Communication in Vietnam for tourists. Telephone communication in Vietnam

Friends, in Vietnam, a SIM card costs $ 5 (100,000 vnd) you can buy at any cellular office. There is absolutely no difference which company: Viettel, Mobifone, Vinafone.
Previously, SIM cards were freely sold in any supermarket and at the airport and in travel agencies (Perhaps they are still on sale). Now, in order for the sim card to work, you need to come to the cellular office with a passport and sign an agreement.

I will tell you my experience of connecting to the Internet. If you are not satisfied internet wi-fi which is present almost everywhere in Nha Trang: in hotels, restaurants in shopping centers.

External third-party internet via wi-fi is not enough for me - since I always have to be in touch, even if the electricity is suddenly cut off! Although power outages are not frequent in Nha Trang a couple of times a year.

So, how to connect mobile Internet for an iPad or iPhone or for a laptop (then via a 3G modem)

1. We buy a sim card and cut it to the desired size (if for an iPad or iPhone). I will help you cut correctly where you bought the SIM card.

I bought a SIM of a mobile operator: "Mobifon" for 95,000 vnd

2. Top up the balance for the required amount.

I have replenished by 200,000 vnd

How do I top up my balance? In shops or travel agencies in Nha Trang, paper cards are sold for each operator, different in denomination: 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 dongs. Such cards used to be in Russia: you need to erase the silver paint under which the secret code.

Then dial on the phone: * 100 * secret number # call. After that, an SMS comes in stating that the money has been credited to the account.

3. Choosing a tariff plan and send SMS.

If your mobile operator: Vinaphone

0.6 GB price 70,000 dong - send SMS "DK MAX" to 888;

1.2 GB price 100,000 VND - send SMS "DK MAX100" to 888;

3 GB price 200,000 VND - send SMS "DK MAX200" to 888.

If your mobile operator: Viettel

0.6 GB price 70,000 dong - send SMS "MiMax" to 191;

1.2 GB price 90,000 dong - send SMS "MiMax90" to 191;

1.5 GB price 120,000 dong - send SMS "Dmax" to 191;

3 GB price 200,000 dong - send SMS "Dmax200" to 191.

If your mobile operator: Mobifone

0.6 GB price 70,000 dong - send SMS "DK MIU" to 999;

1.5 GB price 120,000 VND - send SMS "DK M120" to 999;

3 GB price 200,000 dong - send SMS "DK BMIU" to 999.

I chose the third option for Mobiphone for 200,000 and I can say that all sites open well - quickly, but the video is viewed poorly. This is still an option not for working on the Internet, but in order to be always in touch or look for information.

I have an ipad - sms are not sent from it, so I first performed all the manipulations with replenishing the account and choosing a tariff on the phone, and then moved the SIM card to the ipad.

When a month passes and the mobile Internet turns off - I again do the steps described above with a SIM card through the phone, and then I rearrange it to the iPad

and finally

How to call Russia from Vietnam?

type: +7 and a phone number without the first eight, for example: +7 495 3456789

The cost of 1 minute of a call to Russia is almost the same for all mobile operators: Vietel, Mobifon, Vinafon = 5,000 VND.

How to check account balance on phone in Vietnam?

Dial: * 101 # call

After that, an SMS will come with information about the state of the balance on the SIM card.

Vietnam has three large operators mobile communications GSM, which operate throughout the country and control 90% of the market. These are Mobifone, Vinaphone and Viettel. There is practically no difference in tariffs among them, except for a slight difference in coverage, but this applies only to any remote places. In all major tourist centers, the quality of communication is identical.

There is no internal roaming in Vietnam and, having bought a SIM card in Ho Chi Minh City, you can travel with it all over the country and use it in Hanoi at the same rates.

In this post, I will tell you where you can buy a SIM card, how to top up your balance, how to connect mobile Internet and how much it costs to call Russia. Information is current as of March 2019.

Tourist SIM card

If you arrived for a short time, then there is little point in buying regular sim card... A tourist one is suitable for you, which is sold at all airports, as well as in tourist information centers, for example, in the "Russian Information Center". With a tourist SIM card, you will receive a package of Internet and international calls, and after your departure it will simply stop working. A tourist SIM card will be more expensive than a regular one with the same traffic volume for about 100,000 VND, but in addition to traffic, you will receive minutes for calls to regular phones in other countries, as well as telephone support in several languages (unfortunately, not in Russian). Here are the prices and conditions for tourist SIM cards from the main operators:

Viettel:
The cost of the card is from 100,000 to 200,000 VND, plus you will need to activate one of the packages:

Price	Internet	Local calls	Inter-calls	Term of the work
100 000	1 GB	20 minutes	10 min	5 days
200 000	2 GB	40 minutes	20 minutes	10 days
300 000	3 GB	60 minutes	30 minutes	15 days
500 000	5 GB	100 minutes	50 minutes	25 days

Vinaphone:
A SIM card costs 300,000 VND and includes 8 GB of internet, 80 local minutes, 80 SMS and 50 minutes for calls to other countries. The SIM card will work for 30 days.

