Video summary

ВЬЕТНАМ. ТУРИСТЫ МАССОВО ПОПАДАЮТ В ТЮРЬМЫ ИЗ-ЗА ОБЫЧНЫХ МЕЛОЧЕЙ. ПРОВЕРЬТЕ ИХ ПЕРЕД ОТПУСКОМ!

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News and Commentary

Overview

A lawyer with 20 years in the tourism industry (Igor Nekrasov) argues that many Russian (and other) tourists underestimate Vietnamese law because everyday life can look relaxed. He says “ordinary” tourist actions may lead not only to fines or deportation, but also to criminal charges, long detention, and—depending on the offense—the death penalty.

In his view, Vietnam enforces rules strictly and sometimes actively uses police/inspector discretion and digital/social media monitoring.

Main claims: “12 things” tourists should avoid (with examples)

1) Vapes / e-cigarettes (full ban from 2026)

  • He says Vietnam will fully ban e-cigarettes and related products starting Jan 1, 2026 (import, production, sale, storage, use).
  • He describes a honeymoon case where a couple had vapes in their baggage; customs confiscated them and imposed heavy fines.
  • He warns that under the new law certain quantities could be treated as smuggling (criminal liability).
  • Key advice: check current, country-specific import rules for the year, not generic “forbidden list” claims.

2) Any drugs (including marijuana)

  • He claims that as of July 1, 2025, drug use became a criminal offense (up to years in prison), including cases based on traces in urine.
  • He says police can use rapid urine testing, and refusal/positive results can lead to detention and a long process.
  • He adds that foreigners may face schemes on beaches where locals (possibly linked to authorities) encourage purchases and then present testing/protocols.
  • He frames drug enforcement as severe—citing real executions for drug crimes.

3) Criticizing the state/party online

  • He highlights Article 117 related to anti-state information/publishing/distribution, with 5–20 years possible.
  • He says Vietnam monitors social media at scale; foreigners’ comments can bring police contact and arrests/charges.
  • Example: a photographer posted photos about poverty with a caption implying criticism. Police demanded deletion and warned it was anti-state propaganda (he implies enforcement has tightened since).

4) Gambling

  • While “casinos are everywhere,” he claims foreigners may play only in licensed casino venues.
  • He says illegal gambling includes:
    • playing cards with money outside a licensed casino,
    • certain types of betting (e.g., cockfighting),
    • online poker while in Vietnam—even if the platform/server is outside Vietnam.
  • He describes a poker incident where hotel staff called police; the group was detained and fined, and he describes prison-like detention conditions.

5) Illegal currency exchange

  • He argues exchanging money at non-licensed locations (e.g., markets/exchange signs) can be treated as illegal currency operations.
  • Starting 2026, he claims only banks and licensed exchange offices may exchange foreign currency.
  • Example: a family exchanged at a market with a better rate. “Civilians” approached them (police), money was confiscated, and they faced a prolonged process before partial return plus penalties.

6) Pornography on devices

  • He claims pornography is prohibited in Vietnam and that content found on phones/laptops can become evidence if police inspect devices during another incident (accident, dispute, etc.).
  • Example: after a minor traffic incident, officers viewed gallery content, classified it as storing/possibly distributing obscene materials, issued a fine, and confiscated the phone during investigation.
  • Advice: remove potentially prohibited material before travel.

7) Drones and filming

  • He claims every drone flight requires permission from the Ministry of Defense (not merely tourist permission), including specific details per flight.
  • He warns filming near military/strategic areas can escalate from administrative violations to espionage-type criminal liability with severe penalties.
  • Example: a blogger flew a drone; local attention followed. Police seized the drone and kept the memory card, issuing a fine—he says “luck” prevented worse charges.
  • Practical advice: do not bring drones unless professionally approved months in advance.

