I have lived in Vietnam for many years. Like any country in the world, there are things that you should be concerned about when you are traveling to a foreign country like Vietnam.

Vietnam is a safe place for tourists to travel. But like any country in the world, there are precautions that you need to take to ensure your safety. Most of the Vietnam crimes are considered crimes of opportunity; someone may see your backpack is not secure so they will grab it. To stay safe in Vietnam, remain vigilant and use your common sense.

Table of Contents

• Vietnam Travel and Safety Concerns
• Types Of Crime in Vietnam
  • Some Types Of Vietnam’s Crimes Of Opportunity Explained.
• Safety Tips for Staying Safe When Traveling In Vietnam
  • Tips of Steps You Can Take To Ensure Your Safety in Vietnam.
• Related Questions
  • What Is The Old Quarters in Hanoi, Vietnam?
  • What Is The Phat Diem Cathedral, Architectural Masterpiece Outside Hanoi, Vietnam?

Vietnam Travel and Safety Concerns

Vietnam is generally a safe place for tourists to travel. When you travel to Vietnam, you should exercise normal precautions like any other country or place where you may live or travel.

Even though Vietnam is relatively safe to travel to, there are certain precautions that you should take when you are traveling to Vietnam; here are some of our tips or precautions that you should take.

Types Of Crime in Vietnam

Most of the crimes in Vietnam are non-violent. But robberies do happen, just like in any other major city. This is why when you travel to Vietnam, you will see houses with fences; many of them will have barbwire or other types of security on their doors and windows.

In fact, in a city like Ho Chi Minh, the crime level is comparable to other cities of a similar size throughout Asia. Foreigners traveling to Vietnam usually fall victim to non-violent property crimes, usually confrontational crimes of opportunity.

Some Types Of Vietnam’s Crimes Of Opportunity Explained.

• Pickpockets – Perhaps one of the most common crimes of opportunity is pickpockets. You may leave a bag unattended, or they may see that they can grab your bag and run, or you may have a wallet hanging out of your pocket, so the thieves see it as an opportunity to be able to grab it. Most pickpocketing in Vietnam is a crime of opportunity and someone not being cautious with their personal belongings.
• Armed Robbery is Rare – Violent crimes such as robbery are still relatively rare in Vietnam. This is partly because Vietnam has a stringent gun law, and people do not own guns. So when an armed robbery does happen, it might happen with an instrument such as a pipe, a knife, or a razor.
• Sex as a Determent – A tactic that has been happening in some places in Vietnam is when a female approaches a male victim on the street and starts to grab and rub him sexually while propositioning him with sexual favors. The female has no intention to give any sexual favors but wants to distract the male victim while they rob him. If someone approaches you this way, run away.
• Motorbike And Your Belongings Theft – Motorbikes robberies of your belongings are prevalent in Vietnam. One popular way this happens is the criminals will grab your bags and purses while speeding past. This is why you will almost always see Vietnamese securing their bags on their motorbike. This attack can be hazardous as accidents can happen on the motorbike. The best way to deter this is to have your bags secure and hidden, so they can not grab them from you while you are on a motorbike.
• Snatch and Grab While Walking– Another widespread theft is a snatch and grab of handbags and other things while someone is walking down the street. This is why even walking down the street, keep your belongings safe, especially items such as a backpack or a handbag. A popular item to grab is a smartphone, especially if you have the newest model. The thief may snatch it from your hand while you are walking. Any phone, camera, or other electrical equipment should be hidden or secure.
• Motorbike or Bicycle Theft – If you rent a motorbike or bicycle while traveling to Vietnam, you need to ensure that every time you park your vehicle, it is in a secure location. You will see that most Vietnamese will double lock their motorbikes, bicycles, or even cars if they park them on the street.
• Home and Hotel Safety – Secure your home or hotel. Do not leave the door open, and make sure all gates are secure. If your hotel has a safe, then use the safe. If your hotel does not have a safe consider locking your valuables up in your suitcase with a travel lock.
• ATM Theft – There have been increased cases of thefts from ATMs. Sometimes the thieves will put skimming devices onto the ATM. If possible, use an ATM attached to a bank or where many others use it. Also, a good practice is whatever you are withdrawing money from an ATM is to look around and make sure no one is watching you or checking what you are doing. Once you secured your cash, it immediately and did not walk around with a load of cash in your hand.
• Taxi Scams – Many scams can happen if you use an unauthorized taxi service. I had this issue happen a few times when we took a taxi that was not an authorized service. We either ended up paying exorbitant amounts of money for our ride or had problems with the taxi driver. Personally, I do most of my rides through the Grab app. Grab is like the Uber ride app in other parts of the world. The Grab taxies are a secure and safe way to get around parts of Vietnam. You can easily track them if you leave something in their taxi. The other day, I used a Grab Taxi, and the driver showed me a woman’s purse she had called when I was in the car. He was going to deliver the purse to her with the contents intact. If you are getting a taxi from a hotel, many hotels will note the taxi number for the same reason.