Mobifone:
This SIM card has its own brand Way2go Vietnam. It costs 250,000 VND and includes 6 GB of internet, 60 local minutes, 100 local SMS and 30 minutes for international calls. It will work for 30 days.

It is much faster to issue a tourist SIM card than a regular one. This could be another reason for buying it. But if you come to Vietnam for several months, then you will need to issue a regular SIM card.

Where can I buy a regular SIM card

It used to be easy to buy a SIM card in Vietnam, they were sold even in the smallest street shops. Locals bought them with their passports and resold them. After November 2016, when the authorities blocked more than 12 million of these SIM cards, it is very difficult to find them. It is easier to go to the operator's office and apply for a SIM card there. Do not believe if they tell you that only a Vietnamese can issue a SIM card, I personally issued a SIM card in the operator's salon in Nha Trang for my own passport and there were no problems. Mobifone, Vinaphone and Viettel call shops can be easily found on Google maps.

Balance replenishment

You can top up your balance at the cash desks of chain stores (for example, VinMart), and you can also buy top-up cards at private roadside shops. We just say “Mobifon Fifty Fauzend”, which means that we have a Mobifone operator and we want to deposit 50,000 VND into our account. And they give us a card for this amount. To replenish the account, erase the protective layer from the card and see the code. Card activation instructions are written on the card itself. For Mobifon it is: * 100 * code number # call, find out the balance: * 101 # call.

When you request an SMS with a balance, you will receive a lot of different numbers - do not be alarmed, in addition to the main account, you have promo accounts. Here is a transcript of the cryptic abbreviations:

TKC - “tài khoản chính” (main account, your money): you can spend this money to connect different services and to make calls to other networks.
KM1 - “Khuyến mại 1” (promo account 1): used for on-net calls, SMS, MMS and more.
KM2 - "Khuyến mại 2" (promo account 2): used for calls, SMS, MMS and others within the VNPT network (Mobifone, Vinaphone).
KM3 - "Khuyến mại 3" (promo account 3): used for calls, SMS, MMS and other things inside Vietnam (seemingly to all local operators, but not sure exactly).

When the main account is empty, promo accounts are not valid.

Mobile Internet in Vietnam

All major cellular operators in Vietnam provide services mobile internet according to the 4G standard. The quality of the Internet is so good that in some cases it can act as a substitute bad internet In a hotel.

About tariffs and how to connect traffic packages, it is written on the websites of operators. In order to make it more convenient for you, I have written out some packages with the cost and instructions for connecting here.

Vinaphone:
- 5 GB for 70,000 VND - SMS "DK DMAX" to 888;
- 9 GB for 100,000 VND - SMS "DK DMAX100" to 888;
- 20 GB for 200,000 VND - SMS "DK DMAX200" to 888.
Mobifone:
- 3.8 GB for 70,000 VND - SMS "DK HD70" for 999;
- 5.5 GB for 90,000 VND - SMS "DK HD90" for 999;
- 8.8 GB for 1 20 000 VND - SMS "DK HD120" for 999;
- 16.5 GB for 200,000 VND - SMS "DK HD200" for 999.
Viettel:
- 3 GB for 70,000 dongs - SMS "Mimax70" for 191;
- 5 GB for 9 0 000 VND - SMS "Mimax90" for 191;
- 8 GB for 125,000 dongs - SMS "Mimax125" for 191;
- 15 GB for 200,000 VND - SMS "Mimax200" to 191.

Vinaphone: https://my.vinaphone.com.vn/Payment/Introduce4G;
Viettel: https://www.vietteltelecom.vn/di-dong/goi-cuoc-3g (no English, use Google translator).

If your phone does not automatically connect to the Internet, then here are the settings for the main operators:

Vinaphone:

Name: Vinaphone
APN (access point): m3-world
Username: mms
Password: mms

Mobifone:

Name: Mobi Gprs
APN (Access Point): m-wap
Username: mms
Password: mms

Viettel:

Name: Viettel
APN (Access Point): V-Internet

If these settings do not help, then you will need to contact a mobile operator's salon or a store that sells mobile phones and ask you to set up your mobile Internet. Fortunately, more and more phones automatically get all the settings.

