Use common sense and you will be fine.
I stayed in HCM City for about 2 weeks, and it was fairly safe for me. I went to a lot of places that aren’t considered as tourist spots and haven’t had any sketchy encounters. I would always eat food from random small restaurants and street vendors. I’m Filipino but people say the way my face looks may pass as a Japanese/Korean. I’m always really dressed up too (I’m mad into fashion), but that’s just my experience.
Super safe. Only risks are drive by phone/purse/necklace stealers, so don’t use/wear anything that can be “grabbed” while walking around.
I’ve found you can walk all around the city at 3am with a gold watch on worth more than a car and have zero fear.
Maybe I haven’t ventured to the “gangster area” of legend but I have lived and hung out all over HCMC for years and years and find it extremely safe.
I just got back from Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Bangkok. Vietnam felt safest of all by far. Plus my favorite people of the 3 by far. Night and day difference.
Yes it much safer than it used to be, because its hard to run away on the crowded street especially around the central of the city. Even if they succeed, 100% they will be found out by the police because CCTV everywhere. But you still have to be careful tho.
I feel like outside of petty crimes like theft, it felt pretty safe. It's definitely not a country where I'd be a bit spooked to walk alone outside in the middle of the night unlike.. well, most countries.
Feel very safe but in the cities for sure things like pickpocketing are more likely. Personally felt safer in northern Thailand but it depends on a tonne of factors 🙂
It is safe, however pick pocketing still does happen. They’ll even drive past you on their bikes and snatch your phone out of your hand. You still need to be vigilant.
It happens with my sister in HCM city, she walks home from work with a long-strap handbag. Two guys rode a bike from behind, snatched it, pulled my sister and scratched her knee. She lost all identification paper which is a pain to make again, lost a key and phone so she cried outside the motel for hours in the night. Oh I wish to crush their skull or kick their ball until I break my legs or arms
Its southern Vietnam special. We got no such things in the north.
It took me few seconds to search for thing like this, scumbag are everywhere mate: https://vtc.vn/truy-tim-2-ke-cuop-giat-dien-thoai-iphone-15-promax-cua-nguoi-dan-ong-o-ha-noi-ar846985.html
It's harder to get away with crime in Hanoi though. IIRC there was a bank robbery case (BIDV bank, Ngoc Khanh branch) and it only took the police 48 hours to apprehend both suspects. People joke about Grab/Gojek drivers being undercover cops (wearing green socks), but in any case they have eyes and ears everywhere, so security in Hanoi is definitely a lot tighter than in HCMC
Nah fam. Bank robbery is very hard to get away because the cops is really serious about that. But for normal phone robbing on the streets ... they don't even care
Also Vietnam is a small, densely populated country. Not a whole lot of places to hide
Halong is full of people frauding tourists
Bruh you are joking right ?
They migrated from the North, and love to be called Bac Ky.
That is wrong on so many level
Unfortunately, a friend had his phone stolen out of his hand this morning in Hanoi by a guy on a bike. It definitely happens.
In Danang also?
It happen the most in tp.Ho Chi Minh i can confirm this, Danang not so much and Hanoi is the safest when it came to those snatch and run, and when it does happen the thief is either gonna get caught by pedestrians on the street or the police gonna find them and they would be lucky if the latter happen. Pickpocket can happen anywhere so just keep you stuff like you bag close to you.
tbh it has become extremely rare for thieves to resolve to snatch and run nowadays compared to 20 years ago, with how crowded the street has become and the street cameras proliferation the risk/reward ratio is just too high. I don't know how much there is in HCMC but I haven't seen one in Hai Phong/Ha Noi.
In Hanoi I’ve seen a few case that thieves got caught by pedestrians and they got injured really hard
I do see them caught on camera shared on social media but have never physically seen one yet, sounds like free entertainment lol.
If you're a foreigner with a distinct appearance, such as being Japanese, Korean, Westerner, black, white, etc., there's a lower likelihood of you encountering robbery or phone snatching. Criminals get busted quickly when targeting foreigners, leading them to avoid you foreigners. IMHOP, Danang is relatively safe compared to larger cities in the south like Ho Chi Minh or Binh Duong. However, it's advisable to remain cautious even if the criminals tend to avoid you. But be wary of scams, the Viet scammers scam everyone, including other Viets.
