Thanks to the exodus of Vietnamese overseas starting in the 1970s, Nguyễn has become the 7th most common family name in Australia. Flip through a phonebook in the Australian city of Melbourne, and you will see that Nguyễns are outnumbered only by the Smith’s. In the USA live more than 130,000 Nguyễns, among them Dustin Nguyễn who starred with Johnny Depp in the 1980s TV series 21 Jump Street. One American Nguyễn remarked on his website, “If you’re from California, Texas, Missouri, or Massachusetts, the ‘Nguyễn’ section probably took up at least two pages of your High School yearbook.” In Vietnam itself, 38.4 per cent of people bear the family name Nguyễn. The nearest rival, Trần, accounts to only 11 per cent.

The History of a Name

So, there are a lot of Nguyễns in the world, tens of millions of them to be precise. Like the Smiths and O’Sullivans before them, the Nguyễns have become a global race. They are a tribe united by a single Chinese character, a six-stroke ideogram which is pronounced “Nguyễn” in Vietnamese, “Ruan” in Mandarin Chinese, and “Yuen” in Cantonese. Chinese ideograms aren’t usually used in Vietnam these days, which is a shame because a picture often tells a thousand words. The character for Nguyễn, for example, comprises two parts, one of which means “hill” and the other “origin”. Read together Nguyễn/Ruan/Yuen means “hill-origin”, or more simply “origin”.

In China, the name Ruan appeared nearly 2000 years ago, and became the name of the guitar or lute-like plucked string instrument which has been played in Chinese operas for countless centuries. The instrument was supposedly named after Ruan Xin, a 3rd century poet and musician and a member of the rebel mystics known as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. To this day, there are Ruans living in China, although not as many as there used to be.

The Construction of Vietnamese Names

The construction and arrangement of Vietnamese names is probably unique in the world. There are usually three names in all, and as in other East Asian countries, the first name is the family (or clan) name. While English family names were often derived by a person’s occupation (smith, baker, cook) or their appearance (long, short, white, black), ancient Vietnamese got their name from the clan they belonged to. Hence, it would be possible for all the inhabitants of a city or region to give themselves the same family name. This helps to explain why Nguyễns are so common in Vietnam today.

While the last name is similar to the Christian name of Western societies, the Vietnamese middle name often denotes a person’s sex and position in the family (for example, if they are a first-born male). In some families all the children have the same middle name, while in others middle names are passed on by fathers to their sons, and mothers to their daughters. Some Vietnamese claim that their middle names are actually their family name, while their first name is their king’s name (see this forum for an insight!) Since there have been plenty of Nguyễn kings in Vietnam’s history, this might explain why so many of their subjects got the same name.

The Origin of the Name Which Means “Origin”

There are many stories explaining why Nguyễn became such a common name in Vietnam. Many Vietnamese Nguyễns claims to be descended from kings, or at least the subjects of kings. Some of them insist their ancestors were subjects of Ruan Cho, the governor of northern Vietnam in the Chinese Chen Dynasty (557-589AD). Another story is that the emperor of the last Vietnamese dynasty, the Nguyễn Dynasty, wanted to be remembered so he forced all his subjects to adopt his name.

How Do You Pronounce Nguyễn?

For such a common name worldwide, few foreigners are able to pronounce Nguyễn correctly. For one thing, the name should be pronounced as a single syllable. It sounds something like “Gwin”, but this is only an approximation. For a more realistic effect, try saying “Noo-When” as fast as you can. But since Vietnamese is a tonal language, you have to sing the name rather than just say it.

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Get there before it is too late

Many visitors compare Phu Quoc to the islands of Thailand before they were over-developed, and warn that you should come see the place before it is too late.  It is true, the developers are moving in, and there are big plans in motion. For now, Phu Quoc is everything a tropical island should be, with white sand beaches, amazing sunsets, and a full range of quality hotels and resorts.

Go easy on the environment at eco-friendly resorts

Many Phu Quoc resorts go for a low-tech approach to protect the island’s fragile environment. Rooms are furnished with local timbers and rattan, and management restricts anything that would distract you from the paradise experience. That includes air-conditioners and blaring TVs. Many resorts double as spas with treatments to heal your body, mind and soul.