International calls

In the era of instant messengers, call normal communication to another country - a little strange. But still, there are times when there is no other way. To save on a call, it is better to use VoIP - this is when a call to another country goes through the Internet, although for you everything looks as if you are just making a call from your phone. The difference, however, between such a call and a regular international call in Vietnam is not big: for example, Mobifone VoIP to Russia costs 3,960 VND per minute. A regular international call will cost 4 114 VND. Approximately the same cost for calls to Ukraine and Kazakhstan, and slightly more expensive to Belarus. Prices are for all Russian numbers, except for those with the operator code 954. For this unlucky code, the price is 5-6 times higher. The same for Belarusian codes 33344 and 602.

Mobifone and Vinaphone have VoIP. To call via Mobifone dial 131 + 00 + country code + phone number. To call via Vinaphone 171 + 00 + country code + phone number.

Today, a person is tied to the phone as never before and the first thing you think about while traveling is how to save money on communications: activate roaming, buy a local or tourist SIM card, or even make calls only via the Internet.

Mobile communications in Vietnam good and cheap, so it is worth getting a local sim card even if you are visiting for a short time. The estimated cost of calls from Vietnamese SIM cards to Russia is up to 11 rubles. They are sold everywhere: from stands at the airport to newsstands in the city, but if there is a need to purchase a nano or microcard, it is better to go to stores that specialize in the sale of mobile phones, where they can probably cut it off. There you can also buy a ready-made SIM card of the required size. There are three main mobile operators in Vietnam: Viettel, Vinafone, Mobifone. The cost of a SIM card ranges from 70 thousand to 130 thousand dongs, which is approximately 230-420 rubles. Part of this money will be transferred to the main account. At some points of sale, you must have a passport with you. You can replenish your account in the same places where SIM cards are sold: after buying a payment card, you need to erase the protective layer and dial * 100 * code from the card # call on your phone (instructions are on each card).

When buying a SIM card or a top-up card, it is recommended to check the cost on the label. Often, locals try to cash in on tourists, voicing a completely different amount from the one indicated on the card. There is no commission for replenishment: if you bought a card with a face value of 50 thousand dong, then this amount will be credited to your account.

It is better to activate the SIM card immediately at the point of sale, since the menu will be in Vietnamese. Or you can call 900, after which activation details will be sent to your phone. If you plan to live in Vietnam for a long time, then you should know that the SIM card is active for 2-3 months from the moment last call or replenishment of the account.

After activating VinaPhone, standard 3g Internet is automatically connected, but with high tariffs, therefore it is recommended to connect an unlimited Internet package. For Viettel and Mobifone 3G, the Internet is connected via SMS to short numbers 161 (3G ON) and 999 (DK MIU). In brackets is the text to be specified in the SMS.

List of emergency and other required numbers:

When you call the help desk, you do not need to know the Vietnamese language; operators with knowledge of English and French work on the line.

Outside the country, calls are made in the international format: + country code - city code (only for landline telephones) - phone number. To call Russia on mobile phone you need to dial +79120000000.

If you need to call Vietnam from another country or make a call within the country, the number will start with +84 (this is the Vietnam code). To access an international line, use two zeros (00 + 84), and one zero (0 + 84) for an intercity line.

Another option is to use IP telephony. To do this, you need to dial 171 + 00 + country code + city code or immediately the phone number if it is a mobile one.

There is no internal roaming in Vietnam, so you can safely travel all over the country with one SIM card.

Mobile Internet in Vietnam is in great demand, moreover, 4g coverage appeared at the end of 2015. At points of sale of SIM cards, you can buy a modem and set up access.

In this case, payment for mobile Internet occurs using unlimited traffic packages. This connection guarantees you good internet with good speed, but only until you reach the limit of traffic. Then the speed drops.

Almost all hotels and cafes have the opportunity to connect to free Wi-Fi, and in some cities (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) Wi-Fi catches even on crowded streets. You can easily find an Internet cafe or use a computer with network access at post offices. The fee in such establishments varies up to 20 thousand dongs per hour (about 65 rubles at the current exchange rate).

The main provider of fixed internet is Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group, which includes mobile operators Vinafone, Mobifone. The quality of the Internet is generally quite low, although access is available almost everywhere. The best connection in Ho Chi Minh City where you can watch videos online. Month of connection unlimited internet via ADSL modem will cost about 450 rubles.

