Very often we are asked questions in terms of cellular communications in Vietnam. We will try to briefly and clearly answer all questions, swinging mobile communications in Vietnam.

Is it better to use a native SIM card from a Russian operator or buy a local SIM card in Vietnam?

To begin with, let's say right away that it is best to buy a SIM card from local mobile operators in Vietnam, and not suffer and overpay for communication with relatives while roaming in a foreign country.

Moreover, some Russian operators generally do not have a normal coverage area of ​​the territory of Vietnam, which ensures proper operation.

Things are a little better with services from the MTS mobile operator, but the payment for such services will be high, however, like with other mobile operators.

Therefore, we answer: “It is better to buy a SIM card from a local mobile operator”

What mobile operators are there in Vietnam?

There are several mobile operators in Vietnam - these are:

• Viettel
• beeline
• vinaphone
• mobifone

Which Vietnamese operators are the best to use?

If we consider the issue of cost for a mobile communication service, then all the above-mentioned operators charge the same fee for their services. There is no difference.

If we consider the issue of stable and uninterrupted communication, then failures can begin for everyone. Not at the same time, of course, but it happens. The most common problem is SMS messages. It happens that SMS messages simply do not reach a Russian subscriber, or vice versa, SMS messages from a Russian subscriber do not reach a subscriber located in Vietnam. At the same time, cellular communication in talk mode will be normal, that is, normal without any, in simple terms, jambs.

Where to buy and how much does a SIM card of Vietnamese mobile operators cost?

Answering this question, let's say this, firstly, do not buy SIM cards at the airport and in the surrounding area. For this dubious “convenience”, when you get off the plane and everything is at hand, the tourist usually overpays a substantial amount. One and a half, or even more times.

Secondly, you can buy a SIM card and immediately activate it upon arrival in the city. Shops and departments of cellular communication are full literally at every step. Usually they "hide" under signs with cell phones, where they not only sell mobile phones, but also connect and activate SIM cards.

As for the cost. For a SIM card of a mobile operator, you will give no more than 60,000 VND or $ 2.84. In terms of rubles, a SIM card costs within 100 rubles (91 rubles). The internal balance of the SIM card will be about 160,000 VND or $7.58 (242 rubles)

How much will a minute of conversation with a Vietnamese SIM card cost?

Let's make a reservation right away that it is best to call Russia from Vietnam than vice versa, because a call to Vietnam will cost a Russian subscriber within 100 rubles per minute. It is cheaper to write SMS, but they are not worth it.

A minute of conversation with Russia from a Vietnamese SIM card costs around 5.000VND ($0.24) or within 10 rubles (8 rubles)

The cheapest way to talk is not through mobile communications, but using additional service in branches postal service. A minute of talking on the phone will cost 4,000 VND ($0.19), which is 6 rubles. But then again, it's creepy as inconvenient. I'll have to look for mail.

Is domestic roaming available in Vietnam?

For example, you bought a SIM card in Ho Chi Minh City and set off to travel from the south of the country to the north of Vietnam to Hanoi. And then the thought arises, what if there is internal roaming in Vietnam, and upon arrival in another city, the cost of talking within the network with my friends traveling in Vietnam will cost much more?

So, there is no internal roaming in the country! With a SIM card purchased in any city in Vietnam, you can travel around the sultry country far and wide without any problems and burdens on the mobile communications budget.

What does a tourist need when buying a SIM card in Vietnam?

The procedure is simple. It is enough to have a valid passport and cash with you to pay for a SIM card. Moreover, it is specified that the passport at the time of the provision and registration of the SIM card must be valid, and its period must exceed 6 months before the expiration date of the passport.

One more moment. In order not to lose a foreigner, many prudent tourists carry a photocopy of it with them. So, when registering a SIM card, some mobile operators require an original document, while for others this is not important.

Can you tell me more about tariff plans?Viettel,Beeline", "Vinaphone", "Mobifone?

The easiest way is to go to the official websites of Vietnamese mobile operators and clarify this information yourself, since the conditions for the provision of certain services may change from year to year.

Vietnam has a highly developed mobile communications and internet infrastructure, and the prices for these telecom services are slightly higher than in the CIS countries.

Drimsim is a SIM card not tied to one operator, it works in 197 countries, provides a stable connection, fast internet and prices, almost like those of local operators.

• no need to set up roaming and buy a local SIM card
• No subscription fee and hidden fees

In this article, you will learn about three main Vietnamese operators mobile communications, their tariffs for calls and the Internet, network settings and many other useful data that will be useful to any traveler who wants to always stay in touch with his family and friends.

