It is a vibrant and colourful city that was once the heart of the French colonisation of Vietnam. This modern city is packed with lively entertainment venues include some of a more adult nature. In this guide, we take a look at the sex scene of Ho Chi Minh City including the hostess and KTV bars, barber shop brothels and erotic massage parlours.
We also look at the laws on prostitution as well as the escorting scene. In Vietnam, prostitution is illegal with the law being explicit about what is prohibited.
Buying and selling sex are both forbidden as are all activities relating to prostitution, including owning a service related business for sex-work, pimping and running a brothel. Despite the very clear laws, prostitution in Vietnam, especially in cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, is very common. This is due, in part, to the fact that policing of prostitution can be quite casual.
Most infringements of the law result in administrative fines being handed out rather than any criminal proceedings. Official figures suggest that there are just 20, prostitutes working in the country though independent studies estimate the true figure to be ten to twenty times this amount.
Conservative estimates suggest that Ho Chi Minh City has anywhere from 2, to 20, sex workers providing services to both locals and tourists. Though Vietnam is no Thailand when it comes to sex tourism, the growing number of visitors to the country is underpinning a rising demand for prostitution in Ho Chi Minh City.