Despite the fact that cellular and Internet services are inferior to those in Russia, it is profitable to use local SIM cards, and Internet access can be found in every home.

Happy travels!

Coming to Vietnam for the first time, many tourists think that the Internet and cellular communication in Nha Trang is poorly developed. "Indeed, what to expect from an underdeveloped country where the war has recently ended?" But in reality, everything is just the opposite, and cellular communication in Nha Trang, the Internet and wifi, 3G Internet are very well developed.

The main three mobile operators in Nha Trang are Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone. SIM cards of these operators are sold most often in the tourist area of Nha Trang and you can easily buy them just by walking along the city streets.

How much does a SIM card cost in Nha Trang and where to buy it?

You won't have any problems with this. From the moment of your arrival at the airport of Nha Trang - Cam Ranh, which we talked about in this one, on your way you will come across a sign with the words "SIM card sale" or simply "SIM - CARD".

The cost of a SIM card in Nha Trang of any operator is on average 5 USD. Usually, the account already has an amount in the region of 50 thousand dongs.

How many minutes you can speak for this money, we will talk below.

And yet, where is it better to buy a SIM card in Nha Trang? Let's just say that according to Vietnamese laws, only a resident of Vietnam can buy a SIM card.

Therefore, in the official representative offices of cellular operators, a Russian tourist will not just sell a SIM card.

Except for special maps for tourists. But their cost is around 12 USD and buying them if your vacation is less than 30 days, it probably does not make sense.

Although their advantage is that a certain amount of Internet traffic is already included there and international calls are cheaper. More details can be found on the operator's website.

But as mentioned above, you can buy a sim card without any problems in the offices of travel agencies, pharmacies, shops and roadside stalls on the streets of the main tourist zone in Nha Trang. (Streets Nguyen Thien Thoat, Hung Vuong and Tran Phu).

In fact, these are ordinary Vietnamese dealers of sim cards, who issue them in their own name, and then sell them to you. Take a walk along these streets or buy a sim card at the airport.

Sometimes it happens that buying a sim card for 5 USD does not have the above-mentioned amount of money on it. Intermediaries simply sell you a zero SIM card, which you then need to replenish.

Therefore, before buying, please check this moment... Often, some of the guides of large tour operators do this.

But even if you bought a zero SIM card, do not be upset, then we will tell you how you can replenish it.

Which mobile operator to choose and tariffs for cellular communication in Nha Trang

As mentioned above, there are 3 main mobile operators in Vietnam: Viettel, MobiFone and Vinaphone.

SIM cards are sold in different sizes: regular, micro and nano sim cards. Therefore, the issue of “circumcision” will not be acute for you.

And if necessary, then at any corner you can crop for free 🙂

There is no fundamental difference which sim card to buy in Nha Trang. All operators have approximately the same tariffs for communication services both within the network and roaming to Russia.

The quality of communication for all operators in Nha Trang is the same.

Tariffs for cellular communication in Nha Trang

All operators have the same tariffs for calls from a Vietnamese SIM card to a Vietnamese SIM card:

1000-1200 VND per minute from one Vietnamese operator to another Vietnamese operator
300-500 VND per minute for calls to the same Vietnamese operators
200-300 and 2500-3000 dongs for sms messages for Vietnamese SIM cards and international SIM cards, respectively.
5000-7000 VND for international calls

Tariffs for calls to Russia and CIS countries, except Estonia (often Estonian numbers are available to owners of tourist sim cards) are 5000-8000 VND per minute.

If you do not plan to call home, then this money is more than enough for the entire vacation, of course, if you do not spend everything on 3G Internet. How it is profitable to connect it, just below.

The approximate equality of the operators' tariffs relieves us of the burden of choosing between them, so below we give some recommendations on which to rely on tariffs.

Please note that calls to SIM cards of the same operators are very beneficial. This is useful if you plan to communicate frequently with each other.

You can read the exact tariffs for cellular communication on the official websites of the operators.

How to connect 3G - Internet in Nha Trang and how much does it cost

When buying tourist sim cards from Viettel and MobiFone operators, you do not need to configure anything.

Also, a certain amount of traffic in the region of 1 -1.5 GB is already connected there. So just insert the sim card into your phone and use it.

If you bought a regular SIM card and plan to use 3G, then we highly recommend using packages, otherwise your money will quickly disappear from your account.

