A lot of foreigners and expats, stay connected with their family and friends overseas even while working abroad. Local and international phone calls and SMS are cheap and easy to find, especially in a city that is as welcoming to multi-cultures as Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, there are a multitude of international calling cards available from street vendors that offer discounted rates depending on what country you are calling to. The international country code for Vietnam is +84. To make a landline call, use the city prefix then dial the number. 

Several online services are also available. The most well-known and efficient of these are Skype, Rebtel, Voiplip, Viber, FaceDial, Fring and Whatsapp. These online calling platforms work very well on laptops, tablets and smartphones with good Wi-Fi connections. Depending on their function, these services have the ability to make free calls over 3/4G or Wi-Fi.

For information on living in Saigon go to Saigon: Not Yet a Tourism Hub