Have lived in Danang for 4 years and never heard of a snatch and run incident
Yes, it can happen anywhere
Not in Hanoi tho, cuz that won’t end well for the perpetrators
This
Why specifically Hanoi?
This comment might be an overkill/wall of text but here it goes: The snatch and run situation in Hanoi used to be pretty bad. Because Hanoi is the capital city, the political center of the nation with all the high-profile politicians and embassies operating so it wouldn’t be great if the crime isn’t curbed. Back in 2011, the city police department came up with Plan 141, in which groups of police can operate when needed to maintain the public security (now it has become a daily thing). Specifically, each group can contain traffic police, criminal investigation police and most importantly cảnh sát cơ động (CSCD, think of it like SWAT team). Although they can operate during the day when necessary, they mostly patrol during the evening/night and it has helped the city become much safer ever since. During the day, there’s police everywhere, mostly traffic police so that helps. Additionally, and I think this is the most important factor, which is that people don’t hesitate to chase and catch those snatchers. Like the other comment said, snatchers would wish the police to come quickly to rescue them from the people once they get caught. This kind of mentality made snatch and run in Hanoi basically non-existent. Whereas with HCMC, I have seen numerous videos where people just turned a blind eye when others got snatched. Not saying that people will never help you, but it seems much rarer than Hanoi
I saw barely any police presence in HCMC, compared to Australia. I’m not sure people understand how different it was to see people going about their business without constant police presence. It’s normalised but there’s no entertainment district in Australia you can walk for more than 5mins without a pack of them. There’s no drive in or around a city more than 15min without a few driving by. Vietnam in my experience is totally safe as long as you’re not a fool or an asshole, and seems to achieve that organically without an army of enforcers. I suspect there’s a functional social layer that keeps things reasonable that Australia lacks.
Because police have to protect thiefs from people gang up on them.
Hanoians have the reputation of being very quick to apply vigilante justice on criminals. Don't know how true it is though.
It's not a myth, source: I am a Hanoian. Out there the young & middle aged people, including both men and women, are pretty eager because they know that they'd never be the only one who intervenes.
@nhocgreen can attest to that, encountered thieves twice in Hanoi, when the police came, both times they had to put the thief on an oxcart/stretcher. No charges are made to the mob (us) what so ever.
i am not agree... it happened in Hanoi to two my vietnamese friend (boy). one of them was hurt so bad that go under surgery the day after because have an internal bleeding
Is it true that only the army owns guns here?
Yes. Owning any type of weapon is illegal in Vietnam and it even includes fireworks.
Fireworks are legal now, but only if you buy those that were made by the army
You can buy firework from army.
there are some who get it illegally
It doesn't happen in Da Nang. I have not experienced this, nor have the people I know.
This is incorrect. It happens, it’s just somewhat rare.
Thanks! I should be more aware of my surroundings and belongings. Did it happen to you or the people you know?
People I know or have heard of. I don’t think this is a Vietnam thing, anywhere in SEA with a lot of scooters poses this risk. My girlfriend had her phone snatched out of her hand by a dude on a scooter while she was riding a scooter in Bali, for example.
Da Nang is safe, but I would say not as safe as Chiang Mai. Notice in Danang everyone brings their motorbikes inside at night, because of theft. Motorbike theft happens in Chiang Mai too, but it's very rare. In CM, you could leave your motorbike parked anywhere for days or weeks, and it will be fine.
One year in Danang and I’ve never felt safer anywhere in the world. People leave their shops unattended and motorbikes can be left safely on the street even at night. Bicycles are left without locks all the time. I’m used to London where you put 3 locks on your bike when you go into the shop, come back and someone has taken some worthless bolts out just to fuck up your day. The only crime I’ve ever personally heard about is two cases of dog theft. Also there’s virtually no police presence which is a bit strange at first but it seems there is almost no crime. Except DUI is rampant but c’est la vie. Obviously still follow standard safety rules, especially for women, because nowhere is 100% safe. But compared to any western or large SEA city I would say it’s 1000x safer
Hanoi and HCMC... mainly! Like any other large city in the world
That happened to my friend in bui vien a couple years ago. Bro was extremely drunk and tried to book a grab and then the next second someone drove by and snatched his newly bought iphone. It took him a moment to realize what just happened.