How to set up 3G internet on Viettel

Mimax to the room 191 ... Cost 70 thousand dong, included 600 MB

How to set up 3G Internet on MobiFone

to connect a 3G package, you need to send an SMS with the word CAIDAT DATA to the room 999

other packages are connected by analogy. Tariffs

How to set up 3G Internet on Vinaphone

to connect a 3G package, you need to send an SMS with the word DK MAX to the room 888 ... The default package price is 70 thousand dong, 600 MB included

other packages are connected by analogy. Tariffs

Usually, all operators charge 200 VND for 1 MB for overruns.

How to check balance on a Vietnamese sim card

Command * 101 # call - to check the balance for all operators. After entering this command, you will see many different accounts on the screen.

Remember you should always be interested in the first account in line. This is the main account and if its balance is zero, then other accounts will not help and communication will be unavailable.

The remaining accounts are bonus accounts, and we do not recommend loading your head on this account.

Command * 102 # call - to check the remaining number of included megabytes for 3G. If you have included a package.

How to top up the balance of a Vietnamese sim card

To replenish the balance of the Vietnamese sim card, special recharge cards... They are sold in the same place as the sim card.

Its face value is equal to its value, for example, a recharge card for 50 thousand dongs also costs 50 thousand dong.

Very often we are asked questions in terms of cellular communication in Vietnam .

We will try to briefly and clearly answer all questions swinging mobile communications in Vietnam.

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

Moreover, some Russian operators there is no normal coverage area of the territory of Vietnam at all, providing proper work.

With services from cellular operator MTS is doing a little better, but the payment for such services will be high, however, like other mobile operators.

Therefore, we answer: "Better to buy a SIM card from a local mobile operator"

Considering the issue of the cost of a mobile service , then all of the aforementioned operators charge the same fees for their services. There is no difference.

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

Answering this question, let's say this, firstly, do not buy SIM cards at the airport or 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 sum. One and a half, or even more times.

Secondly, you can buy a SIM card and activate it immediately upon arrival in the city ... There are a lot of shops and departments of cellular communication 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 pay no more than 60.000 VND or 2,84$ ... Translated into rubles, there is a SIM card within 100 rubles ( 91 rub.). The internal balance of the SIM card will be about 160.000 VND or 7.58$ (242 rub.)

Let's make a reservation right away that it is better to call Russia from Vietnam than vice versa, because a call to Vietnam will cost a Russian subscriber within 100 RUB / min It's cheaper to write sms, but they're not worth it.

A minute of conversation with Russia from a Vietnamese SIM card costs within 5.000 VND ( 0,24$ ) or within 10 rubles ( 8 rub.)

The cheapest way to talk is not through a mobile connection, but using additional service in post offices. A minute of talking on the phone will cost 4.000 VND ( 0,19$ ), and this 6 rubles. But then again, this is creepy as inconvenient. We'll have to look for mail.

For example, you bought a SIM card in Ho Chi Minh City and went to travel from the south of the country to the north of Vietnam to Hanoi. And then the thought arises, what if internal roaming is in effect in Vietnam, and upon arrival in another city, the cost of an on-net call with my friends traveling in Vietnam will cost much more?

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

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

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

One more point. In order not to lose a foreigner, many prudent tourists carry his photocopy with them. So, when registering a SIM card some cellular operators require the original document while for others it does not matter.

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.

Cellular operator in Vietnam	Official site
Viettel	www.vietteltelecom.vn
Beeline	www.gmobile.vn
Vinaphone	www.vinaphone.com.vn
Mobifone	www.mobifone.com.vn/portal/vn

For example, we can talk about tariff plans cellular operator "Viettel". All information about tariffs and additions to them is hidden at this address:

http://www.vietteltelecom.vn/di-dong

"VIP Tariff Plan"

For those who are constantly forced to "hang" on the phone. For businessmen and those who arrived in Vietnam on a business trip.

Provides the possibility of free talk within the network
The first 200 minutes of conversation per month will be free
The first 100 SMS messages per month are also free
Tariff without monthly fee
If the call limit is exceeded for more than 200 minutes. within the Viettel network - 790 VND / min.
If the call limit is exceeded for more than 200 minutes. another cell phone operator in Vietnam - 890 VND / min.
International calls - 3.600 VND / min. *
MMS messages 500 VND / 1 message
SMS message when the monthly limit of 100 sms is exceeded (within the network) - 300 VND / 1 message.
SMS message when the monthly limit of 100 sms is exceeded (by another cellular operator in Vietnam) - 350 VND / 1 message
SMS messages to other countries - 2.500 VND / 1 message