Vietnam?

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Hey! So I'm going to Vietnam (Saigon/HCM), and while my purpose isn't Transformers, given that some are produced there, is there anything of note I could go and see/look at/be aware of that might relate to this hobby we have?

If it's just same-old that's okay, just checking :)

[Bidoofdude]

Hey! So I'm going to Vietnam (Saigon/HCM), and while my purpose isn't Transformers, given that some are produced there, is there anything of note I could go and see/look at/be aware of that might relate to this hobby we have?

If it's just same-old that's okay, just checking :)

I haven't been, but if I recall the amount of product isn't that much. Something about being made there imposes some kind of limit, if I remember correctly.

[Sinnertwin]

I had a look and found this for Vietnamese Hasbro Toy Factories. (https://panjiva.com/Vietnamese-Manufacturers-Of/hasbro+toy)
Might be worth taking a trip out and having a quick looksee

[Bladestorm]

There isn't much to see. Most people don't even know Transformers are toys (unless they work in the factories). It's quite strange that the country makes the toys but the population don't really know what they are.

We went to Da Nang & Hoi An and my son had staff mesmerised asking him what his Transformers were (the Vietnamese people absolutely LOVE the movies so know the characters just not the toys). They were shocked when they realised the connection.

As for stores, I found one store in Da Nang that had a small non-transforming RID Optimus but there were literally no other Transformers to be found. The toy section of department stores are REALLY small and I am guessing they are luxury items. I never saw any "toy" stores anywhere unlike most of the rest of Asia.

Of course, this may be different in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh... we haven't been over that way yet.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Fair enough, thanks! I figured there wouldn't be much in the way of 'product' per se, all good tho!

[rhvi]

I'm actually heading to Vietnam too this year. If you find out any info about possible TF toy stock over there in Saigon/HCM, do let me know ;)

[Ploughmans Lunch]

I'm actually heading to Vietnam too this year. If you find out any info about possible TF toy stock over there in Saigon/HCM, do let me know ;)

Will do!

[GoktimusPrime]

It's quite strange that the country makes the toys but the population don't really know what they are.
Most cocoa farmers have never seen or tasted chocolate.
CNN: Cocoa farmers taste chocolate for the first time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plqraK5Ibms)

[DELTAprime]

Ok, why would you go to Vietnam as a tourist? All I know about is there was a war there in the 60s that I played through in Battlefield Vietnam.

[MEEEGGGAAATTTRRROOONNN!!!]

Ok, why would you go to Vietnam as a tourist? All I know about is there was a war there in the 60s that I played through in Battlefield Vietnam.

You don't want to see exotic Viet Nam, the jewel of Southeast Asia? And meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tSfsOv_7dM

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Ok, why would you go to Vietnam as a tourist? All I know about is there was a war there in the 60s that I played through in Battlefield Vietnam.

A friend lives there and I've only heard good things?

[Bladestorm]

Ok, why would you go to Vietnam as a tourist? All I know about is there was a war there in the 60s that I played through in Battlefield Vietnam.

It is a less commercial/crowded version of Thailand/Bali. The people are friendlier, the on the ground costs cheaper and (in comparison to Thailand) far far cleaner.

Also you don't get perverts everywhere (at least where we've been) unlike Phuket where I almost killed a man for salivating while imagining undressing my daughter with his eyes right in front of me on a main street.

Visa aside, the cost of the resorts in Vietnam (eg Hyatt/Shangrila) are cheaper than other places, the sand is nice, water is clean/safe and the drinks are stupidly cheap even in the resorts. Only place we've found in-resort drinks cheaper is Cebu (AU$3 cocktails baby!).

I was skeptical going because I wasn't sure how the locals would react given their families went through the hardship of war but I would struggle to find a more friendly group of people in Asia... from in the hotels to the divey hole in the wall restaurants we hunted down on the streets (we like to eat where locals eat) they were always happy and accomodating. They appreciated us visiting and spending our money with them and I'm fine with that.

In the areas we went you did see signs on the previous war... the odd bunker/rubble, awesome awesome old motorbikes reconditioned and the big US army trucks being driven around by locals... in Danang they even have a playground with a US chopper in the middle of it you can sit in!
There are also beautiful local, historical and cultural aspects of Vietnam to see - the Marble Mountains (catacombs of caves atop a small mountain with hidden temples, etc) was stunning for example.
I've not been to HCM but we really want to go back and explore more at some point.

The only down side is the lack of toys and from all accounts the Hasbro factories are hard to get to.

Apologies for taking the thread off topic but I wanted to answer DeltaPrime's curiosity. :)

[Ploughmans Lunch]

It is a less commercial/crowded version of Thailand/Bali. The people are friendlier, the on the ground costs cheaper and (in comparison to Thailand) far far cleaner.