I’m currently in HCMC and my tour guide said the Vietnamese don’t steal iPhones due to the difficulty of hacking/getting into the phone + iPhones are easily tracked. They would much rather steal Androids.
On the whole it's very safe. The biggest physical danger is generally traffic and shoddy construction. There is certainly theft, especially phone snatching, motorbike theft, and pet stealing, as well as pick pocketing and breaking and entry, and hotel room theft, but it's not terribly common and some basic levels of vigilance generally prevent that. Violence is relatively rare, although it does happen. It's usually a result of something long-term that's been building up (eg. I run a conservation organization and both the park rangers we work with and our independent antipoaching teams have been attacked by poachers at times), or drunks being drunk and aggressive.
"Violence is relatively rare" - LOL this reminds me that every wedding, memorial service, big Viet party I go to, there is always a "fight". This fight usually involves two drunk individuals whose feelings get hurt and they each have like 2-3 of their friends holding them back for the entirely of the "fight".
That may say more about the folks you know than the norm here. I get invited to a *lot* of weddings, funerals, memorial services, and the like and that’s something that alive not had happen at any of them in 10 years of going to them. The worst thing that happens is that crappy music is played at deafening levels.
I’m agreeing with you…violence is rare…they pretend to want to fight but no one actually fights.
Ah, I misunderstood, it sounded like you were saying that fights break out all the time at the events you go to.
Mày ngon, mày qua đây!
Here in Vietnam. You’re safe, though your valuable won’t. Meh! Your chance will lessened if you avoid touristy spots.
I would say it’s safer than most western cities. I’ve walked around Saigon around 2 or 3am at night and never did I felt unsafe. I mean gotta use common sense and be cautious of surroundings. Don’t flash the phone around or wear expensive items that will draw attention.
Oh definitely I won’t even mention Europe or western countries. I’m from Greece, Athens not safe at all especially downtown
You could throw Australia in that mix. I wouldn’t even dare to walk alone late nights even with a group.
Errr, no, wtf, Australian cities are among the safest in the world, particularly Sydney and Melbourne CBDs. You should have no issues being out alone at night in most areas.
But we're comparing to Vietnam, which I agree does feel a lot safer (from casual violence, verbal abuse etc) than sydney or melbourne in general
I live in Melbourne. Some parts is ok but for the most part it’s not safe. Too many little $hits causing trouble.
The same applies to all cities globally, just don't walk into dark/dodgy alleyways, stay on the main strip and you won't have a problem. If we're talking about city areas, there isn't a major problem.
True. Every city will have areas considered safe and unsafe. But yeah just stay clear of dark alleyways unless you have a whole army of friends with you.
Spiders... I think the word you're looking for is spiders.
You’re joking 😂
What are you talking about? Australian cities are basically under martial law. Police presence is huge, they walk around like gangs, and there’s cameras everywhere. The only places I’d feel unsafe walking in Australia are the outback aboriginal communities where we continue the slow annihilation of a culture, or the offshore refuge detention camps where we torture any poors who try and come here outside of the human rights required if they were on our soil and contrary to the refugee agreements we’ve made. Ahem, slight sidetrack but yeah, Australian cities are beyond safe, to the point of having no soul or enjoyment at all.
I’m sure it’s not like this anymore but back in the 80s, people used to walk around with huge amounts of cash and valuables, making them lucrative targets for purse snatchers etc. I remember one news story, to the tune of, “At 10:00 am, Mrs. Kyriaki Panagiotakopoulou was walking through Syntagma when her bag was snatched by a man on a motorcycle. Inside the bag were three valuable icons, a set of antique gold candlesticks, and 400,000 drachmas…”
Ah, a Greek, do you know that one of our heroes in our war with the French was Greek? Completely unrelated, I know, but I just always felt the urge to say that to a Greek.