What to do on Phu Quoc

If lazing on a massage table or the beach is not your style, you could strap on a scuba tank and plunge into the virgin depths. If you’d rather stay on the surface you could join squid fishermen on their nightly hunt, or go snorkeling instead. Or hire a motorbike and explore this fascinating island on your own.

Eating and drinking

Phu Quoc abounds in seafood and the squid and tuna are especially renowned. Every hotel or resort worth its salt with have its own restaurant and bar, and possibly nightly barbeques on the beach. If you get bored you could try the food and drink at another nearby resort, or visit the standalone restaurants and bars in Duong Dong town and other population centers.

How to get there

Vietnam Airlines flies to Phu Quoc up to 11 times a day from Ho Chi Minh City ( early morning to early afternoon, the most flights at the busiest times of the year). Prices vary, but normally stays around $80 for a round trip ticket.

Favorite resorts

Chen La Resort and Spa - Simple yet refined, this might be the most beautiful place you can stay on Phu Quoc.

Cassia Cottage - Beach bungalows to a decent price.

Favorite restaurants

Ai Xiem - Tables and chairs are set up on the beautiful white sands of Sai Bao Beach.

Pepper Tree – On Long Beach. This is a high end establishment with stunning views and a French colonial décor.

Favorite bars/clubs

Eden Bar – Next to La Veranda Resort, this place has a pub-like feel and can get rowdy at night.

To read more about Phu Quoc Island, please visit www.phuquocisland.com.

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1. Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

At point c, item 1, article 13 Ordinance on immigration, migration, residence of foreigners in Vietnam dated 28^th April 2000, foreigners who are temporarily residing in Vietnam in one of following cases are considered and approved of permanent residence:

Wife, husband, child, father, mother of Vietnamese citizen permanently residing in Vietnam

Permanent Residence Card has unlimited validity, every 3 years, the card holder will have to update their Permanent Residence card. The card holder also can use this card as an unlimited visa to come to Vietnam.

Apply for new Permanent Residence Card

Required documents:

1. 02 application forms for permanent residence (Form N7, attached with 04 passport photos 3 cm x 4cm).
2. 02 curriculum vitae statements of the applicant (Form N10)
3. 02 judicial record copies approved by competent public authority of the country where such person is a citizen or of the country where such person permanently resides.
4. Diplomatic note of competent public authority of the country where such person is a citizen requesting for approval of such person’s permanent residence in Vietnam (Attached with a transfer note of Vietnamese diplomatic agency).
5. 02 copies of passport.
6. 02 copies of visa or temporary alien card valid at the time of submitting documents, 02 copies of immigration declaration.
7. 02 copies of documents to prove being wife, husband, child, father, mother of Vietnamese citizen permanently residing in Vietnam.
8. 02 guarantee letters for foreigners temporarily residing in Vietnam (Form N9) confirmed by People’s Committee of ward, commune, attached with 02 copies of Identity card, family record of the guarantor. The guarantor and the guarantee must show documents to prove having legal houses or legal financial sources to ensure having house and life for the guarantee.

Above documents (except for application for permanent residence, diplomatic note, passport, visa) must be translated into Vietnamese and certified or legalized as regulated.

Where to apply for Permanent Residence card: The Immigration Department of the city where the foreigner lives.

Returning result: Within 6 months, Immigration Department must consider and confirm whether they accept to issue the Permanent Residence card or any changes/ additional documents required. After confirmation, the Immigration Department will have to issue the Permanent Residence card within 5 working days.

Renew, change, update Permanent Residence card

Every 03 years, Permanent Residence Card holder must bring their card to present at Immigration Department of the province, city directly under the Central Government, when presenting he/she must show permanent Residence card and submit photos to change for new card.

In case he/she wishes to change the contents of the permanent residence card, the residence card holder must submit the application to Immigration Department of the resident place. The procedures are as follows:

1. 01 statement request for changing permanent residence card (Form N8, attached to 02 3×4cm photos) confirmed by local public security of the residence place.
2. 01 copy of passport (bring original to compare)
3. 01 original old permanent residence card.

Period of returning result: 05 business days since the date Immigration Department received valid documents.

Note: In case of reissue due to loss, the procedures are the same as change Permanent Residence card and submission of 01 statement of the reason for loss.

Period of returning results is within 14 business days.

