Maximum amount of money in or out or Vietnam

[VinceN 25]

FWIW, first post in this thread asked about taking $$ out of Vietnam. That may have lead to your mix up.

You can always wire money via Western Union to yourself from the US if you want to have a smaller amount on hand at the start. Might help keep everyone's spending in check if you show up with a smaller wad.

Sounds like one heck of a party for $8K.

If this is happening after July 1, I'm crashing the party.

But he's not spending 8k's on the party, look at his lengthy list of expenses. I doubt 8k's will be enough for that. I went there last April for my "wedding", my list of expense was very similar to that of OP's, minus relative's expenses and money for the wife to live on as she was coming back with me. After everything said and done I had over 10k's in the hole. I only had 2k's on me when I made my trip there, I used the ATM as I go in VN. I figured the $4 ATM charge (2$ from my bank and $2 from the ATM) was better than risking having $5k+ of cash on me, the total cost of using the ATM is also nowhere near the cost I would have paid Western Union to wire transfer $8k's.

[Anh map 2,098]

But he's not spending 8k's on the party, look at his lengthy list of expenses. I doubt 8k's will be enough for that. I went there last April for my "wedding", my list of expense was very similar to that of OP's, minus relative's expenses and money for the wife to live on as she was coming back with me. After everything said and done I had over 10k's in the hole. I only had 2k's on me when I made my trip there, I used the ATM as I go in VN. I figured the $4 ATM charge (2$ from my bank and $2 from the ATM) was better than risking having $5k+ of cash on me, the total cost of using the ATM is also nowhere near the cost I would have paid Western Union to wire transfer $8k's.

You've missed the implied humor. And it seems that at least Curtis and I missed out on spending scads of money in VN.

Sounds like your party would have been a good one to attend as well.

[quann 26]

bringing money into vn is not a problem, they welcome it (who wouldn't). if you're hesitant on the us side then have a dich vu transfer it...at about $1/$100 to saigon. you can do 10-15k and they wouldn't bat an eyelash.

[luckytxn 2,263]

You've missed the implied humor. And it seems that at least Curtis and I missed out on spending scads of money in VN.

Sounds like your party would have been a good one to attend as well.

I like parties.

My wife's family must be really cheap. They did everything themselves. They did have a big place to invite a ton of people so we didn't need to rent a hall or restaurant. We had maybe a hundred show up and they cooked all the food too.

I am definitely going to recommend to any in the future to go for a fiance visa and not get married.

[VinceN 25]

You've missed the implied humor. And it seems that at least Curtis and I missed out on spending scads of money in VN.

Sounds like your party would have been a good one to attend as well.

oopps, that totally flew over my head.

I like parties.

I am definitely going to recommend to any in the future to go for a fiance visa and not get married.

You said that as if people do weddings for the sake of the visa process. We went with the K1 and I still wanted to do the "wedding" b/c of our traditions, of course all this was done after visa was in hand and we were 2 weeks away from leaving the country. Perhaps it was my ex's in the states who filled my head with crazy thoughts, but I've always thought weddings are special and a once-in-a-life-time thing for a couples, and even more so for the brides. With that in mind, I wanted to make her feel as special as I can during that day without going too crazy overboard.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I like parties.

My wife's family must be really cheap. They did everything themselves. They did have a big place to invite a ton of people so we didn't need to rent a hall or restaurant. We had maybe a hundred show up and they cooked all the food too.

I am definitely going to recommend to any in the future to go for a fiance visa and not get married.

Your wife's family isn't supposed to pay for it. You are.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Your wife's family isn't supposed to pay for it. You are.

I said I would pay. I didn't spend much in VN at all while there. I gave my wifes Uncle I went to VN with the rest of the money I brought to pass around to who he thought and he did. I gave him 500 dollars left over from a 1000 I brought. I stayed at their house and they fed me well. I am expecting to be spending more this next time.