Many travelers planning to fly to Nha Trang or visit its resorts are puzzled by the problem of cellular communication. Such perplexity arises from skepticism about the country's IT infrastructure, which many consider to be underdeveloped and of poor quality. But this is a common misconception.

In fact, with mobile networks and the Internet here full order. Moreover, their quality is an order of magnitude higher than in most countries of the former USSR. Since Vietnam is a major manufacturer of microelectronics, local mobile operators have access to advanced cellular and network equipment, which allows them to provide high-quality and cheap telecom services.

Types of SIM cards

In this country, you can purchase SIM-cards to equip any mobile phone:

• Standard - A classic form factor that is now considered obsolete. Suitable for mobile devices with large card slot.

• Reduced - Card for mobile phones and tablets with a Micro-SIM slot.

• Miniature - The smallest Nano-SIM cards for devices with the appropriate slot. They are required for the latest mobile devices released in the last 1-3 years.

These cards are sold as a standard sized plastic pad with two smaller pads inside. In general, everything is like that of domestic mobile operators.

Prices

The cost of a SIM card is from $5. The exact amount depends on tariff plan, places of purchase and impudence of the seller.

Note! As a rule, when buying a SIM card, the user account already has some funds in the amount of up to 50 thousand VND.

About how many minutes of conversation this money can be enough, will be discussed below.

Where could I buy?

You can buy a card in the following places:

In the airport

Guests of the country can get a special card for tourists immediately upon arrival in international Airport. To do this, you need to contact the store, marked with a large sign "SIM-CARD".

The cost of such a card will be about $ 12, it includes a certain amount of Internet and fairly cheap calls abroad.

street vendors

Vietnam has a law that requires every buyer of a SIM card to tie it to their passport. This means that a person who does not have at least temporary citizenship does not actually have the right to purchase a card if it is not a tourist card.

Therefore, it makes no sense to apply for a purchase at the official representative offices of local OPS. But it can be purchased from hawkers on the street, sellers in local markets, tour operator guides, and even in pharmacies and small shops that are located within the main tourist area of ​​Nha Trang.

ATTENTION! It makes no sense for a traveler to overpay for a tourist SIM card, especially if he plans to stay in the country for less than 30 days. It is best to give about $ 5 to resellers who register cards for figureheads, often there are more favorable Internet tariffs, but sometimes there may not be “starting” money in the account, so it needs to be replenished.

Choice of mobile operator

There are 3 major operators and several regional operators in Vietnam. In this article, we will focus on the main OPS: Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone. As in other countries of the world, their tariffs practically do not differ from each other. As for the quality of communication, it is exactly the same for all telecom brands.

REFERENCE! To select a specific OPS, you first need to decide what you plan to use the card for - for calls abroad or for the Internet. If for the Internet, then the seller will tell you which operator offers the most favorable Internet tariffs at the moment.

Tariffs

As already noted, the main players in the Vietnamese mobile communications market offer almost the same tariff plans:

• a call from one Vietnamese operator to another will cost from 900 to 1200 VND per minute +/- separate connection fee;
• a call to a number within the network of the same operator costs about 300-500 dong per minute +/- ten dong per connection. There are tariffs with free packages;
• sending SMS within the network of the same operator will cost 200-300 VND. There are also tariffs offering a package with free SMS to numbers within the OPS. Messages to numbers of other operators or in roaming cost from 2500 to 3000 VND.

Based on the amounts shown in this list, it is quite easy to calculate how many minutes of conversation the standard VND 50,000, which is found on almost every new SIM card, will last.

Note! If the traveler's plans do not include calls to their country, which are much more logical to make for free using Skype, Viber, etc., then the money available on the card, even without replenishing it, will be enough for at least half a month of vacation (if they are not spent earlier on Mobile Internet).

The specific cost of tariffs at the current time can always be found on the official website of the Vietnamese TSOs.

International calls

International calls cost from 5000 to 8000 VND, depending on the country you plan to call. Most of the CIS countries, especially those where the MTC operator is present, are included in the list of destinations with reduced call rates.

But sometimes overseas communications may cost more if the card was sold with a purely local tariff.

How to connect 3G internet?

Connecting a high-speed mobile Internet service to Vietnamese operators will not be any more difficult for a tourist than in his homeland, and in some cases, setting up is not required at all.

