Today, people are more attached to their phones than ever before, and the first thing you think about when traveling is how to save money on communications: connect to roaming, buy a local or tourist SIM card, or even make calls only via the Internet.

Mobile communications in Vietnam good and cheap, so it's worth getting a local SIM card, even if you're only visiting for a short time. The estimated cost of calls from Vietnamese SIM cards to Russia is up to 11 rubles. They are sold everywhere: from stands at the airport to newsstands in the city, but if you need to purchase a nano or micro card, it is better to contact stores that specialize in selling mobile phones, where they will probably be able to trim it. You can also buy a ready-made SIM card of the required size there. There are three main mobile operators in Vietnam: Viettel, Vinafone, Mobifone. The cost of a SIM card ranges from 70 thousand to 130 thousand dong, which is approximately 230-420 rubles. Part of this money will be transferred to the main account. At some points of sale you must have your passport with you. You can top up your account in the same places where SIM cards are sold: after purchasing a payment card, you need to erase the protective layer and dial *100*code from card # call on your phone (instructions are on each card).

When purchasing a SIM card or top-up card, it is recommended to check the price on the label. Often local residents try to make money at the expense of tourists, voicing a completely different amount from what is indicated on the card. There is no commission for replenishment: if you bought a card with a nominal value of 50 thousand dong, then this is the amount that will be credited to your account.

It is better to activate the SIM card immediately at the point of sale, since the menu will be in Vietnamese. Or you can call 900, after which activation details will be sent to your phone. If you plan to live in Vietnam for quite a long time, then you should know that the SIM card is active for 2-3 months from the moment of the last call or top-up.

After activating VinaPhone, standard 3G Internet is automatically connected, but with high tariffs, so it is recommended to connect to an unlimited Internet package. For Viettel and Mobifone 3g, the Internet is connected via SMS to short numbers 161 (3G ON) and 999 (DK MIU). The text that needs to be specified in the SMS is indicated in brackets.

List of emergency and other necessary numbers:

When calling to help desk It is not necessary to know Vietnamese; the line is staffed by operators who speak English and French.

Calls outside the country are made to international format: + country code - city code (landline phones only) - phone number. To call Russia on a mobile phone you need to dial +79120000000.

If you need to call Vietnam from another country or make a call within the country, the number will start with +84 (this is the code for Vietnam). To access an international line, use two zeros (00+84), and to access a long-distance line, one zero (0+84).

Another option is to use IP telephony. To do this, you need to dial 171+00 + country code + city code or just the phone number if it is a mobile phone.

There is no internal roaming in Vietnam, so you can safely travel throughout the country with one SIM card.

Mobile Internet in Vietnam is in great demand, and at the end of 2015, 4g coverage also appeared. At points of sale of SIM cards, you can buy a modem and set up access.

In this case, payment for mobile Internet occurs using unlimited traffic packages. This connection guarantees you good internet with good speed, but only until you reach your traffic limit. Then the speed drops.

Almost all hotels and cafes have the opportunity to connect to free Wi-Fi, and in some cities (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) Wi-Fi is available even on crowded streets. You can easily find an Internet cafe or use a computer with Internet access in post offices. The fee in such establishments varies up to 20 thousand dong per hour (about 65 rubles at the current rate).

The main provider of fixed Internet is Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, which also includes operators mobile communications Vinafone, Mobifone. The quality of the Internet in general is very low, although access is available almost everywhere. The best connection in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can watch videos online. Month of connection unlimited internet via an ADSL modem will cost about 450 rubles.

Despite the fact that cellular communication and Internet services are inferior to those in Russia, using local SIM cards is profitable, and Internet access can be found in every home.

Happy travels!

Maybe not all, but many of us feel helpless without a cell phone. Modern man grabs a cell phone as often as a western cowboy grabs a gun. A feeling of loneliness and isolation from the virtual team also arises when there is no way to connect to the Internet. Whether this is good or bad is not the point, because this is already a given. Therefore, when planning a vacation, travelers are interested in how things are with communications in the country they are going to visit. Let's talk about mobile communications and the Internet in Vietnam.

general information

Travelers usually do not complain about communication problems in Vietnam. Well developed Mobile Internet, most local hotels have free wifi. You can also get Wi-Fi in many restaurants and cafes, and even on the busy streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Enough in large cities and Internet cafes, where for 30-35 rubles(or even for half this amount) you can surf the Internet for an hour. As you can see, there are more than enough opportunities to connect to the Internet in Vietnam, but the connection speed often leaves much to be desired.

It is more profitable to use Vietnamese SIM cards than Russian ones, simply because it will cost less. They are sold almost everywhere.