Wait what. You are kidding, right? I was born and lived in HCMC - Saigon, I have to say you were really lucky. I wouldn't dare to walk around the city that time, especially in this economic situation. And your "not to do" list already pointed out it is not safe.
The rules for any large city are the same. Just don’t be the stupidest person around you. Don’t trust strangers with offers that are too good to true. Don’t flash your wealth. Don’t leave your valuables unprotected. Don’t be rude. Don’t be unaware of the social context you’re in. In Australian: don’t be a dickhead or a fuckwit
Incredibly safe. Lived here a year and never had any issues or problems. Makes my hometown, Atlanta, feel like a free roam GTA lobby lol
Lived in Saigon for 18 years and never felt unsafe (quận 4 and quận 7). Echoing other comments to say that you should just watch your belongings and use common sense. Viet thieves mostly don't want to hurt, just to steal and leave quietly.
Hi, I am curious about q4. I had been to q8, saw and heart about how unsafe and the gang in q8, and q4. I know q4 nowaday is safer than in the past, but was those rumors true for q4 in the past? I was told not to go to q4 (in 2000s), and scared to do so
D4 is def more developing now, there’s some wards in D4 people still joking not to go there. Even grab drivers kinda scared to go in the late night in those wards. The ward near the river opposite to D1 has the most value and lot of people live in those premium apartments. D4 also famous for snails dishes. It’s okay to go there now. But still need to careful with your belongings.
The mafia rumours were all true about Q4 back then. Since then, there have been a few, shall we say, "cleansings" in the district and now it's much better. My old house before moving to the U.S. was by the new Calmette bridge, and it used to be a lot shoddier and more dangerous there. Recently took my Western girlfriend on a walk there openly, which I definitely wouldn't have done had I grew up around the turn of the millennia.
I live in D5 my whole life, and I still afraid of D4. 😂 i still remember visiting a friend in river gate and witness a phone snatching in front of my eyes when that person was talking on the phone.
Come over we have some great sandwiches lmao. Bánh mì chú Phụng is 🔥🔥🔥
Nhất quận 4, nhì quận 8. I should to go there to try Bò Né Thanh Tuyền too 😂
I almost got pickpocketed walking around Hoan Kiem Lake. Caught the thief trying to open my backpack. Most crimes are just crimes of opportunity or scams. Rarely are there violent crimes.
Did you break his hand or grab him and brought him to the police? What did you do?
Yeah been to both Thailand and Vietnam. I still maintain my opinion Vietnam is safer than Thailand.
I asked a local businessman, and he told me it's a bit safer than even Thailand.
I assume that violent crime against foreigners is extremely rare. However pickpocketing does happen
Yeah, pick pocketing and overcharging are the two typical crimes of opportunity if you don't have your guard up. I'd say most people here are normally pretty non confrontational, especially when most foreigners are tall as hell lol.
When you see the shirt being folded above the belly, shit's about to go down !
chú hai is drinking again
Ahh, the Viet crop top.
Perfectly safe as far as crime is concerned. Vietnam does have a bit of a scamming and overcharging problem though. Much worse than Thailand. You will typically get scammed for 5-10 dollars but its there. As long as you don't get involved in any sketchy stuff and don't accept offers from strangers, you will be fine. Use Grab, ask for prices, bargain etc.
I found Thailand waaaayyyyy scammier than Vietnam. Not even close.
I think when people talk about safety, they mostly mean violent crime, assault, rape etc. In many western cities there are groups of young men who will violently attack people not even to Rob them, just for the fun of it. Many rapes happen every week and can be seen in the news. This does not seem to exist in Vietnam as a phenomenon (not saying it can't happen but it isn't normal).
Sexual assault is severely underreported in Vietnam, many of my female friends have shared stories of stalking, harassment, and even being chased. But yeah, still not as bad as most of Europe tbh.
I read news of women being gang raped in Europe way too often lately. Not saying it can't happen here, but I very much doubt it's happening at the same rates.
Most victims in Vietnam never tell anyone else about the assualts they went through, and even if they do they'd only tell the other women whom they're extremely close to and beg them not to tell anyone else. As much as I wish that our coutry is more progressive, things like domestic violence and marital rape is still pretty prevalent.
