Gift giving is a common practice in Vietnam and is not seen as any sort of bribery; these thank-you gifts do not need to be expensive and should be seen as a small token of your appreciation.
It can be surprising how genuinely thankful the Vietnamese can be when you present them with small gifts, it puts you in good stead for further negotiations, there are a few options available.
- Flowers
- Chocolates/candy
- Fruit
One of the most effective gifts that you can give them, are small souvenirs that represent your home country. For example if you are from Australia buy a dozen or so, small key-rings, with kangaroo's, koalas, boomerang's etc, they only cost a few dollars each.
Go to the lengths of wrapping them up in a box with bright wrapping paper. This sort of approach will earn you loads of "brownie-points", far more than what it cost you to purchase these types of gifts, it is a terrific investment for the future