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1. Work permit in Vietnam

A true story

In October of last year Carol and Peter, an Australian couple expatriated to South-East Asia, were approached by a financial adviser from a “leading financial institution.” After several meetings they decided to invest US$2,000 per month in an investment plan from a renowned insurance company. They were assured by the financial adviser they could withdraw funds at any time, but were never informed about the investment plan closing costs. All was easy, costless and risk free. Five months later, they decided to withdraw the money already invested, US$10,000, close the investment plan and return to Australia to start a family. The insurance company informed them that they had subscribed into an investment plan that locks-in the first 18 months’ contributions for a period of 15 years, and if they wanted to close the investment plan now they will lose all US$10,000. Carol and Peter tried to contact their financial adviser. He had vanished.

Tests of validity

Each country has different regulations on investment offers and advice. However, irrespective of any regulation, there are four easy rules an expat can follow to avoid being cheated by rogue salesmen posing as financial advisers. First, ask a lot of questions and obtain answers. If the adviser behaves arrogantly and avoids questions, that’s a clear sign you are dealing with a rogue salesman. Second, be suspicious of the words “guarantee” and “risk free.” There are no such things in finance. Third, ask for referrals. What do other clients say? Referrals are other expats living in the same city as you, easily approachable, and that have worked with the adviser for the past two years, at least.

Finally, beware of high-pressure sales people who will assure you that the more you agree to invest, the better. Typically these people have not been in town all that long and talk like they know the financial markets better than George Soros. They assuredly do not have your best interests in mind.

If you are contacted with any investment options or have been a victim in the past and would like some professional advice, please contact us for a free appraisal.

Written by Afonso Vieira, Managing Director of Total Wealth Management

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1. Offshore explained

The best solution to the problem is to get a Vietnamese work permit, and luckily the rules for how to obtain a work permit has become a bit easier. Earlier you needed a university degree AND 5 years experience within your current field. As of now, you only need to have either University degree OR 5 years experience working within your field. For some fields you can also use a professional skills certificate, ex. accountant certificate.

So what do you need to get the work permit?

In order to get a work permit, an expat in Vietnam need to have 3 things:

1. Work contract.

2. Support to from your employer to get the work permit.

3. University degree, higher degree, professional skills certificate OR 5- year experiences working in the same major.

Paper work required to apply work permit

From employee:

1. Work permit application form (following a provided template)

2. Work permission application letter (following a provided template)

3. Criminal record: If you have stayed in Vietnam for more than 6 months, you will have to get the criminal record that is issued by the Judiciary Department of the city where you are living. In case you are not in Vietnam or you have stayed here for less than 6 months, you will have to get that criminal record from your Authority Government.

4. A copy of your certificate or degree. This can be: university degree, higher degree or a special professional skills certificate ex. accountant certificate.

In case you do not have a degree, but you have 5 years experience working within the same field, you will need to get a confirmation letter from your old employers or any paper work to prove that you have 5 years experiences within your field in Vietnam or another country. This paper work will then be translated into Vietnamese and certified by a Vietnamese Government agency to prove that this translated version has the same meaning as the original one and can be used legally in Vietnam.

5. Health check from the hospital. There is a list of hospitals that has the authority to give you a health check in Vietnam and only the hospitals on this list are qualified to prove your health for the work permit application. You will get this list with the first 2 templates for paper work; the Work permit application form and Work permission application form. In case, you are not in Vietnam, you can get a health check from any hospital in the country that you are staying. This health check is valid for 6 months.

6. Curriculum vitae with passport photo

7. 3 new passport photos.

From employer:

1. A valid labor contract.

2. The company license (copy certified by Government authority office)

3. Work permit application form

4. The approval from the Government to use foreign labor.

The 5 years of experience can be counted as total amount of years you have been working in your field. For example:

Mr.A does not have any degree. He started working in Japan from 2001 to 2004 as a web designer, in 2004, he left and traveled around the world. In 2005, he worked at General Manager’s assistant at a real estate company in America, he worked here until 2006. In 2007, he left this job and went to Thailand. He worked at a web agency as a web designer. He left this job in 2009 and come to Vietnam, here he wants to work for another web agency as web designer and he needs a work permit. So Mr.A will need to get confirmation that he used to work as web designer from the company in Japan (3 years experience) and the company in Thailand (2 years experience).