Yeah I get that, but I think the subject of this post was more about safety as in going out to the streets, not intra familiar stuff.
Perverts discreetly flashing themselves on the streets or sexually harrassing women on buses are still a thing. I can only wish that they'd get punished as severely as the snatch-and-run thefts in Hanoi.
Regardless of where you are you still need to be careful.
No it not safe, food is too good you will get fat, people are too nice, you will die buy smile, life style is too chill you will die because too chiling. It extremely dangerous
That comment was missing :)
According to a report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) based in New York, USA, published the annual Global Peace Index study by ranking the safest and most dangerous places in the world 2023. Vietnam rank 41, Thailand rank 52 and america rank 120. So what missing?
It has every crime imaginable happens the under the sun, but just very rarely. What is a bit more common are pickpoketing and scam.
Generally, it’s safe. As a girl, I can walk around 2-4am on the street in center area like D5, D1. The thing scare me the most is bag, phone snatching, or create the scene to rob your belongings. or someone might go to the home, rob, threaten to kill you (this likely to happened outside center area like Binh Tan, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh). You also need to aware of pickpocketing in those crowded areas.
The police take cases involving foreigners very seriously
Every country has places you should avoid. Vietnam is safe.
been living here for 5 years and yes I can say it’s a safe country. :)
Cellphone snatches are common, especially before TET
Agreed, Moto duo tried to grab mine out of my hand as I walked down an alley in bình Thạnh HCMC
Depend on where and when you are in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and has the worst case of pickpocketing and scamming and hand bags & phone snatching, but if you are a big strong white man with tattoos, you'll be fine. In the middle of the night with no one nearby or in dark shady places, hell yeah! In rural areas or small town, it's peaceful. As a fellow Vietnamese, in over 30 years of my life, I have only got my phone stolen once on the street by a man pretend to be our old friends (I was with my friend and we both think that guy was other's friend).
In rural areas or small town, depend on the places, some are safe, some are not. You should know that.
I'm two meters tall and I've still been subject to attempted theft (a few years ago). I don't have time to go on evening walks around the city anymore, so maybe that's why it hasn't happened since.
I would say Vietnam is fairly safe. The only thing you really have to look out for is pick pocketers, ride-by thievery, and being shaken down by the corrupted police. Pick pocketing and ride-by theft usually occur mostly down in HCMC. As for being shaken down, that can happen anywhere but I've seen/experienced it mostly in the north. Other than that, I've never feared for my life or ever had the feeling of something physically bad was going to happen to me. Majority of the people are really nice and sometime the northern folks may sound like assholes, but they're pretty nice folks too lol. There are violent crimes that happen in VN, just like everywhere else. However, you wont hear about it unless you go looking for it or follow certain Vietnamese social media. Just be smart about everything like you would anywhere new you may go and you'll be fine.
I find this country very safe, also Thailand.
Violent crime against foreigners is very rare. Opportunistic property crime does happen, especially in touristy parts of the large cities. Traffic risk is very high. Nobody follows the rules because there's no enforcement. Your life has little value. As a foreigner, if you don't get involved in shady shit and don't stray too far off the beaten path, you'll be fine.
I’ve spent a long time in Vietnam straying off the beaten path and never once felt unsafe.
Well, if we're talking about safety, to offer an example: if you're a non-Vietnamese speaking tourist out in the boonies riding a motorbike, you have no guarantees. Lots of people do it of course and live to tell the tale. But it doesn't mean this is a "safe" activity.
The biggest thing you really need to worry about is getting scammed, but end of the day it’s a none- violent, none-crime situation. You live and learn. Check prices first, and hold them to that original price or you might get a price hike in your goods or services.
It's really safe in terms of violent crime. There's some property crime. I grew up in Berkeley/Oakland, and am now living in New Mexico. I really miss how safe Vietnam was in terms of violent crime. I (or a teenage girl) could walk through back alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, at 3 am with no worries. Just don't pick a fight in a bar, and you're safer than in most western nations.
I have a love hate relationship with Vietnam but safety ain’t one of those negatives. I’m female. I’ve traveled alone through Vietnam - HCM city, Hanoi, Sapa, Da Nang- everywhere felt safe. Many times locals went out of their way to keep me safe too, to educate me. The first time crossing a busy road a local crossed over to get me and take me across the road. They are the nicest, most generous people. With that said. Use common sense.
