The airport is a decent one with the new terminal. For those who whine about having to hand out money to get in and out. STOP WHINING!!! They are nice enough to ask for your money. In India and Russia, they don't ask you. They rob you. You don't want to go back in the near future? Make it forever! We can live without whiners.

Watch out the taxi driver's gross demand, if you arrive at night. A driver asked me US $20.00 for a trip to my hotel, in the center of the City. On my way back to the airport, a hotel employee arranged a taxi for me and cost only US $6.00

I'm Vietnamese-American, just came back here on Feb 19/09. Have I been through Hell and come back? Yes. It's that kind of feeling after I passed custom there without giving them some money. I had not have any problems in my enter since I put some money in my passport, but it's totally opposite when I left without giving them some money. Guess what? They will only do this with Vietnamese.

My nick name is TT, a Vietnamese-American, had come back to Vietnam for the Lunar New Year of 2009 and returned to the USA on Feb 04,2009. When I checked in my luggage (10 boxes of a group of 5 people), I was informed that mine needed to be double-checked; then was ordered to come into the scanned- room. My friends and I went in and the officer there asked my friends to leave the room and signaled me for money (I thought this practice long gone). To avoid hassle with opening and repackaging those boxes (most of them food) I gave him 300,000 VND; he looked at me and said that it's too little compared to my stuffs. I was so angry and ashamed with "my people", but of course I cannot denied his request. After my "payment" was made, every thing was going smoothly. I got out of that room speechless and kept on wondering myself "is that policy applied only to Vietnamese-Americans or to all people who pass by Tan Son Nhat and want to get out of the airport with a peaceful mind?" What an international airport it is! I don't think I will come back for another visit in the near future since I don't want to experience the same thing again. I need time to forget and regain my pride and respect for my people and country. Poor my Vietnamese and Vietnam!

Nice open airport. Customs were very efficient and all luggage arrived quickly. Far better than my experiences elsewhere. I'ts a great city now known as Ho Chi Minh; low expenses and great food.