For the party they just pulled out a lot of folding tables and got a lot of chairs that they even got from neighbors and cooked everything themselves. It even spilled out onto the sidewalk. A Karaoke machine was produced. Lots of beer and a big party. I am shocked that we don't send money back home except a few hundred for the holidays to buy gifts for I don't know who.

I was told yesterday to be expecting to be passing out around 150 red envelopes during Tet. Granted most will be for only a couple of dollars. I am hoping I wil be allowed more freedom though this next time. I wasn't allowed to eat anywhere. We had to bring all food already cooked at home. And for sure no drinks with ice in it. I think they were scared I would get sick and die. I couldn't even go anywhere without at least one brother with me. I did sneak out one day and a search party formed.

[astrlsrfr 1]

You can always wire money via Western Union to yourself from the US if you want to have a smaller amount on hand at the start. Might help keep everyone's spending in check if you show up with a smaller wad.

We opened up a VN bank account and use international wires (SWIFT) to send money to Nam. Its much cheaper than Western Union, but the initial setup is its own kind of "fee", and all SWIFTs now cross the FEDs desk.

[quann 26]

I am hoping I wil be allowed more freedom though this next time. I wasn't allowed to eat anywhere. We had to bring all food already cooked at home. And for sure no drinks with ice in it. I think they were scared I would get sick and die. I couldn't even go anywhere without at least one brother with me. I did sneak out one day and a search party formed.

looks like they got you on lockdown. hopefully there's been more trust built up for you to step outside the front door w/o someone escorting you next time

[luckytxn 2,263]

looks like they got you on lockdown. hopefully there's been more trust built up for you to step outside the front door w/o someone escorting you next time

We will see next Tet.

[Anh map 2,098]

We will see next Tet.

I'll sneak you out somewhere.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I said I would pay. I didn't spend much in VN at all while there. I gave my wifes Uncle I went to VN with the rest of the money I brought to pass around to who he thought and he did. I gave him 500 dollars left over from a 1000 I brought. I stayed at their house and they fed me well. I am expecting to be spending more this next time.

For the party they just pulled out a lot of folding tables and got a lot of chairs that they even got from neighbors and cooked everything themselves. It even spilled out onto the sidewalk. A Karaoke machine was produced. Lots of beer and a big party. I am shocked that we don't send money back home except a few hundred for the holidays to buy gifts for I don't know who.

Wow! I don't remember exactly how much I spent on the whole affair, but I do remember bringing about $5K to VN and coming back with only a few hundred bucks. I think about $3K was spent on the engagement day stuff. It didn't seem like a lot of money to spend, all things considered. We got a lot more for the money we spent than we ever would have gotten in the US. I remember coming down the elevator from our hotel room to go to the party. My wife had just spent an hour with the makeup girl in our suite, and she was wearing the dress she had made at a bridal shop for the occasion. I was wearing a brand new tux I bought in the US (the cost of the tux wasn't included in the figures I quoted above). As we walked out of the elevator there was a gaggle of Australian women coming out of the lobby. There was a brief moment of silence as they saw us, and then a very noticeable collective gasp when they saw Phuong in her gown and tierra. Then they all simultaneously broke into applause. I could see the hotel staff back in the lobby, and they were all beaming. For that brief moment I felt like the most important man in the world. It was a priceless moment in time that I'll never forget, and would happily have paid many times as much for it.

We send about $100 to my wife's mother every other month to cover her blood pressure meds. We alternate with my wife's sister. She pays one month and we pay the next. We kicked in about $2K last year for her angioplasty. Other than gifts during Tet, that's about all we send to any of her family. None of them are rich, but they're content and don't really need more money.

I was told yesterday to be expecting to be passing out around 150 red envelopes during Tet. Granted most will be for only a couple of dollars. I am hoping I wil be allowed more freedom though this next time. I wasn't allowed to eat anywhere. We had to bring all food already cooked at home. And for sure no drinks with ice in it. I think they were scared I would get sick and die. I couldn't even go anywhere without at least one brother with me. I did sneak out one day and a search party formed.