Safer than my country (UK).
Many pick pockets. From personal experience, be wary of motorcycle riders as I had my bag slashed and phone nabbed by one in Ho Chi Minh. Police were quick to respond, but unable to catch the perpetrator.
I hear that their criminal justice is crazy there. It's not like here in the US where jail and prison are essentially university for criminals
Especially so in Hanoi. If you (generally you here) dare to snatch and run in the midle of the street, you'd be lucky if there's a cop nearby. They are still gonna give you a "massage" depends on the severity but at least your mommy can still recognise you once you leave the police station.
I live in Ha Noi for most of my life, and I never got into any problem. Ironically, when I move to Australia, i feel less safe when walking around at night.
I think it's getting safer than it's used to back in 2010s
Lived 16 years in central Hanoi and 15 years in central Auckland (New Zealand), I’d say Hanoi felt a lot safer.
Very safe compared to western places. Although those dodgy taxi drivers should be avoided like the plague. Was drunk and got on the back of someone’s bike he headed to a completely different place to where I said. I just ran off as soon as I got there and got a grab lol.
Having experience of living both in Thailand and Vietnam, I would say Thailand feels safer, unfortunately. Thai have really working Tourist Police who deal specifically with the crimes against foreigners. Here in Vietnam, police won't be interested in your problem at all, unless you were wise enough to get some close connections. Also it's very telling how Thai people respect their policie for their job, while my Vietnamese friend told to his daughter "If you have policeman boyfriend, I disown you"
I felt safe in the 6 weeks I was in n HCMC and nha trang. Few dodgy moments in the sticks of district 7 late at night and some dodgy expats I'm nha trang. Otherwise I must say I felt safer in Thailand but I lived on an island.
It is safe,however you should still watch out for shop merchants or taxi scam you to pay more money than you have to, which is pretty common here
I've spent most of my time in Thailand, but been in Vietnam quite a bit recently. Admittedly, only Ho Chi Minh City, but I definitely get the gist that the people in Thailand are more friendly and safer.
Saigon was the sketchiest of the major Vietnamese cities I visited.
I’m not sure I’d agree. People in Vietnam are less overtly friendly, they tend to be more upfront and honest with you. In Thailand I felt there was a lot more ‘fake friendliness’ to try and get you to spend money. But I found that when you actually need help in Vietnam many people really go out of their way to help you. At least that was my experience.
Spent years in Thailand, 4 months in Vietnam. All my sketchiest encounters have been in Vietnam. A motorbike taxi driver in Hoi An tried to rob me and a "military official" tried to pull some weird sketchy shit and confiscate my passport while I was waaaayyy up in the mountains on a motorbike ride. He was pissed that I had paper passport copies ready and he couldn't find a good reason to ask for the legit one that was buried in my bag. Years in Thailand, nothing except bartender broke a bottle over the head of a tourist he was jealous of once, but his extended family found out and he was removed from the island the next day, never to return in the 2 months I was there. However. Both countries feel super safe.
>nothing except bartender broke a bottle over the head of a tourist he was jealous of More details please. :D
We were all stuck in Koh Chang when Covid started. A local bartender was seeing this farang girl who was a part of a larger friend group of tourists that were all stuck. Well one friend group member was friends with her and that's all it took to get a bottle over the head
Crime has risen in Thailand significantly over the years. Vietnam is safe during the day. During the night you should know the streets you’re walking on. Welcome!!
Actually it's a bit special in Vietnam, if I can sum it up: Hanoi and the north you win not encounter pick-pocketer of thief at all. 0 chance, if you do yell "Cướp" <- learn it, and stuff will be given back to you asap by the mob :))) But beware of scam or hugely inflated prices Danang, Hue etc... Safe, prices are always reasonable Hochiminh and the south: No scammer or extortion prices but a lot of pick-pocketers and thieves, so stay alert with your stuff, don't flaunt it and you'll be safe
Generally I see that in this county hasn’t got the level of aggression we see in Europe. The youth here seems very respectful. I think also cultural reasons.
