Vietnam Approves Controversial $16 Bn Mega Airport

[unit731]

Than Son Nhat is bursting at the seams

 

Never a 'Thank You' to the Yanks for constructing this wonderful modern airport.

[scoobydoo]

hub lite

[unit731]

1. When I flew in to Saigon airport a few years ago - the only distraction was the Vietnam immigration. These fellows wore military style green fatigue uniforms with patches that made them look like generals in the Vietnam army. And a very unpleasant demeanor.

 

2. The taxi that drove me to hotel in District 1 was an attempt for a complete ripoff.

 

3. There was a sign inside terminal printed in English. Stating a $25.00 cash entry fee in US dollars.

[baa99]

[Mekong]

1. When I flew in to Saigon airport a few years ago - the only distraction was the Vietnam immigration. These fellows wore military style green fatigue uniforms with patches that made them look like generals in the Vietnam army. And a very unpleasant demeanor.

 

2. The taxi that drove me to hotel in District 1 was an attempt for a complete ripoff.

 

3. There was a sign inside terminal printed in English. Stating a $25.00 cash entry fee in US dollars.

 

1. In Thailand do or do not Immigration wear brown uniforms as do all Civil Servants? Same in Thailand except the colour is brown, not sure about fatigues but nowadays just plain green.

 

2. Show me an international Airport anywhere in the world where Taxi drivers don't try to rip off punters

 

3. VN is still an insular Communist State and relies on Hard Currency, as previously stated the entry visa requirement is being dropped for EU, UK, US, AUS and NZ citizens in a few days time.

 

Granted Than Son Nhat was constructed by the French in the 1930's, expand by the US in 1968 as were many airports in the region.

 

Many People have a negative perception about VN, up until a couple of years ago myself included , but it is not as bad as assumed. There is still a mistrust of the outside world and a feeling of superiority amongst many Vietnamese people, give them a simple task and the response is "WHY" don't ask why just do it (bangs head against wall) but once one gets used to the idiosyncrasies of the place it is rather pleasant to live and work in. I don't have to report every 90 days to immigration for a start.

 

​I am not a Vietnamese apologist, far from it, but at the end of the day we all need to work to put a roof over ones head and rice on the table, and personally VN is a far better place to earn ones crust than many other places I have been in.

[Flashermac]

I remember the Lao immigration officer in his stern, red guard looking uniform. The only thing that was out of place was the Buddhist amulet pinned to his breast pocket ... that and the big grin on his face. I doubt if you'll see those in the one-party Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

[Guest]

" not much of a hub, 1 runway. "

 

 

First lets hope they can find some decent engineers somewhere to do that and make it straight ...

[radioman]

Its not the engineers they need to be concerned with, rather those who would seek to override the engineers and "tweak" their design and specifications to be more 'beneficial'.

[unit731]

Its not the engineers they need to be concerned with, rather those who would seek to override the engineers and "tweak" their design and specifications to be more 'beneficial'.

 

You don't mean - thinning out the concrete - for a few back pocket Dong - do you?

[Flashermac]

Or changing the thickness of reinforcement rods. That happened years ago at Ramkhamhaeng University, where the floors of a new multi-storey building started to sag before it was even completed. The rector got canned and reduced two civil service grades over it.