I came to Vietnam for about ten days to renew my Thai visa. On my return, immigration stopped me. The rules had changed, and I could no longer stay in Thailand on a tourist visa. I refused to pay the bribe, spent a night in immigration detention, and was sent back to where I started: Vietnam.
Fine, I’ll stay in Vietnam…
I’m going to spend three weeks in Saigon with my friends Ken and Kim. They both helped me bring my belongings back from my apartment in Jomtien.
Then I’m going to settle in Da Nang.
I spent two weeks in the city center, getting my bearings. Then I’m going to choose the international district of My An. My first observation is that Vietnam has changed a lot. Banks opened up credit almost ten years ago, and individuals can now invest. At the same time, immigration has opened its doors wide, and as a result, the country is transforming at breakneck speed.