Heard things are getting a bit tight in Vietnam lately. Ho Chi Minh City police just raided an apartment and nabbed six Koreans. Apparently, they were involved in some kind of high-tech crime, with loads of computer gear. But the main thing was, they hadn't properly registered their stay, so they were basically overstaying illegally. So, once they paid their fines, they were straight-up deported. Honestly, you see this kind of thing quite a bit around here. Foreigners come and go, and some just don't bother with the rules.
Same day, over in Da Nang, they weren't sitting idle either. They picked up four Chinese nationals. These guys came in on tourist visas but were actually working customer service for online games based in Thailand. Classic bait and switch, right? Tourist visa was just a front; they were really there to work. Each of them got hit with a fine of over 20 million Vietnamese Dong – that's a few hundred US dollars – and then, same deal, straight back home. Can you imagine? Middle of the night, probably still tapping away on their keyboards in some rented room, then suddenly, a knock on the door from the police. Must've been a nasty shock.
So yeah, bottom line is, if you're out here trying to make a living, you gotta stick to the rules. Doesn't matter if you're Korean or Chinese, if you're making money on someone else's patch, you play by their rules. Otherwise, best case you get a fine, worst case you're packed off and sent home, won't even get to smell the motorbike fumes anymore. The local government is really getting serious about this stuff now. You can feel that strict vibe everywhere, on every street corner.