Safety Tips for Staying Safe When Traveling In Vietnam

Even though Vietnam is relatively safe and the police work hard to deter crime and keep public safety, there are still things that you can do to ensure that your travels in Vietnam are safe and without incident. Most of the crimes here in Vietnam are considered crimes of opportunity; the main thing you can do is ensure there is no opportunity for anyone to do a criminal act against you.

Tips of Steps You Can Take To Ensure Your Safety in Vietnam.

• Keep Your Belongings Secure – Keep your belongings secure. Be responsible for your own personal belongings and do not leave them around or do not have them hanging in such a way that they are easy for someone to take from you. First and foremost, this is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your Vietnam safety.
• Do Not Fight A Robbery – If someone is robbing you, you should not try to fight it. For example, if someone tries to grab your bag and you try to hang on to it, they may drag you down the street from their motorbike. You could end up seriously hurt. It would be best to get the license number and description to report it immediately to the police.
• Use Common Sense – Use your common sense to stay safe. If somebody comes up and offers you sexual favors, you will probably be pickpocketed. If you don’t lock your door or your motorbike or bicycle, there’s a good chance it could be stolen. This is why you will find Vietnam packing lots where you put your motorbike into a parking area, and they hand you a ticket with a number on it. Most places will not let you leave the parking garage until you show the correct ticket.
• Be Alert – Just as you travel in any other major city, be alert of your surroundings and who is around you. If you see someone looking suspicious or watching you walk away, go in another direction or call the police.
• Don’t Flash Your Cash or Wealth – A good rule for travel is not to flash your cash around or your wealth, especially in Vietnam. This is one reason why I always have two wallets. One for my small change to buy something small and another with my credit cards and larger cash. When looking for someone to pickpocket, they want to ensure it is worth their time and effort. If you don’t show them your money, they won’t know whether or not pickpocketing you is worth their time and effort.

Vietnam is a safe place to travel to. But like any other country, you must take appropriate precautions. Be vigilant, check your surroundings, and ensure your belongings are secure. If you follow the steps, and you should have a safe trip to Vietnam.

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Related Questions

What Is The Old Quarters in Hanoi, Vietnam?

Hanoi’s Old Quarters has a vibrant and varied history. It has long been the center of commerce in Hanoi and Vietnam. The Old Quarters also uses the name of 36 Streets. Even though there are more than 36 streets in the Old Quarters area, they call it 36 Streets due to the 36 guilds or crafts once sold there. Streets are named for the different products they once sold. One of the best ways to see the Old Quarters is by the Electric Bus or Golf Cart.

You can find out more by reading our blog Hanoi’s Old Quarters History and Streets – Touring By Electric Cart by clicking here.

What Is The Phat Diem Cathedral, Architectural Masterpiece Outside Hanoi, Vietnam?

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You can discover more by reading our blog Phat Diem Cathedral, Architectural Masterpiece Outside Hanoi, Vietnam by clicking here.