Any paper work that is not in Vietnamese, need to get translated by a Vietnamese Translation office and get stamped to certify the validity of the document. Any paper work that is in Vietnamese or not in Vietnamese, if they require a copied version you will have to get the copy certified by a Vietnamese Government agency.

Your passport photo will have to follow the standards of passport photos in Vietnam.

1.Do not wear anything in your hair.

2. No glasses or sun glasses,

3. The photo of your face must be from the absolute  front.

4. No smiling

5. Ears have to be visible

6. Wear a white shirt

7. The pictures size must be 3 x 4 cm.

8. The photo is valid for a year.

After you got all of these papers ready, you will send it to the Labour and Social Welfare Service of the province/city where you are working. They will have to inform if they approve your work permit application or any changes needed within 15 days.

Note: Tourist visas work as before and there is no problem to apply or extend 1 month tourist visas.

If you are not already subscribed to our newsletter, please sign up now to receive future updates about this matter.

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Imagine you have two options to get home from work: drive across a toll bridge (pay the dollar and get home early) or a free bridge (located outside the city centre). If you went over the toll bridge without paying the toll, you would be violating the law. If, however, you drive the extra mile to the free bridge, you are legitimately saving money. The former, like tax evasion, is against the law. On the other hand, tax avoidance is the legal utilization of the tax regime to one’s own advantage in order to reduce the amount of tax by means that are within the law. Today few people know the free bridge even exists.

Financial Centres

Investing offshore means investing in a location other than one’s country of residence. Although accessible to anyone who can meet the minimum dollar amount, offshore investment is often stereotyped as attracting the extremely rich and dishonest. But the financial barrier to entry continues to fall, as more and more offshore banks are willing to open accounts with a minimum of US$1,000 in initial deposits. Also, offshore financial centres have recently improved their levels of safety and internal regulations relating to money laundering, terrorist financing, and tax evasion. Among the most reputable offshore financial centres are Singapore, Hong Kong, Liechtenstein, The Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and all U.K. crown dependencies.

Offshore – what for?

There are several attractive offshore investment opportunities that are worth further investigation. For instance, most industrialized countries offer some form of tax concessions for individual retirement savings, but an offshore individual retirement savings plan does not restrict how much you can invest free of tax. Also, lump-sum investments in financial products are also non-taxable for capital gains and dividends. Family foundations, used for asset transmission from generation to generation, are also available. Such a set-up avoids claims from those you don’t wish to benefit from your wealth and more importantly, avoids your heirs paying inheritance tax upon your death.

Dangers

Countries like the U.S., Canada, U.K. and other E.U. nations have very specific laws and regulations concerning offshore financial activities. Navigating these issues requires the services of a trained professional. A web search will reveal hundreds of offshore service providers offering various offshore tax planning and asset protection schemes, as well as company creation services. But offshore investment advice is not a one solution fits all. Bad tax advice can have grave consequences. Select an advisor who understands your specific circumstances and future plans.

Written by Afonso Vieira, Managing Director of Total Wealth Management

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1. Rogue advisers

Jobs for expats in Vietnam

Expatriates interested in working in Vietnam should be aware that most of the growth takes place in tourism, construction and information technology industries. However, it does not mean that there is no work in other fields. The mining, manufacturing, water generation and power sectors are also growing because Vietnam is working to better develop its natural resources, provide clean water and generate power, which requires specialist skilled labour from expatriates.

Besides, there have been a lot of vacancies for foreign managers and workers in leather shoes, garment industry and printing industry, etc. and exists a long term need for teachers of English at private language schools and other subjects like science, mathematics, biology etc. in international primary and secondary schools.

As with most countries, the trend here is to hire locally and big multinational companies/corporations like Coca-cola, Nike, Price Waterhouse Coopers … prefer to send their experts from overseas to open a business in Vietnam, but the demand of foreign expertise is still high here. The reason is that hiring foreigners is the only solution for the current shortage of local candidates for executive management positions.

Where to find it?

The internet is a good source for expatriates to look for jobs in Vietnam.  Vietnam Works is one of the largest job websites and a web-recruiting pioneer, matching people with jobs and matching companies with top talent over the internet since 2002. Besides, the Manpower Network, is also known as the world leader in the employment services industry. It was established in Vietnam in 2008, creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of employment.