My wife never would have gotten away with this. I LOVE to eat out! I like beer, and the local beers in Hue city aren't bad. They always serve them on ice. I've eaten at 5 star gourmet joints, and hole-in-wall joints where you have to shoo the rats away from your food. I've never gotten sick from anything I've eaten or drank. I don't have an iron constitution. In fact, I've got an ulcer and Crohn's disease, but I have much worse digestive problems after eating a pepperoni pizza or a plate of enchiladas than I do from anything I've eaten in Vietnam. Of course, my wife only took me to restaurants she trusted, and I trusted her to make good choices. Each trip is a vacation for me, and the last thing I want to do on a vacation is spend a whole day in somebody's house.

[luckytxn 2,263]

I'll sneak you out somewhere.

Thanks. I believe I will be allowed a lot more freedom. I married their girl. I have a lot of insurance money on me if something happen .....

I tried talking to her last night about going during Tet and she is set on it so Tet it is. I also talked last night to her Uncle I went with to VN. I asked about my apparent clamp down and he just laughed and said he told them to make sure nothing happened to me. He is big man and when he says something they take it seriously.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Wow! I don't remember exactly how much I spent on the whole affair, but I do remember bringing about $5K to VN and coming back with only a few hundred bucks. I think about $3K was spent on the engagement day stuff. It didn't seem like a lot of money to spend, all things considered. We got a lot more for the money we spent than we ever would have gotten in the US. I remember coming down the elevator from our hotel room to go to the party. My wife had just spent an hour with the makeup girl in our suite, and she was wearing the dress she had made at a bridal shop for the occasion. I was wearing a brand new tux I bought in the US (the cost of the tux wasn't included in the figures I quoted above). As we walked out of the elevator there was a gaggle of Australian women coming out of the lobby. There was a brief moment of silence as they saw us, and then a very noticeable collective gasp when they saw Phuong in her gown and tierra. Then they all simultaneously broke into applause. I could see the hotel staff back in the lobby, and they were all beaming. For that brief moment I felt like the most important man in the world. It was a priceless moment in time that I'll never forget, and would happily have paid many times as much for it.

We send about $100 to my wife's mother every other month to cover her blood pressure meds. We alternate with my wife's sister. She pays one month and we pay the next. We kicked in about $2K last year for her angioplasty. Other than gifts during Tet, that's about all we send to any of her family. None of them are rich, but they're content and don't really need more money.

My wife never would have gotten away with this. I LOVE to eat out! I like beer, and the local beers in Hue city aren't bad. They always serve them on ice. I've eaten at 5 star gourmet joints, and hole-in-wall joints where you have to shoo the rats away from your food. I've never gotten sick from anything I've eaten or drank. I don't have an iron constitution. In fact, I've got an ulcer and Crohn's disease, but I have much worse digestive problems after eating a pepperoni pizza or a plate of enchiladas than I do from anything I've eaten in Vietnam. Of course, my wife only took me to restaurants she trusted, and I trusted her to make good choices. Each trip is a vacation for me, and the last thing I want to do on a vacation is spend a whole day in somebody's house.

That is awesome. I should add that we do gather stuff like vitamins and antacids and stuff and send it a couple times a year. Her unlucky brother fell off a roof last year and we sent a few hundred to his almost widow to help out. Her family is very frugal as the whole village there and they all tend to do things themselves.

Well my now wife and I got to have very little contact when I was there. We only got out in the evening under escort to a coffee place and visit. Later every night we were allowed one hour so I can help her on English. No one was allowed to come up stairs while we studied. Of course it was a make out session instead. Now we are married we should be allowed to go out and visit people and even stay over night at places. She will choose where we eat and stuff. Just this last time we had to follow courtship norms they had and the family there were just doing what the big man said and making sure I stayed safe or didn't get into trouble.