8) Motorbike driving without the proper license

  • He says many tourists assume “everyone rides without papers,” but emphasizes enforcement risk and, especially, consequences after accidents.
  • He claims you need an international driver’s license with the correct category (or a proper Vietnamese license), otherwise you can be charged with driving without a license.
  • He stresses that insurance won’t pay if you’re unlicensed, and accidents with injuries/death can lead to criminal penalties.
  • Example: a tourist caused a collision while unlicensed; insurance refused, and the person faced major medical/compensation and remobilization costs.

9) Buying/exporting goods from protected animals

  • He says Vietnam follows CITES-like controls (CICA Convention) and bans trade in endangered wildlife products, including ivory-like items, horn, certain shells/scales, and more.
  • He argues customs uses X-ray and expert examination at departure; tourists may be detained at the airport when items are identified as prohibited.
  • Example: a teacher bought an item described as bone/legit. Customs expert identified it as ivory, leading to detention, confiscation, fines, and additional time/costs.
  • Advice: avoid souvenirs resembling bone/horn/shell/scale/fang/claw, regardless of seller explanations.

10) Overstaying or expired visa

  • He claims penalties tightened starting Jan 1, 2026 (higher fines and longer stays leading to deportation and entry bans).
  • He emphasizes that an overstayer is technically in illegal stay status, which can lead to detention during document checks—even if you plan to “fix it later.”
  • Example: a couple’s flight cancellation caused a delay. They were detained at departure, fined, and later rejected for a future e-visa due to a database flag.
  • Advice: apply to extend before expiry through immigration; paying at the border doesn’t “reset” the record.

11) Drunk driving and intoxicated behavior

  • He states zero tolerance for drinking and driving (since Dec 2024): even small alcohol levels can be treated as a violation.
  • He details fines, vehicle confiscation, license deprivation, and severe criminal penalties if accidents/casualties occur—plus insurance denial.
  • For public intoxication, he says patrols detain people quickly; repeat offenses may lead to deportation paperwork.
  • Example: a birthday incident led to charges for damaging property and public disorder while intoxicated, fines, and overnight detention. He says a database mark can affect future travel.

12) Working remotely without the correct authorization

  • He argues that being physically in Vietnam while performing work functions remotely can still be treated as illegal labor activity.
  • He claims Vietnam has conducted raids in coworking spaces frequented by digital nomads—checking visas and job/work activity.
  • He says calls/emails/code/video conferences can be treated as work activity.
  • Example: a programmer on a tourist visa worked for a Russian IT company from a coworking space; he was fined and ordered to leave, and later refused a visa again due to the record.
  • Advice: if working remotely more than ~two weeks, use the appropriate visa; don’t do it publicly or brag about it.

“Bonus story”: the real incident behind the video

He explains why he made the video: a normal older client (or his wife on his behalf) called him in November 2025 after the husband was detained at customs at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

  • They bought a snake tincture bottle with a cobra inside from a local market excursion, believing it was legal.
  • At airport X-ray/customs, the bottle was treated as a protected-species wildlife product (a cobra species was mentioned as protected), triggering Article 244 concerns.
  • The husband was detained for days in a temporary holding cell; the interpreter/translations were not equivalent to legal representation, and consular help was limited.
  • A lawyer reclassified the charge to a lesser offense (acquisition without intent to sell), reducing exposure from years to a large administrative-type penalty.

Even so, the outcome still involved:

  • major total costs (lawyer fees, return ticket(s), days in detention, confiscation),
  • a ruined schedule/vacation,
  • major stress for the family.

Overall conclusion / opinion

The speaker’s core message is that Vietnam’s enforcement can turn everyday tourist behavior into criminal exposure, largely because:

  • some laws are strict or have recently tightened,
  • police/inspectors use discretion (e.g., quantity interpretation for vapes/drugs, “strategic zones” for drones),
  • evidence can come from phones, devices, social media, and device checks.

He frames it as “respect the rules because you are a guest,” emphasizing pre-flight legal checking—imports/what’s prohibited, personal-device contents, visa dates, drone rules, license validity, and more.

Presenters / contributors

  • Igor Nekrasov — lawyer, tourism industry professional (main presenter)

Original video