I saw a tv show on Vietnam?

Question

I saw a tv show on Vietnam,
about these new coffee shops opening up in Vietnam.
And they were saying that there is a growing class of people who want a better lifestyle. And can afford it.
Is this really what is happening in Vietnam?
Are people with jobs plentfull? They have disposable income?
What does the goverment think of this?

Answer 1

I believe what you saw on TV is true,i have lived here for 2 years and have seen many changes,there are Vietnamese here with money,there are many new houses being built,most of them for Vietnamese,get on a internal flight,and you will see mainly Vietnamese on it,2 years ago if you went into a foreign owned restaurant you would only see foreigners,not anymore.As for what the government thinks i have no idea.

Answer 2

Yes, in some parts of the country for some people. The cities are hustling, bustling places. Business is booming for some people, but many of the people who live in rural or mountainous areas don't benefit from the more open economy.

Ha Noi, the capital, is a bustling city. Good jobs exist, poorer jobs are plentiful.

The business owners that I know are Vietnamese, not other nationals (it is really hard for foreigners to get permission to own businesses here without VN partners).

Up and coming Vietnamese business people are a reality. Disposable income is keeping the different starbucks-style coffee shops going and expanding, not expats.

One expat restaurant owner said in an interview last year that his biggest spending clients were Vietnamese, not expats. Go into any of the nice restaurants and Vietnamese make up a good portion of the customers. (I live in Ha Noi, I see it with my own eyes, not on TV.)

Answer 3

Yes they have sustainable disposable income, but not all the people have job. And prices are rising at the moment so the average worker would better start worrying. Anyway, the economy is going up in the long term and it is very possible that the trend will keep up that way. Last year's stock market fever crazes over and many people made millions of dollar back then...so sure many people will start to open new businesses, like coffee shops.

Answer 4

Like other developing countries, employment is a big problem, coz the population is increasing but the economy is not highly developed. There have been many changes in VN cities, especially in recent 10 years. The city dwellers are now familliar with systems of supermarkets high-standard shops throughout the cities. As the income is growing, more and more people are wanting better lives.
KFC, Lotteria and comfortable coffee restaunrants are very easy to find here. I'd like to go to some KFC weekly, but... it's rather costly.

Answer 5

I agree with Smiler 100 percent. The gnp per capita of Vietnam doesn't reflect the true wealth of the Vietnamese people since lots of hidden incomes are never recorded. For example most people who live in cities have some kid of businesses. They don't have to rent a place at a shopping mall and can sell any products at home. If you need anything, you can step a short distant to your neighbor's house and you will have it. Besides, people with high skills are well paid in Vietnam since there are shortages of skill workers. The real gnp per capita in Vietnam can be 30-50 percent higher than what is recorded. So don't be surprise if people can afford a nice expensive cup of coffee.

Answer 6

Is this really what is happening in Vietnam? sure, if u call rich Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese are Vietnamese, then yes....
Are people with jobs plentfull? They have disposable income? not really, most good job, they don't let common people but people with money.......
What does the government think of this? they are too busy counting how much money they got from the people w/o doing their work!!!!

btw, whatever u saw on tv in VN, just remember those channels are owned by the Vietnamese government....so it doesn't really mean **** at all....

Answer 7

Well for one, combat in Vietnam was almost a daily occurrence, so whenever a journalist went out with a unit they would likely see the scene that you saw on tv. In Iraq and Afghanistan, combat is few and far between. Even Soldiers doing patrols every day for a year might never see combat. So the few times jounalists ride along it is not likely that they will see the combat you are asking for. Its a simple matter of statistics.

Answer 8

People have to understand Vietnamese culture. You can't really tell whether people have money or not because Vietnamese people tend to hide their wealth. If you met a Vietnamese business man or woman, even they do well, they would tell you that their business is doing so so.

Although the government still can't grasp the idea of a free market, they allow (to certain degree) people to have their own business. They even went to Singapore to learn how Singaporean doing business. At least that is a good sign of the government. They understand that they can't drag the country down by govern the way the commie does.

Answer 9

yea its probably true.now ppl in vietnam are opening shops and malls just like the U.S. its like turning into america.when i went a couple of years ago they even had a KFC!and i think the government loves the idea cuz shops r everywhere!they even hav some of the technology we hav like the new cells and washin machine and computers.the jobs are plentiful.but the thing i love most is the big malls and houses!

Answer 10

..i think what "k.c.tinh"[lol] is trying to say is, "believe half what you see and none of what you hear....