Vietnam now in top 10 best world countries for expats

Nowadays, Vietnam isn’t just beating its former rival Thailand, it’s also 10th in the ‘best countries’ list for expats in general.

Vietnam has come a long way since its dark days, during which US servicemen were flown to Thailand for much-needed R&R, with the traffic nowadays going in the opposite direction. The former war-torn country is now the 10th best in a survey listing the best and worst world destinations for expatriates. The Expat Explorer survey, commissioned by HSBC, was taken in 163 countries during March and April this year, and included questions on political stability, urban living, work-life balance and economic stability plus many other aspects of expat life such as career progression, cost of living and disposable income.

Many respondents now settled in Vietnam expressed their initial surprise at the benefits of living and working in the country, including the low cost of living along with unexpected salary increases. This combination gives expat professionals the chance to enjoy all Vietnam has to offer without breaking the bank. Average earnings for qualified professionals can be as much as $90,408 annually, far more than the average Vietnamese annual income of around $2,500. Friendly locals and ease of settling in as well as a pleasing work/life balance helped push Vietnam to the top 10 in the survey as against former rivals Malaysia and Thailand at 16th and 22nd positions respectively.

In last year’s Expat Explorer survey, the country ranked 18th, gaining eight points in just one year. It’s good news for the 82,000 or so expatriates living and working in Vietnam, especially those who’re teaching the English language to kids eager to learn the planet’s ‘second tongue’, thus playing a part in their country’s opening to the world of 21st century work and recreation. Teaching English in Vietnam not only commands a high salary for ESL (English as a second language) teachers, it also helps the country’s youth to get ahead in this intensely competitive region, especially in the tech sector. For expats willing to give it a try, it’s useful to note that last year’s HSBC survey rating the country in the 10th most-friendly places on the planet for expats.