By default, each operator's card is almost always given from 600 MB to 1.5 GB. After the expiration of this package, you can order another one for a couple of tens of thousands of dongs. If there is no package, then it is recommended to order it immediately, otherwise the user runs the risk of quickly spending all the money on the Internet.

Settings on Viettel

To order the cheapest 600 Mb package for this operator, you need to create a new SMS message, write one single word there "Mimax" (without quotes) and send to 191. 70 thousand will be written off from you. In the same way, all other packages of this OPS are included.

Settings on MobiFone

To order the cheapest 600 MB Internet package, you need to create a text message with the words "CAIDAT" (without quotes) and send it to 999. This service will cost the subscriber in the amount of 70 thousand VND. All other Internet packages from this OPS are ordered in the same way.

Disabling SMS spam from MobiFone

Settings on Vinaphone

To order a 600 MB internet package on this operator, you need to create a text message "DK" (without quotes) and send it to 888. From the subscriber they will write off from 70 thousand dongs. All other Internet services of this OPS are ordered in the same way.

REFERENCE! If all the traffic is used up, then the operator starts charging 200 dong for each megabyte of Internet over the limit.

Change message language from Vietnamese to English

Russian-speaking subscribers do not need to try to understand Vietnamese characters during SMS dialogues with the operator. After all, in just a minute you can change the language of interaction to international English:

Viettel

• make a call to 900;
• when the voice menu appears, press the number 4, and after it the number 2;
• after selection of English language the setting is stored as 1.

mobile phone

• call the same number 900;
• getting into the voice menu, you need to press the number 5, and after it the number 1;
• the setting is saved with the number 1.

Vinaphone

• the number 900, similar to the previous ones, is dialed;
• in the voice menu, the number 3 is pressed, after which you need to press the number 1;
• the resulting setting is stored as 1.

If there are any problems with the setup, you can find the operator's number in the phone book (it is automatically created when you activate SIM cards on a cell phone), call the CALL-center and ask to translate all SMS into English. If you do not speak English, ask your guide to make such a call.

Balance check

The Vietnamese telecom market introduced a unified balance check code, which is performed using the characters *101# and the call button. A large number of accounts can be displayed in the menu on the screen, but the subscriber should be interested only in the very first one in the list. The remaining positions of the list are various bonuses.

To see the remaining amount of Internet traffic, you need to execute the code from the characters *102# and the call key. The invoice will be displayed if the package is ordered and connected.

Balance replenishment

You can replenish the account of local OPS, both through subscriber terminals that can be found on any street (not all of them have an English menu), and through cards. The last way easier. You can buy a recharge card in the same place as a SIM card.

The cost of such a card in the amount, for example 70 thousand dong, will be from 70 to 73 thousand.

Important! Replenishment code: *100*(numbers under the erasable field on the card)# and a call key.

How to connect WiFi?

To find free wifi in the town, it is enough to include a search in the lobby of your hotel, catering establishments, shopping salon, bank branch and other organizations that are required to provide free connection to the internet. The connection speed is similar to that in the CIS countries.

Some routers provide Internet access immediately, and some require simple authentication. Usually it is expressed in the fact that when you connect to Wi-Fi, an authorization pop-up window appears on your device, it will contain some kind of picture and a simple site with 1-3 buttons. By clicking on one of these buttons, you can get authorization on the network.

cellular and Internet in Nha Trang: where to buy a SIM card, how to connect 3G and Wi-Fi?

Let not all, but very many of us without cell phone feel helpless. Modern man grabs his cell phone as often as a Western cowboy grabs a gun. The feeling of loneliness, isolation from the virtual team arises even in the absence of the ability to connect to the Internet. Whether this is good or bad is not the point, because it is already a given. Therefore, when planning a vacation, travelers are interested in how things are going with communications in the country they are going to visit. Let's talk about mobile communications and the Internet in Vietnam.

general information

Travelers usually do not complain about communication problems in Vietnam. Mobile Internet is well developed, most local hotels have free Wi-Fi. You can also catch Wi-Fi in many restaurants and cafes, and even on the busy streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Enough in large cities and Internet cafes, where 30-35 rubles(or even for half that amount) you can surf the Web for an hour. As you can see, there are more than enough opportunities to connect to the Internet in Vietnam, but the connection speed often leaves much to be desired.

It is more profitable to use Vietnamese SIM cards than Russian ones, simply because it will be cheaper. They are sold almost everywhere.

No roaming within the country - all local phone calls paid according to existing rates.