Pay rates in Vietnam

According to Navigos Group’s Vietnam Salary survey in 2008, educational attainment seems to be an important factor that determines salaries especially in entry or junior level positions. Holders of Master Degrees can earn an average gross pay of 30,820 USD per year compared to a holder of Bachelor’s Degree who in average earns about 10,263 USD per year. Do note that this number includes English teachers who are the most common expats in Vietnam, Management position quite a bit more.

Pay relativities comparing three prominent industries in 2008, Finance, Consumer and Manufacturing further validated that Finance industry pays the highest at about 12,510 USD net annual. Consumer Goods pays slightly lower at about 12,370 USD and in Manufacturing the figure is 10,000 USD net per year. All figures are averages only.

The pay rates may be lower than overseas, but the lower costs of living here ensure expats to live well with their Vietnamese salary.

To conclude, it is not difficult for an expat to find a job in Vietnam; yet it is important to be patient as it often takes three to six months to find an appropriate position here, as advised by Herb Cochran, executive director of AmCham in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

/expat.vn

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Just a few years ago it was a sleepy fishing village with a long stretch of white beach, nowadays the fishing village is still present on the east end of the beach. The beach and the road next to it has become a city in itself with resorts on the beach and restaurants across the road. A variety of resorts for all budgets can be found here and the food is quite a bit cheaper than in Saigon. The weather is normally fine all year around in Mui Ne and the people traveling here consists of a healthy mix of tourists, Vietnamese tourists, Saigon expats and backpackers.

To do in Mui Ne

Although most people, especially expats, go to Mui Ne to escape the hustle and bustle of Saigon, there are still some things to be done when you get tired of your resort’s swimming pool. On the way to Mui Ne or as a daytrip, you might want to check out the 49 metres tall Buddha taking a rest on the top of a mountain Ta Cu, 30 kilometres from Phan Thiet. Another tourist attraction in Mui Ne are the sand dunes of different colors, the best way to see them is to go on a halfday tour to see them all, and perhaps even try dune surfing which basically is you on a piece of plastic going down a sand dune. Normally these tours also include the fairy stream which is a small river that you walk upstream in, a relaxed and interesting experience.

Last but not least, due to good winds kite-surfing & windsurfing are very popular in Mui Ne and if you want to learn there are almost always instructors on the beach. Overall there are quite a few water sports to try out in Mui Ne.

What about Phan Thiet

Neighboring Phan Thiet has one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in the country, at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club. The new Sea Links Golf Course opened in 2008 offers an additional 9 holes.

How to get there

Bus from Saigon,  we recommend Sinh cafe.
If you prefer having your own private car taking you, send us a request and we will make it happen.
If you are coming from Hanoi or even out of Vietnam, we can help you arrange a flight ticket to Saigon and the trip from Saigon to Mui Ne and back.

Favorite resorts

Terracotta Resort, 28 Nguyen Dinh Chieu – The best bang for your buck, excellent resort for a budget price.

Victoria Resort, Km 9, Phu Hai – A bit isolated, great breakfast and beach.

Sailing Club, 24 Nguyen Dinh Chieu – The favorite of Saigon expats, a modern classic.

Favorite restaurants

Gecko, 53 B Nguyen Dinh Chieu – Great music, decent food and a pool table outside. All you need.

Favorite bars/clubs

Jibe’s, 90 Nguyen Dinh Chieu – Relaxed bar that is perfect after a day at the pool.

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1. Phu Quoc Island
2. Re-launch of expat.vn

Content wise we have decided to focus a bit on creating articles related to being an expat in Vietnam. This  and our travel guide about Mui Ne are the first ones, and the following ones will cover everything from banking in Vietnam to how the new personal income tax system works. If you have a topic you want us to dig into, comment below or drop us a line at hello at expat.vn. To replace the interactivity of the forum, we have added a FAQ page where you can ask any question, and we made it possible to comment on individual pages & articles.  We also created RSS feeds so that it is very easy to subscribe to both site content & comments to individual articles and travel guides.

Last but not least, we want to thank all our customers for a great first year. A memorable event was when we had the opportunity to sponsor the charity event organized by Saigon Scooter Centre. Enjoy some pictures here:

And as always, the best way to show that you like what we do, is link to us and spread our url. We hope you love the new version as much as we do. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, good and bad.

/ Anders and Uyen, founders of expat.vn

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