Business and Market Research Snapshot on Southeast Asia

Marketing Research and Consulting Services

Pegasus Business and Market Advisory is an independent firm offering services in business consulting and market research on Asia-Pacific.

Pegasus

Business and

Market Advisory

I Home I About Us I Our Research Services I Our Advisory Services I Our Experience I Contact Us I Site Map I

Currency Exchange. Name of local currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND). US$1.00 equal to VND 15,509 in 2003, VND 15,704 in 2004 and VND15,926 in June 2006.

Hotels. Hotels in Vietnam commonly charge for rooms in United States Dollars (USD) and average room rates range from as low as USD5 – USD10 for budget hotels and USD10 – USD25 for mid-end hotels. High-end hotel rates are usually priced at USD25 – USD 50 per night while luxury accommodation is usually above USD50 per night.

Airports. The No Bai International Airport is located about 45km from Hanoi city centre and metered taxis are available for commuting between the airport and the city. Another major airport in Vietnam is the Ho Chi Minh City Airport which is located about 7km from Ho Chi Minh City. Departure tax is charged at USD7 for international flights while for domestic flights the tax is 15,000 Vietnamese Dong (VCD15,000).

Business Hours. Business hours in Vietnam are usually 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. from Monday to Friday, with a one-hour lunch break. Working hours on Saturdays are from 8:00a.m. to 11:30a.m., although government offices now follow a 5-day week and thus no longer open on Saturdays. During the Lunar New Year at the beginning of the year, business and office activities almost come to a stop for a week for the “Tet” holidays.

Common Courtesies. Smoking is a common male social behaviour in Vietnam and among smokers it is considered polite to offer cigarettes around before lighting a cigarette. For women however, smoking is discouraged as it is associated with social ills.

Travel. Metered and unmetered taxis and bicycle-pedaled rickshaws (“cyclo”) are available and usually used for short-distance travel. Numerous buses and mini-buses ply long-distance routes but they are usually in poor condition and overcrowded. Trains are generally safer for long-distance travel although some trains can be slow and get overcrowded. Many visitors charter mini-buses, or hire cars with drivers, which are more expensive but more comfortable.

Pegasus Business and Market Advisory (PBMA) provides business and marketing research and advisory services focussing on Southeast Asia namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei. Contact corporate@pegasus-asia.com for further information.

Business Travel Snapshot - Vietnam

top