In order to avoid the odor of cigarette smoke annoying other guests, many hotels in Vietnam do not allow smoking inside the rooms. 

However, smoking rooms are also available in most of the big hotels and some smaller hostels. 

For further information about these rooms, you can check out the terms and conditions on their booking sites or ask the hotel’s receptionist directly.

Restaurants, bars and coffee shops in Vietnam usually have open-air design so that they are quite welcoming of smokers. 

If you want to know if you can smoke or not, ask for an ashtray. If they provide you with one, then you can smoke.

 If they don’t they will be sure to let you know that smoking isn’t allowed which is rare in outside cafes or restaurants.

 Other guests may be annoyed even if the cafe or restaurant permits smoking. I suggest using common sense and try your best not to be rude.       

Universities and schools will have a separate place for smoking that will most likely be in a hidden area from the students or slightly off campus. 

This would be important to know for many expats moving to Vietnam for a teaching position.  

No Smoking Sign displayed in Public in Vietnam

No Smoking Sign In Vietnam

Places where you cannot smoke in Vietnam!

Hospitals

Gas stations

Children’s zones

Public transport

Airports

In terms of airports, smoking is allowed but restricted to specific rooms in the airport. There are very few smoking rooms that you can find there. For instance,

 in Tan Son Nhat international airport, there are only three rooms for smokers – one in the domestic terminal and the two others in the international terminal.

Smoking is totally banned in the other locations mentioned above, including indoor and outdoor spaces. 

The government requires smoking restrictions for such places in order to improve population health as well as fire prevention. 

The penalty for lighting a cigarette at these places ranges from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand VND so I wouldn’t recommend trying it.

Local Vietnam cigarette shop

Mom and Pop shop that sells cigarettes and other goods

What should you know about Smoking in Vietnam?

Just like drinking, the legal age in Vietnam to smoke is 18. For those who are under 18, they are not allowed to smoke, buy and sell tobacco products. 

It’s also illegal to sell nicotine and tobacco products for them.

In Vietnam, you can find both domestic and international tobacco brands. The most popular are Jet, Hero, Craven A, State Express 555, Sai Gon,

 Khanh Hoi and Vinataba. For more expensive brands like Marlboro and Dunhill, you can find them at convenience stores.

A pack of cigarettes in Vietnam costs you approximately from 20,000 VND to 30,000 VND. Surprisingly cheap, isn’t it?

Notice that Vietnamese cigarettes are considerably “strong”, which means they contain a high amount of nicotine, even with filters.

 If you are not a heavy smoker and prefer light cigarettes, Dunhill is a good option.