There is no roaming within the country - all are local phone calls are paid at existing rates.

Vietnam dialing code: +84 . You can call the police at 113 , fire department telephone – 114 . If you need urgent medical assistance, call 115 . Phone number for inquiries – 116 .

mobile connection

You can buy a Vietnamese SIM card in shopping malls, communication stores and even in private stores. Of course, SIM cards are also sold at the airport, but such a purchase will cost more. Your card will be activated on the spot - just ask.

Among mobile operators, such large providers stand out as Viettel Mobile And VinaPhone, which together account for more than 70% of the local market (41% for Viettel and 30% for VinaPhone). The third and fourth positions are occupied respectively MobiFone And Vietnamobile. The difference in tariffs between the listed operators is so insignificant that it can be neglected. There is also no provider whose services guarantee a special quality of communication. Short-term glitches are possible, first of all this concerns sending and receiving SMS messages (we are talking about exchanging messages with Russian subscribers).

The cost of a SIM card is about 60 thousand Vietnamese dong (a little more 100 rub.). Maximum price – 100 thousand dong ( 170 rub.). When purchasing a card, you must have a passport with you that is valid for at least the next six months.

A minute of conversation with Russia will cost the owner of a Vietnamese SIM card about 9-11 rubles(outgoing call). Please note that a call from the Russian Federation will cost your interlocutor a pretty penny - 100 rubles in a minute. The cheapest way to call Russia is from branches postal service: near 7 rub. in a minute. True, the post office still needs to be found, but the difference of 2 rubles is still ridiculous.

Local mobile operators quite often they organize various promotions - in this case you will receive an SMS in Vietnamese with the number 50% and the date until which the said discount is valid. If there is not much money left on your balance, it makes sense to hurry up and buy a payment card before the promotion expires, because this will allow you to save half the amount.

Internet

Main providers 3 G-connections in Vietnam are the already familiar giants of the Vietnamese market Viettel Mobile And VinaPhone. Feels good in this company MobiFone. Modems are sold in the same places as SIM cards, that is, in specialized stores, shopping centers and private shops. When purchasing, you must present your passport. If necessary, the seller will help you connect to the Internet.

Tariffs are surprisingly low. Yes, SIM card MobiFone costs 65 thousand dong( 111 rub.), and the monthly price for traffic is 300 MB at a speed of 1 Mbit/sec. is only 50 thousand dong ( 85 rub.). The maximum tariff for this operator is VND 225,000 ( 384 rub.) in 30 days at a speed of 3.6 megabits per second. Prices from other providers are not too different from those listed.

Most high-speed Internet in the country - in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Here you can download large files, upload and watch videos without any problems.

Those who plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time should think about landline Internet. In large cities you have to try very hard to find a house or apartment without the Internet, but in extreme cases you will be connected to the Internet via ADSL. Average monthly price for using landline Internet – 450-600 rub.. It's a little more expensive 3 G-connections, but more reliable.

As can be seen from the above, everything is fine with mobile communications and the Internet in Vietnam. Easy to catch in big cities free wifi, there are many Internet cafes, the tariffs are attractive, and SIM cards are sold on almost every corner. The disadvantages include low connection speed in remote areas and periodic problems with SMS messages. In addition, access to social networks(for example, to Facebook).

Vietnamese cuisine

The cuisine of Vietnam has been greatly influenced by its geographical location and colonial past, as a result of which the cuisine of this country has absorbed the culinary traditions of French, Thai, Chinese, and Indian cooking. At the same time, Vietnamese cuisine has retained its originality: it is not customary for the Vietnamese to subject dishes to significant heat treatment, and food is mainly with a small amount of fat (which makes it quite nutritious and healthy).

Few people nowadays go on vacation, renouncing the whole world and throwing away their phone and laptop. Although Vietnam is considered a third world country, mobile communications and the Internet there are quite good. Today I’ll tell you about

• where and how much to buy a SIM card for your phone in Vietnam,
• about the Internet and wi-fi in Vietnamese hotels and cafes
• Is it worth connecting to roaming on your favorite Russian mobile network or using the services of a Vietnamese one?

Vietnamese SIM card or Russian with roaming

I do not recommend connecting to roaming when traveling to Vietnam. It’s better to buy a Vietnamese SIM card on the spot and quickly provide your new number phone number for the vacation period for everyone interested. Why? Because it is much cheaper and more reliable. Coverage in Vietnam from Russian companies is frankly poor, and they charge dearly for their services.

