🇹🇭 Thailand vs. 🇻🇳 Vietnam: The Brutally Honest Travel Showdown You Didn’t Know You Needed
I've lived, laughed, sweated, and side-eyed my way through both — here's the real tea.
Let’s get one thing straight: I loved both Thailand and Vietnam. But love without judgment? That’s just delusion. And baby, I earned the right to judge after budgeting like a broke baddie, Google translating every meal, and spiritually spiraling at least once a week.
I island-hopped in Thailand and risked death crossing the street in Hanoi. I danced on beaches that looked like postcards and walked past beaches that looked like someone’s crime scene. I cried over broken rice and briefly considered opening a coffee shop in Hội An and never looking back.
So no, this ain’t your basic travel guide. This is the tea, the trauma, and the truth from a Black girl who’s been there, done that, and still has the mosquito bites and therapy receipts to prove it.
1. First Impressions
Vietnam: You don’t just arrive in Vietnam. Vietnam happens to you fast, loud, and with zero emotional preparation. Ho Chi Minh City slaps you awake with street vendors yelling, scooters flying at you from every direction, and iced coffee that hits like a love affair, strong, sweet, and slightly dangerous. Hanoi? Baby, that’s not a city, that’s a test of will. Crossing the street is a leap of faith. Breathing feels optional. It’s chaos with character.
Thailand: Thailand greets you like an emotionally available lover. The airport is organized. The taxis show up. The ATMs work. Within ten minutes, you’re holding a fresh coconut and believing in inner peace again. It’s like switching to a skincare routine that delivers: suddenly, your nervous system stops clenching.
🧠 Winner: Vietnam, for the high drama. But Thailand? She’s that calm ex you circle back to after your situationship with chaos falls apart.
2. Food
Thailand: The food came to fight with flavor, spice, and maybe a little digestive trauma. Mango sticky rice? Legendary. But order “Thai spicy” and you’ll meet your ancestors on the bathroom floor.
Vietnam: Bo ne for breakfast, banh mi for the soul, and herbs on everything. Vietnamese food is fresh, balanced, and somehow makes you feel healthier while eating like a linebacker. That banh xeo? Life-changing. I almost proposed.
🍜 Winner: Vietnam. This isn’t street food. This is therapy wrapped in rice paper.
3. Transportation
Thailand: Functional, friendly, and mostly air-conditioned. Grab shows up. Trains run. You might be delayed, but you’ll live.
Vietnam: I took a sleeper bus from Hanoi to Hoi An that felt like a near-death experience on wheels. Every bump? A trauma flashback. Every turn? A potential eulogy. It was giving Final Destination with fluorescent lighting.
🚌 Winner: Thailand, no contest. Vietnam owes me compensation and a chiropractor.
4. Nature & Scenery
Thailand: Nature came to slay. Think turquoise water, jungle hikes, and limestone cliffs designed for thirst traps. Even the trees are trying to seduce you.
Vietnam: Ninh Binh is easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It’s like someone dropped you into a living watercolor painting.
Hoi An? Magical. Lantern-lit streets, riverfront charm, and an energy that whispers, you should stay forever.
🌿 Winner: Vietnam, because she’s got range.
5. City Life vs. Charm
Thailand: Bangkok is the love child of Vegas and a humid fever dream. Skybars, sex shows, food stalls, and the constant possibility of seeing someone do backflips in traffic. You don’t visit Bangkok—you survive her.
Vietnam: Hanoi is chaotic good. Loud, moody, full of edge. HCMC? Slept on and smooth. Less noise, more soul. It’s the kind of city that takes care of you if you let it.
🏙️ Winner: Split. Bangkok for wild nights, HCMC for soft mornings, and working wifi.
6. Beaches
Thailand: Koh Phi Phi? Stunning. Rawai? Gorgeous. Phuket? A little over it, but still has her moments. Pattaya? That beach looked like a landfill had a baby with a frat party. I said what I said.
Vietnam: Da Nang? Gave Miami vibes, but make it Vietnamese and chill. Less flash, more function. A solid city beach with a laid-back rhythm. Mui Ne? Baby, I wanted to like you. But the beach looked like it had been through a breakup: trash, sad water, zero energy.