Vietnam phone code: +84 . You can call the police at 113 , fire service phone - 114 . If you need an urgent health care, call the number 115 . Phone number for inquiries - 116 .

mobile connection

You can buy a Vietnamese SIM card in shopping malls, communication stores and even in private stores. Of course, SIM cards are also sold at the airport, but such a purchase will cost more. They will activate your card on the spot - just ask.

Among the mobile operators, such large providers stand out as Viettel Mobile and VinaPhone, which together account for more than 70% of the local market (41% for Viettel and 30% for VinaPhone). The third and fourth positions are respectively mobile phone and Vietnamobile. The difference in tariffs between the listed operators is so insignificant that it can be neglected. There is no provider whose services guarantee a special quality of communication. Short-term failures are possible, first of all, this concerns sending and receiving SMS messages (we are talking about messaging with Russian subscribers).

The cost of a SIM card is about 60 thousand Vietnamese dong (slightly more 100 rub.). The maximum price is 100 thousand dong ( 170 rub.). When buying a card, you should have a passport with you, valid for at least the next six months.

A minute of conversation with Russia will cost the owner of a Vietnamese SIM card 9-11 rubles(outgoing call). It should be noted that a call from the Russian Federation will cost your interlocutor a pretty penny - 100 rubles in a minute. The cheapest way to call Russia is from post offices: about 7 rub. in a minute. True, the post office still needs to be found, but the difference of 2 rubles is still ridiculous.

Local mobile operators quite often arrange various promotions - in this case, you will receive an SMS in Vietnamese with the number 50% and the date until which the indicated discount is valid. If there is not much money left on your balance, it makes sense to hurry up and buy a payment card before the promotion expires, because this will allow you to save half the amount.

Internet

Main providers 3 G- connections in Vietnam are already familiar to us giants of the Vietnamese market Viettel Mobile and VinaPhone. Feel good in this company mobile phone. Modems are sold in the same places as SIM cards, that is, in specialized stores, shopping centers and private shops. When buying, you need to show your passport. If necessary, the seller will help you connect to the Internet.

Rates are surprisingly low. yes, sim card mobile phone costs 65 thousand dong ( 111 rub.), and the monthly price for traffic is 300 Mb at a speed of 1 Mbps. is only 50 thousand dong ( 85 rub.). The maximum tariff for this operator is 225,000 VND ( 384 rub.) in 30 days at 3.6 megabits per second. Prices from other providers do not differ too much from those indicated.

Most high speed internet in the country - in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Here you can easily download large files, upload and watch videos.

Those who are going to stay in Vietnam for a long time should think about fixed Internet. In large cities, you have to try very hard to find a house or apartment without the Internet, but in extreme cases you will be connected to the Web through ADSL. Average monthly price for using fixed Internet - 450-600 rub. This is somewhat more expensive 3 G-connections, but more reliable.

As can be seen from what has been said, everything is fine with mobile communications and the Internet in Vietnam. In large cities, free Wi-Fi is easy to catch, there are many Internet cafes, the rates are attractive, and SIM cards are sold almost on every corner. The disadvantages include the low connection speed in remote areas and periodic problems with SMS messages. In addition, access to social networks(for example, to Facebook).

Vietnamese cuisine

The geographical location and colonial past had a huge impact on the cuisine of Vietnam, as a result of which the cuisine of this country absorbed the culinary traditions of French, Thai, Chinese, and Indian cuisine. At the same time, Vietnamese cuisine has retained its originality: it is not customary for the Vietnamese to succumb to dishes with significant heat treatment, and food, mainly with a small amount of fat (which makes it quite nutritious and healthy).

With any first conversation, a package of 20 minutes for 200 rubles is activated. These 200 minutes must be spoken before the end of the day, otherwise they “burn out”. The 21st and further minutes cost 10 rubles. SMS message - 20 rubles.

There is a service "Per-minute billing". In this case, the package is not activated, 200 rubles are not charged, but the call costs 30 rubles per minute.

Tele 2

Any incoming and outgoing at 15 rubles per minute. SMS message - 6 rubles.

An interesting fact is that Tele2's SMS message, even without options, is cheaper than with special options from MTS and Megafon.

If you turn on the “Conversations without borders” option, then for 5 rubles per day the cost of a conversation with incoming call reduced to 5 rubles per minute.