Where to buy a SIM card for your phone in Vietnam

You can buy a SIM card for your phone at any travel agency in Vietnamese cities. You can ask at the hotel reception, they also offer such services. You can also purchase a SIM card at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City or Nha Trang. But I would advise taking it from a travel agency - everything is usually more expensive at the airport.

Some people say that you need a passport or photo to buy a SIM card in Vietnam. There's really nothing like it. When we bought a SIM card, no one even asked about our passport details or asked for a photo. They sold it quickly, connected it right away, put the money on the balance sheet and that’s it. Literally 3 minutes.

My advice: When you buy a SIM card, ask the seller to write down the balance check codes and the code for you to call Russia and the country you need on a piece of paper.

Which cellular companies should you use in Vietnam?

There are several large cellular companies in Vietnam:

• Viettel,
• Vinaphone,
• Mobifone.

As far as I know, these are companies operating in many countries in Southeast Asia, not just Vietnam. Prices and quality are almost the same, you can choose any one. We used Mobifone and have no complaints. We bought a SIM card from this particular company because it was immediately offered at that small travel agency on Pham Ngu Lao Street, where we went upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.

How much does cellular communication cost in Vietnam?

We took unlimited access from Mobifone for a month, paid 190,000 dong, which is about 360 rubles. For this we received unlimited mobile Internet throughout Vietnam. We used Google maps, a navigator, and went on social networks. We called several times to Russia (the tariff includes half an hour of international calls), and also called within Vietnam (there you can talk as much as you want for a month).

If half an hour of conversations with Russia is not enough, you can add money to your account. Where you see the Mobifone sign (or the name of your operator), go there. Any tourist place is full of such offices, literally at every step. Show your phone number and the girl (or boy) will do everything herself and activate the required amount in your account. One minute of conversation with Russia costs approximately 5,000 dong. Use this calculation when you deposit money.

Mobile communications in Vietnam have always been normal, even in Phu Quoc. By the way, there is no domestic roaming in Vietnam, which is very pleasing. We bought a SIM card in Ho Chi Minh City and then went to Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and Mui Ne - everywhere the connection worked perfectly and didn’t cost any extra money.

Internet in Vietnam

Wi-fi is available everywhere in Vietnam - in any hotel, even the cheapest, in cafes, even coastal ones, at the airport and at train stations. Wi-Fi quality may vary. In normal, not the cheapest hotels, there is usually enough Internet to go on Facebook, chat on Skype, and check email. We even watched movies online a couple of times. Wi-Fi is free everywhere. Usually in a hotel room there is a piece of paper on the door with Internet access data - login and password.

But the speed and power of the local Internet was often not enough for work.

In Vietnam, you can easily call anywhere in the world from your hotel, post office, Internet cafe and, of course, from a mobile phone. Roaming in Vietnam is provided by Russian telecom operators MTS, Beeline and Megafon. But the cheapest thing for you will be to purchase a local SIM card.

Instructions for using a Vietnamese card

1. When installing a Vietnamese SIM card, first of all, remember the name of your mobile operator. The most common networks are MOBIFONE, VINAPHONE and VIETTEL.
2. A pin code is NOT required for installation and activation. The store employee will help you with everything.
3. To check your balance dial: *101# .
4. The account is divided into main and bonus. Money for international calls is debited from the main account, and for calls within Vietnam - from the bonus account, and if there is no money in the bonus account - from the main account. Thus, it may turn out that you have money in your bonus account and quite a lot, but you cannot call Russia. In this case, you need to top up your balance. You can use the amounts accumulated in your bonus account to maintain contact with guides and tour operators during your trip.
5. When activating a new SIM card on the main account, as a rule, from 50 to 100 thousand VND, depending on the amount spent on the SIM card. In itself, it costs nothing; in fact, you pay the amount in your account.
6. To top up your balance, go to any mobile phone store, give money (50, 100 thousand or more, depending on how much you want to top up your balance), a phone number and say the name of your mobile operator, for example, “MOBIFON”. When your balance is topped up, check how much money is in your account by dialing *101# before leaving the store!
7. The first 1-3 times your bonus account may be replenished or your balance doubled due to promotions carried out by mobile operators (not always!). If you are in a store or at the hotel reception asked to put 50 thousand into your account, and they demand 100 from you, citing the fact that you have 100 thousand in your account, DO NOT GIVE IT. Answer that you only need 50, and you showed it (if you do not speak the language well, write on paper in advance the amount by which you want to top up the balance).
8. To call abroad, you need to dial 00, then the country code (for Russia - 7), city code (for example, 495 - Moscow, 4232 - Vladivostok, 412 - Khabarovsk) and the subscriber number. If you are calling to the federal mobile number in Russia, you do not need to dial the first digit 8: for example, to call from Vietnam to the number 8.926262626 you should dial 007.926262626.
9. For calls in Vietnam:

• all numbers must begin with the number "0": for example, cell number Vietnamese mobile network, to which you called from Russia by dialing +84.903.030.303, in Vietnam you will need to dial 0903 030303;
• for calls to landlines From a mobile phone you need to dial the number “0” and the city code: Hanoi 4, Ho Chi Minh City - 8, Phan Thiet 62, Nha Trang - 58.

