[scottsman]

sounds like you were ill prepared for life as an expat. After living in Vietnam for nearly 7 years most of what you said happens quite frequently and would be surprising to someone who just started to live here or is traveling.

1. Cops trying to get money? Happens in a lot of places in SEA. Vietnam is pretty easy going however people do get shaken down for money, mostly during traffic stops.

2. Lots of "white" countries still see any Asian as being Chinese or from one specific country. Even in Vietnam when I am with other Asian ethnicities the Vietnamese people will speak with them in Vietnamese assuming they are Viet.

3. Living in a communist country has its challenges, not sure how the current government would be in Thailand.

4. being seeing as a walking ATM is really dependant on where you are going. If your in the main tourist areas then yes this is true but most people know that the Vietnamese have a lot more money than a bunch of tourists, the same is probably true for Thailand.

5. Two tier pricing system - this is true to a lot of places but as you live in a place long enough you should know what things cost. Even Vietnamese who are living outside of their home city get over charged because locals can tell where their dialect is from.

With all that being said, Vietnam is an awesome place to live. I have never felt unsafe here. People are generally pretty cool and welcoming, especially out of the main cities.

Move here.