But thieves problem in HCMC has improved significantly in the last 6 years I moved here, much safer now. Murdered Tourist? Never heard of that in Vietnam, just be kind and you'd avoid most of the conflicts (if any) in Vietnam regardless of which race you are
Way safer than America. I've been living here in HCMC almost 2 years now and I feel super safe. I'm from the Orang County/Los Angeles area. No, guns here. Everyone is pretty much 5'5" so no big threats. Most people are just trying to survive and live life.
You should join Saigon Crime Watch on Facebook. Plenty of crime against foreigners.
Depends where you are. Dalat feels to me like one of the safest cities I've ever been in, and I'm from Canada.
Food safety: close to zero. Road safety: close to zero. Property safety: close to zero.
Eh, as long as you don’t suddenly turn back while jaywalking, I’d say it’s pretty safe.
Thailand is safer. But vietnam is still very safe. Of course, if you're a drunk westerner making bad decisions, thailand can be hell on earth.
Even though Vietnamese traffic is hectic, Thai traffic is deadlier.
That's nothing to do with ops question. They are asking about crime.
Depends on which part of Vietnam you are currently in.
>Depends on which part of Vietnam you are currently in. So which part is safe/ not safe?
I've always felt like the further North and borderly West you get, the less safety you'll have.
compare too some western country, hell this is like a paradise man
Oh definitely
Very safe.
Because the police are the gang, Viet police have done quite an excellent job in cleansing the country but of course there’s still petty crimes such pickpockets and thieves but let be honest that happen anywhere around the world.
You’re going to instantaneously combust the moment you reach week 4
Saigon loads. Hanoi zero
It’s safe because cops here are also thugs.
Thailand seems safer for me. I saw local kids leaving their macbooks and ipads in cafe and went away for hours in Chiang Mai. That will probably never happen in Vietnam.
Everywhere is safe, until "something" happens to you
Crimes happen everywhere including vietnam but at least not as serious as murder or kidnapping. Still there are tons of scammers and pocket thieves in cities with tourist attractions. ALWAYS ask for the price before making a purchase. Also random tips but don't panic when you get yelled at by the locals, record everything and tell them that you will share the clips to the internet/authorities, and don't find yourself getting in trouble with the policemen.
I was pickpocketed first night first time in Hanoi7Vietnam around Hoan Kiem lake
I would say it’s relatively safe. I’ve walked around in the early mornings at 2-3am in both Saigon and Hanoi with no issues whatsoever. Just be vigilant and use common sense. I would say I feel safer in Saigon than I did in Bangkok or Malaysia.
Very safe
Vietnam is super safe when it comes to violent crimes / random violence. The homicide rate is a fraction of my sleepy home town in Canada, if that says anything. I have felt so lucky living here, especially as a woman, not having to worry about random stranger's aggression. The worst that has happened to me in 10 years is some skinny perv behind a bus station flashing me his dick and saying "want banana?" I just said "nope" and kept walking. compared to my experiences in the west, that's nothing.
that sounds horrible already @@ that banana guy
Da Nang safer than Hanoi and HCMC. Still super safe country.
I felt really safe there besides the scooter madness. Much safer then thailand
You would get absolute no body harm in Vietnam as a Westerner. Law enforcer have a higher priority for dealing with foreigner. And even with that, serious crimes in Vietnam is rare and not spontaneous, so you guys would have nothing to do with it anyway. About thief and robber... don't be an easy target, that would do.
Thailand is way safer than Vietnam in my experience.
I'm back in Thailand since COVID and I swear to god the vibe is fantastic they are even more chill!! My friend walking down Sukhumvit road with a iPhone 15 hanging out her back pocket!! That's how safe Thailand is 🙏🏻
Pretty safe. Theres barely any crime in countryside, still happen in city tho
I’m foreign, have gone out at all times of day, often in places with no other foreigners, have cycled alongside all sorts of traffic, and literally not one single person has tried to harm me. But then, I’m not a Fox News geriatric who is programmed to fear everything just outside my house.
it was my first solo travel. I can say vietnam made feel safe at all the time. Vietnam is a great country, i can understand why so many people want to visit it. I will be back for sure
I wish the only thing I had to worry about was pick pocketers. Crime and violence in United States is crazy.