Also you don't get perverts everywhere (at least where we've been) unlike Phuket where I almost killed a man for salivating while imagining undressing my daughter with his eyes right in front of me on a main street.

Visa aside, the cost of the resorts in Vietnam (eg Hyatt/Shangrila) are cheaper than other places, the sand is nice, water is clean/safe and the drinks are stupidly cheap even in the resorts. Only place we've found in-resort drinks cheaper is Cebu (AU$3 cocktails baby!).

I was skeptical going because I wasn't sure how the locals would react given their families went through the hardship of war but I would struggle to find a more friendly group of people in Asia... from in the hotels to the divey hole in the wall restaurants we hunted down on the streets (we like to eat where locals eat) they were always happy and accomodating. They appreciated us visiting and spending our money with them and I'm fine with that.

In the areas we went you did see signs on the previous war... the odd bunker/rubble, awesome awesome old motorbikes reconditioned and the big US army trucks being driven around by locals... in Danang they even have a playground with a US chopper in the middle of it you can sit in!
There are also beautiful local, historical and cultural aspects of Vietnam to see - the Marble Mountains (catacombs of caves atop a small mountain with hidden temples, etc) was stunning for example.
I've not been to HCM but we really want to go back and explore more at some point.

The only down side is the lack of toys and from all accounts the Hasbro factories are hard to get to.

Apologies for taking the thread off topic but I wanted to answer DeltaPrime's curiosity. :)

A good post is always welcome anywhere! :)

[DELTAprime]

It is a less commercial/crowded version of Thailand/Bali. The people are friendlier, the on the ground costs cheaper and (in comparison to Thailand) far far cleaner.

Also you don't get perverts everywhere (at least where we've been) unlike Phuket where I almost killed a man for salivating while imagining undressing my daughter with his eyes right in front of me on a main street.

Visa aside, the cost of the resorts in Vietnam (eg Hyatt/Shangrila) are cheaper than other places, the sand is nice, water is clean/safe and the drinks are stupidly cheap even in the resorts. Only place we've found in-resort drinks cheaper is Cebu (AU$3 cocktails baby!).

I was skeptical going because I wasn't sure how the locals would react given their families went through the hardship of war but I would struggle to find a more friendly group of people in Asia... from in the hotels to the divey hole in the wall restaurants we hunted down on the streets (we like to eat where locals eat) they were always happy and accomodating. They appreciated us visiting and spending our money with them and I'm fine with that.

In the areas we went you did see signs on the previous war... the odd bunker/rubble, awesome awesome old motorbikes reconditioned and the big US army trucks being driven around by locals... in Danang they even have a playground with a US chopper in the middle of it you can sit in!
There are also beautiful local, historical and cultural aspects of Vietnam to see - the Marble Mountains (catacombs of caves atop a small mountain with hidden temples, etc) was stunning for example.
I've not been to HCM but we really want to go back and explore more at some point.

The only down side is the lack of toys and from all accounts the Hasbro factories are hard to get to.

Apologies for taking the thread off topic but I wanted to answer DeltaPrime's curiosity. :)

That's cool to know, I really know very little about Vietnam. Probably not the type of place I'd visit. I'm more interested in the high tech parts of Asia like Japan and Korea (the south one not the north one), but it sounds good.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Japan ain't as high-tech as you'd imagine :p But maybe not a good idea to base idea/opinion of a country on a videogame

[Jetfire in the sky]

That's cool to know, I really know very little about Vietnam. Probably not the type of place I'd visit. I'm more interested in the high tech parts of Asia like Japan and Korea (the south one not the north one), but it sounds good.

South Korea is one of the worst countries I have visited. Japan one of the best.
I can't wait to visit Vietnam one day, heard nothing but good things from family and friends who have been/lived there.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

South Korea is one of the worst countries I have visited.

What put you off about South Korea? Just curious, haven't been, heard good things, etc.

[Bladestorm]

That's cool to know, I really know very little about Vietnam. Probably not the type of place I'd visit. I'm more interested in the high tech parts of Asia like Japan and Korea (the south one not the north one), but it sounds good.

Japan is awesome and a must visit country. It's one of my favourite places to go in Asia and like Hong Kong it is Transformer heaven.
South Korea is fun but it isn't as tech and fast paced as Japan or Hong Kong. It is also one of the most regimented and consumer patriotic countries I've been to... try being the only people in an area with an iPhone because everyone has a Samsung, or only seeing Korean brand cars in one of 3 colours - white, grey or black. South Korea is also heavily influenced by the US so lots of US chain restaurants everywhere and streets full of beauty products which I find a little strange. I've never found any Transformers in Korea, although admittedly the last few trips we've been too busy to find any shopping malls.
On the plus side we've had some amazing ski trips there as it is a cheap place to ski (quality of slopes on par with Perisher but nowhere near as good as japan/US) and the people, while not super friendly are always curious (my daughter in particular draws a crowd for her alleged "perfect eyes" whatever that means). The local food is fabulous although if you ever go to Eastwood in Sydney you can find a pretty close match in terms of flavour and quality.
I like going to Korea but I find it a little harder to navigate than Japan in terms of language/culture. I love seeing all the fighter jets and stuff buzzing around. Bear in mind South Korea, like Vietnam, also had a major conflict as well and Seoul is rather close to the border with North Korea. They're technically still at war but have an "agreement" so it does have some risk associated with travelling there.