🏖️ Winner: Thailand, with a public apology requested from Pattaya. Da Nang gets an honorable mention for trying to keep it cute.
7. People & Hospitality
Thailand: Even when they’re annoyed, they’re polite about it. You can be lost, sweaty, and three mango shakes deep, and someone will still stop to help you. It’s like the whole country runs on calm.
Vietnam: I met some beautiful, kind souls. But also? A lot of unnecessary rudeness. I never expected to be side-eyed for asking where the bus was.
🤝 Winner: Thailand, but Vietnamese hospitality showed up in unexpected, beautiful ways when it mattered.
8. Affordability
Thailand: Still cheap but not that cheap once you start adding massages, day trips, and overpriced cocktails.
Vietnam: Queen of the backpacker budget. I lived like a baller on $20/day and still had weed money left over.
💸 Winner: Vietnam. Frugal baddies, rise up.
9. Nightlife
Thailand: Buckets of booze, fire dancers, beach ragers. Enough said.
Vietnam: Bia hoi culture is cute. Hanoi’s beer corner is a war zone disguised as a good time. HCMC had some fun surprises.
🌙 Winner: Thailand. For partying, she’s That Girl.
10. Weed Scene (Yes, We’re Going There)
Thailand: “Legal-ish.” Dispensaries are everywhere, but the laws keep changing. Now it’s “medical use only,” and tourists need prescriptions. Which means: pay more to puff. It’s giving government cash grab with a side of confusion. I’m good.
Vietnam: Technically illegal. But with the right vibes and the right plug? I was puffing in alleys, on rooftops, on beaches quietly, discreetly, and without issue.
🌿 Winner: Vietnam for the thrill, Thailand for the convenience.
11. Long-Term Vibes
Vietnam: I loved her at first sight. But after two months? The romance wore off. The service turned shady, the scooters got louder, and I was one honk away from a full-blown public breakdown.
Thailand: More consistent. Easier to live in. Feels like a soft place to land when you need a break from the madness.
🕰️ Winner: Thailand. She’s the one you come back to.
12. Black Girl Friendly?
Let’s be clear—Southeast Asia isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Black women. But not all stares hit the same.
Thailand: I felt seen. Maybe not celebrated, but at least… tolerated without the extras. Folks were generally kind, curious, and chill. No weird stares. No unprovoked scolding. I could move how I wanted without feeling like I didn’t belong.
Vietnam: Whew. I wanted to love it more. But as soon as I walked into a room, I could feel the shift. The stares were longer, the tone was sharper, and sometimes? The treatment was just flat-out disrespectful. There were moments when I didn’t just feel like a tourist—I felt like a disruption.
And let’s talk about colorism, because it’s loud over there. It’s baked deep into the beauty standards, like, why is there bleach in everything? Lotion? Face wash? Be serious. Skin-whitening products are everywhere.
At the beach, the women are wrapped up like sun-dodging ninjas in a post-apocalyptic horror flick. Hats, gloves, long sleeves—it's less “hot girl summer” and more “the sun must never find me.” The unspoken vibe? The whiter you are, the more worthy you are. And as a visibly Black woman, you feel that. Even when it’s subtle, it’s undeniable.
💅🏾 Winner: Thailand. For my melanated sisters, Thailand is simply a softer place to exist. Vietnam had its moments—but the microaggressions weren’t always micro, and the colorism? Loud.
Final Verdict
Vietnam gave me unforgettable food, jaw-dropping views, and a little PTSD from the transportation system.
Thailand? She came through with ease, beauty, balance, and a few beachside hangovers.
If you’re new to Southeast Asia, Start with Thailand.
If you want edge, adventure, and meals that will spiritually awaken you, Book Vietnam.
If you’re me: Do both. But bring probiotics, travel insurance, and a flexible relationship with your expectations.
Call to Action
Agree? Disagree? Hit the comments and let’s swap war stories.
Still debating where to go? Just book the damn flight. At the very least, you’ll come back with a story. Or a tattoo. Or both.