Thieves & Beggers, Ho Chi Minh City

careful, Ho Chi Minh City is full of people beggin gfor money or selling lottery tickets at every corner you turn. If they get annoying or " pressure " you into buying the tickets. Just smile slightly and say no thank you or a hand out to decline.

When I was at Andong Market or even at Ben Thanh Market , there were children beggers asking for money.

Warning : the moment you give a kid saom 2000Vmd, more kids will arrive and you will have a handful.

Advise : Don't give a single Vmd although your heart may pity them.

I had more problems with this in Pham Ngu Lao probably because of the high number of tourists...but they are present everywhere in HCMC. Many of these kids are 10 & under and try to sell postcards or gum. Some will try to get you to play a version of a shell game. Anyway watch your pockets around them. I know they're cute, their English is usually quite good, but their stories are always the same and oftentimes in groups they can be quite quick with their fingers. Just be careful.

This is not really a big problem espcially if you keep your backpack locked but be careful of these innocent cuties, especially,if you're a Caucasian. Vietnamese children will usually target you and badger you to buy postcards, hats, little grasshoppers made from grass, etc. It's very difficult to refuse them because they are such sweethearts. But giving money to one will encourage the rest to swarm to you like bees to honey. Also, do take note that while you are paying attention to one cute child, another could be helping himself to your wallet when you're not watching!

Update: Well, even if you're not Caucasian, you'd better take note of this warning as well. My poor hubby recently got pickpocketed in HCMC, or shall I say backpack-pocketed? Some light-fingered fella unzipped his backpack and fished out his new cell phone. Amazingly, his wallet was left untouched. Well, not so surprising, if you consider that it looks like yesterday's lunchbag

Wanna avoid getting mugged by a cyclo rider? click on b'packer's hcmc page to find out more

TIP: Personally, I have nothing against cyclos even though I was harassed to death by them. But it just pays to be careful, especially if you are a solo female traveller or even a 100kg American male!Yup, I think after reading these 2 real life-accounts, you just just might be a tad bit more careful.

Story 1:
A new Aussie friend told me how she was nearly conned of USD20 when she took a joy ride on one of those quaint cyclos. The driver took her to a God-forsaken district and threatened not to cycle her back until she paid him! Well, the good news is that she outwitted him back and said.....

a) She wasn't American so she only had dong;
b) She didn't have that much dong with her with her in the first place!

Thumbs up to her. She paid him half the amount and got back safe and sound to tell me this tale. *

Story 2:
Recent Update: Never ever hop unto a cyclo for sight-seeing unless you are God-Dammed sure about the asking price! My husband's American colleague recently got harassed by an unusually aggressive cyclo when he did just that. Yeah, what was supposed to be a quaint, Vietnamese cyclo-sightseeing experience turned to something more reminiscent from "The Fugitive" after the cyclo demanded 1 million dong for half a day's efforts.

Why the fugitive?

Well, after my husband's colleague refused to pay 1 million dong ( He gave him a lower fee ) , he was chased around Vietnam until he took refuge in his hotel. Hotel security was called and the cyclo disappeared . But after that, the colleague had a serious case of paranoia each time he left the hotel. At the back of this mind, there was a cyclo lurking around with homicidal tendencies so he stuck to my poor hubby like a remora (sucker fish) after that *

Wanna avoid being mugged by children? click on b'packer's hcmc page to find out more

Watch out for your valuables!!! Leave them at home if you value them. As for the ladies carrying monies. Use one of those cross-shoulder small backpack and walk with your hands over the zipper. Or better yet, I used one of those small fabric purse that you put jewelries in. They have a zipper and a snap flap on them. Pin it to the inside waistband of your pants/shorts. All the beggars have sixth sense, as soon as they hear a zipper, they are all over you. If you want to give them something, put a few dollars in your pocket before leaving your hotel.

Vietnam is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Most of its population live in the country on the edge of poverty. With the injection of foreign investment, things are gradually changing.

There are numerous beggars especially children in Saigon, be very discrete about giving anything to them. If anyone is seen giving handouts to a beggar, he or she may end up being pursued by a mob of other beggars. This does not help create a good image for foreigners; it gives them instead the reputation of being easy to hit up for money.

While Vietnam is generally a safe country for travel, street crime is a serious problem in Ho Chi Minh City and to a lesser extent, throughout Vietnam. There is a general warning out for travellers to exercise caution. Generally, crime is mainly by pickpocketing or snatch-and-grab incidents. Motorcyclists, mostly carrying passengers, frequently grab bags, cameras, and other valuables from pedestrians or passengers riding in pedicabs. A friend of mine living and working there was almost a victim of a pickpocketer - he grabbed the guy just as he was lifting his wallet. Generally, just be careful.

I was wearing a gold chain around my neck along with my wedding band was the only jewellry I was wearing. While waiting to cross the road a young man on a motor bike motioned to me that I should remove my chain. I assumed he was giving me a warning as he didn't speak English we couldn't converse. I took his advice and took it off unti I got home. The Lonely Planet does warn against jewellry wearing as there are thieves on motor bikes who snatch your stuff while they drive off. We had none of these problems but took the precautions just in case.

Many people will be trying to sell lottery tickets to you (and the Vietnamese) or plainly beg for money. When you visit the War Remnants Museum, you're sure to meet this mutilated guy selling books. Kids will sell postcards at the main post office. Saigon is a good place to learn saying 'no' to beggars... But one's heart will always bleed when a little kid is begging for money cos he/she is hungry. Be sensitive yet sensible: you can't give something to every beggar in HCMC. Giving too often will encourage even more beggars, and thus more annoyance for other tourists. Yet, it's a good thing to give 5000 dong (30 cents € or $) from time to time