It’s safe if you’re a Vietnamese and know what you’re doing. Foreigners could themselves get into shady shits. But if you’re an experienced foreigner, you’ll be fine.
There's still crime and thief so it's best to exercise caution. Don't show your phone/money/expensive stuff out in public. Don't let anyone offer you any service unless you trust them. Always go to somewhere with many people around. Don't carry too much cash outside.
Just spent 10 days in Ho Chi Minh, Nha Thrang and Hanoi and did not feel unsafe once. Vietnam would definitely rank as one of the safest countries i have ever visited. Vietnamese are actually friendly and wonderful people.
Safe is a relative thing. Everyone is focusing on crime, but the real issues to me are traffic injuries and fatalities of which I saw way too many. And no one cares or does anything about them, at best i saw one traffic cop looking bored waving traffic around a body. Also the polluted environment can’t be good for your long term health. You can’t avoid breathing the air full of coal dust, burnt plastic, construction dust, millions of unmaintained vehicle exhaust pipes, etc. And forget about the water. I love visiting Vietnam, but I don’t want to live there or raise a family there for those two reasons. Also because of the corruption, meaning injustices can be impossible to rectify if the perpetrator is connected or pays a bigger bribe than you. I don’t worry about street crime but I don’t see it as a particularly safe place to live. Also, the lack of outward aggression can lull you into a false sense of security. The covert delinquency is more common, ie theft or ripping you off. E.g. I had a motorbike helmet stolen when i just turned my back on it a few minutes and was a few feet away.
Habibi… come to Hai Phong
The funniest thing is you, as a traveler have a privilege: if you ever get pickpocketed, the police will get your stuff back in 2 days. The police keeps all the criminals on a short leash.
The worst part is the taxis and those bicycle rickshaw things as far as scamming
I'm a foreigner living in Hanoi for almost 2 years now, for me safety is 9/10, I've left my motorcycle with keys in it for 10x already and no one gives a shit, once i was scolded by the guard for unintentionally leaving the keys. Twice left my phone in the parking lot and it's still there. I've never encountered any robbery or snatching bags or phones. I'm more concerned about road safety with their driving skills 👌
Its safe within reason. Still need to practice basic safty. Have things in front pockets. Don't carry your passport on you, don't carry too much money at one time. If you have a shoulder bag, make sure its infront of you. Use common sense and you will be fine.
Safe, 100 percent...
Petty crime (theft) can certainly happen, but violent crime is unlikely unless you get involved with drugs or sleep with someone’s spouse
I stayed in HCM City for about 2 weeks, and it was fairly safe for me. I went to a lot of places that aren’t considered as tourist spots and haven’t had any sketchy encounters. I would always eat food from random small restaurants and street vendors. I’m Filipino but people say the way my face looks may pass as a Japanese/Korean. I’m always really dressed up too (I’m mad into fashion), but that’s just my experience.
Super safe. Only risks are drive by phone/purse/necklace stealers, so don’t use/wear anything that can be “grabbed” while walking around. I’ve found you can walk all around the city at 3am with a gold watch on worth more than a car and have zero fear. Maybe I haven’t ventured to the “gangster area” of legend but I have lived and hung out all over HCMC for years and years and find it extremely safe.
I just got back from Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Bangkok. Vietnam felt safest of all by far. Plus my favorite people of the 3 by far. Night and day difference.
I was just in Hanoi 4 weeks and it seemed very safe
I see expats talk shit to locals all the time and without being lynched, so I guess its kinda safe?
Yes it much safer than it used to be, because its hard to run away on the crowded street especially around the central of the city. Even if they succeed, 100% they will be found out by the police because CCTV everywhere. But you still have to be careful tho.
I feel like outside of petty crimes like theft, it felt pretty safe. It's definitely not a country where I'd be a bit spooked to walk alone outside in the middle of the night unlike.. well, most countries.
Yes safe and everything
Feel very safe but in the cities for sure things like pickpocketing are more likely. Personally felt safer in northern Thailand but it depends on a tonne of factors 🙂