Very often we are asked questions regarding cellular communications in Vietnam. We will try to briefly and clearly answer all questions regarding mobile communications in Vietnam.

What is better to use, a native SIM card from a Russian operator or buy a local SIM card in Vietnam?

To begin with, let's say right away that it is best to buy a SIM card from local mobile operators in Vietnam, and not suffer and overpay for communication with relatives while roaming in a foreign country.

Moreover, some Russian operators In general, there is no normal coverage area of ​​​​the territory of Vietnam that ensures proper work.

With services from the cellular operator MTS, things are a little better, but the payment for such services will be high, however, like with other cellular operators.

Therefore, we answer: “It’s better to buy a SIM card local operator cellular communications"

What cellular operators are there in Vietnam?

There are several cellular operators in Vietnam - these are:

• viettel
• beeline
• vinaphone
• mobifone

Which Vietnamese operators are best to use?

If we consider the issue of cost for a mobile communication service, then all the above-mentioned operators charge the same fee for their services. There is no difference.

If we consider the issue of stable and uninterrupted communication, then failures can begin for everyone. Not at the same time, of course, but it happens. The most common problem is SMS messages. It happens that SMS messages simply do not reach a Russian subscriber, or, conversely, SMS messages from a Russian subscriber do not reach a subscriber located in Vietnam. At the same time, cellular communication in talk mode will be normal, that is, normal without any, in simple terms, jambs.

Where to buy and how much does a SIM card from Vietnamese mobile operators cost?

To answer this question, let’s say this: firstly, do not buy SIM cards at the airport or in the surrounding area. For this dubious “convenience”, when you get off the plane and have everything at your fingertips, the tourist usually overpays a substantial amount. One and a half, or even more times.

Secondly, you can buy a SIM card and activate it immediately upon arrival in the city. There are plenty of shops and cell phone departments literally at every turn. Usually they “hide” under signs with cell phones, where they not only sell mobile phones, but also connect and activate SIM cards.

As for the cost. For a SIM card from a mobile operator you will pay no more than 60,000 VND or $2.84. When translated into rubles, a SIM card costs around 100 rubles (91 rubles). The internal balance of the SIM card will be about 160,000 VND or $7.58 (242 rubles)

How much will a minute of conversation cost with a Vietnamese SIM card?

Let’s immediately make a reservation that it is better to call Russia from Vietnam than vice versa, because a call to Vietnam will cost a Russian subscriber about 100 rubles per minute. It is cheaper to write SMS, but they are not worth it.

A minute of conversation with Russia from a Vietnamese SIM card costs around 5,000VND ($0.24) or within 10 rubles (8 rubles)

The cheapest way to talk is not through mobile communications, but by using additional service at post offices. A minute of telephone conversation will cost 4,000 VND ($0.19), which is 6 rubles. But again, this is terribly inconvenient. We'll have to look for mail.

Does it work? internal roaming in Vietnam?

For example, you bought a SIM card in Ho Chi Minh City and went to travel from the south of the country to the north of Vietnam to Hanoi. And then the thought arises, what if domestic roaming is available in Vietnam, and upon arrival in another city, the cost of an on-net conversation with my friends traveling around Vietnam will cost much more?

So, there is no internal roaming around the country! With a SIM card purchased in any city in Vietnam, you can travel the length and breadth of the sultry country without any problems or strain on your mobile communications budget.

What does a tourist need when buying a SIM card in Vietnam?

The procedure is simple. It is enough to have a valid passport and cash with you to pay for the SIM card. Moreover, it is clarified that the passport at the time of provision and registration of the SIM card must be valid, and its validity must exceed 6 months before the expiration of the passport.

One more thing. In order not to lose a foreign document, many prudent tourists carry a photocopy of it with them. So, when registering a SIM card, some mobile operators require an original document, while for others this is not important.

Can you tell us more about the tariff plans?Viettel", "Beeline", "Vinaphone", "Mobifone?

The easiest way is to go to the official websites of Vietnamese cellular operators and clarify this information yourself, since the conditions for the provision of certain services may change from year to year.