Perhaps Tele2 can be called the best operator connections for travel to Vietnam. Tele2 operates through Viettel's cellular network, the largest and most advanced in Vietnam. The price per minute is not the lowest, but the most profitable, because you do not need to buy minutes at once in a package, but you can say at least 1, at least 2 minutes a day.

SIM cards of local operators

The development of mobile communications in Vietnam began only in 1995, when the state opened the communications market to private companies. Despite the late start, the country cellular networks developed, and now there are 4 main operators: Viettel Mobile, MobiFone, VinaPhone and Vietnamobile.

There is also a Gmobile operator, formerly called Beeline. The name is not accidental, its co-owner was the Russian Beeline. We can say that now Gmobile (Beeline) does not actually exist. They could not get a license for 3G or 4G for a long time, but in 2016 they got it, but the network was not built. As a result, almost all customers were lost.

The S-Fone operator does not exist now - it went bankrupt.

Viettel Mobile, MobiFone, VinaPhone are the largest, they are also called the Big Three. See their logos in the picture below, click on the picture to enlarge.

Laws and regulations

By law, any SIM card must be registered to a valid passport. The Vietnamese are not very fond of following the laws, so until November 2016, no one paid attention to this law. In November 2016, the authorities blocked 12 million “left” SIM cards, and the law began to be observed. Since then, "left" SIM-cards have been periodically blocked.

You can buy a SIM card either at the official office of one of the operators, or at small kiosks. According to all the rules, you can register a SIM card only at the official office. The kiosks sell either unregistered SIM-cards, or registered for "left" people.

Important point! When buying a SIM card outside the official office, be sure to make sure that it works. To do this, you can either make a call or send an SMS to the number '1414' with the text 'TTTB'. If the SIM card is registered, then a response SMS will come, the text will contain the name, date of birth and passport number of the owner.

Important point! If you bought a SIM card registered to the “left” person, then mentally prepare for the fact that it will be turned off without prior notice. Although it is unlikely that this will happen before the end of the holiday, it will most likely be turned off later, when you are already at home.

In Vietnam, you can easily call anywhere in the world from a hotel, post office, internet cafe and, of course, from a mobile phone. Roaming in Vietnam is provided Russian operators communications MTS, Beeline and Megafon. But the cheapest thing for you will be to purchase a local SIM card.

Instructions for using the Vietnamese card

1. When installing a Vietnamese SIM card, first of all, remember the name of your mobile operator. The most common networks are MOBIFONE, VINAPHONE and VIETTEL.
2. PIN-code is NOT required for installation and activation. The store employee will help you.
3. To check your balance dial: *101# .
4. The account is divided into main and bonus. Money for international calls is debited from the main account, and for calls within Vietnam - from the bonus account, and if there is no money on the bonus account - from the main account. Thus, it may turn out that you have money and a lot of money on your bonus account, but you cannot call Russia. In this case, you need to replenish the balance. You can spend the amounts accumulated on the bonus account to keep in touch with the guides and the tour operator during your trip.
5. When activating a new SIM card on the main account, as a rule, from 50 to 100 thousand VND, depending on the amount spent on the SIM card. By itself, it costs nothing, in fact, you pay the amount in your account.
6. To replenish the balance, go to any mobile phone store, give money (50, 100 thousand or more, depending on how much you want to replenish the balance), phone and say the name of your mobile operator, for example, "MOBIFON". When your balance is replenished, check how much money is in your account by dialing *101# before you leave the store!
7. The first 1-3 times you can replenish your bonus account or double your balance due to promotions held by mobile operators (not always!). If you are asked at a store or at the hotel reception to put 50 thousand on your account, and they demand 100 from you, citing the fact that you have 100 thousand on your account, DO NOT GIVE. Answer that you only need 50, and you showed it (if you do not speak the language well, write on paper in advance the amount you want to replenish the balance).
8. To call abroad, you need to dial 00, then the country code (for Russia - 7), the city code (for example, 495 - Moscow, 4232 - Vladivostok, 412 - Khabarovsk) and the subscriber's number. If you are calling the federal mobile number in Russia, you do not need to dial the first digit 8: for example, to call from Vietnam to the number 8.926262626, you should dial 007.926262626.
9. For calls in Vietnam:

• all numbers must start with the number "0": for example, cell number Vietnamese mobile network, which you called from Russia by dialing +84.903.030.303, in Vietnam you will need to dial 0903 030303;
• for calls to landlines from a mobile phone, you need to dial the number “0” and the city code: Hanoi 4, Ho Chi Minh City - 8, Phan Thiet 62, Nha Trang - 58.