When it come to travelling, especially in Asia, I think you have to have an open mind.
I have been to countries I never would have imagined over the last few years and constantly been surprised by how different they are to how I envisaged.
I've been to places I didn't even think would be touristy - Taiwan comes to mind - and had an absolutely amazing experience.

What was that Aussie slogan... You'll never never know if you never never go!
;)

[Jetfire in the sky]

What put you off about South Korea? Just curious, haven't been, heard good things, etc.

Similar to what Bladestorm has said for the negatives, also my wife and I found the people to be grumpy and rude. There were pockets of friendliness, the infrastructure being put in place was quite amazing given the mountainous terrain of the country.
I never walk away from a place and say I never wish I went there, so I am glad I went but would never intentionally go back.
Each to their own though and I'm sure there are many people who love going there, I am not a snow person so we didn't go there for that, most of our time was spent in the South, which was a lot different to Seoul where we also stayed but in Gangnam where it's Merc, BMW, Audi etc. central so not a true representation of the city.

[GoktimusPrime]

South Korea is fun but it isn't as tech and fast paced as Japan or Hong Kong. It is also one of the most regimented and consumer patriotic countries I've been to... try being the only people in an area with an iPhone because everyone has a Samsung, or only seeing Korean brand cars in one of 3 colours - white, grey or black.
To play devil's advocate, the flipside of this is what we have in Australia where there is arguably a lack of consumer patriotism which has caused a lot of Australian business to either go belly up or become foreign owned. This is something which has frustrated the likes of people like Dick Smith who's campaigned for a long time to try and keep more jobs in Australia. So I can see the rationale behind having consumer patriotism, but yeah, the downside to that is a lack of visible brand diversity. :o

[DELTAprime]

To play devil's advocate, the flipside of this is what we have in Australia where there is arguably a lack of consumer patriotism which has caused a lot of Australian business to either go belly up or become foreign owned. This is something which has frustrated the likes of people like Dick Smith who's campaigned for a long time to try and keep more jobs in Australia. So I can see the rationale behind having consumer patriotism, but yeah, the downside to that is a lack of visible brand diversity. :o

I know what you're saying. I expect even tho I'm regarded as one of the best workers at the Big W I work at I'll be out of a job when Amazon commences full retail operations in Australia in Q3 this year. Jeff Bezos the CEO of Amazon has said he is trying to make it financially irresponsible to shop anywhere else.

[canofwhoopass_87]

If you're looking for tf's in Saigon you'll find some really bad knock offs in some small street stores.

Official stuff can be found at retail stores in the big shopping malls, but expect to pay at least $40AU for a deluxe, $60AU for a voyager and so forth.

Also, be careful of pick pockets and communist propaganda. The latter is excessive in tourist hot spots such as the Cu Chi tunnels.

Have fun and don't be afraid to try different cuisines! Oh and don't drink anything that has ice cubes in it. Ice cubes = one ticket to the toilet :D

[Ploughmans Lunch]

Communist propaganda makes me whole. Thx!

[kup]

Japan ain't as high-tech as you'd imagine :p But maybe not a good idea to base idea/opinion of a country on a videogame

It's more high tech than Sydney! Although a lot of their infrastructure is from the 1960s :rolleyes:

[Jellico]

I found myself comparing it to a veneer of high tech on top of my rich uncle's fashionable 70s house. It can be very high tech but mostly normal, and sometimes surprisingly dated. That said the truely old can be hard to find thanks to the war.

[GoktimusPrime]

It's more high tech than Sydney! Although a lot of their infrastructure is from the 1960s :rolleyes:
Yet it works, and often more effectively than our newer infrastructure here. I cannot tell you the number of times that I've had an Opal card misread, yet Japanese scanners work every time for me. And when I was travelling around Japan with a school group, it worked every time for students and other staff members too. These little delays add up on school trips. #ifitaintbroke

[DELTAprime]

Yet it works, and often more effectively than our newer infrastructure here. I cannot tell you the number of times that I've had an Opal card misread, yet Japanese scanners work every time for me. And when I was travelling around Japan with a school group, it worked every time for students and other staff members too. These little delays add up on school trips. #ifitaintbroke

The Bullet Trains are not exactly from this century, but they are something I want to check out. The Tilt Trains we have in Queensland are much newer but darn they are craptacular.