Motorbike Theft and Parking in Vietnam

Motorbike Theft and Parking in Vietnam
Motorbike theft isn’t a big problem in Vietnam, especially outside of the big cities and when compared to Western countries. The main reason for this is that it is so easy to park securely. The bike should always be with you, inside a hotel or in a paid motorbike parking lot.

But when you are in a big city then it will be important to park in the right place. The bigger the city, the more thieves there are. Thieves in Vietnam are not likely to forcefully take a bike in the day or in a crowd. It is much more likely that a bike is stolen at night or when it is parked alone without anyone around. 

To avoid this the bike should only ever be in 3 places. 

1 – Keep the bike with you. 

If you go to a restaurant or coffee shop then park outside, there will often be a security guard or keep it in eye sight then it is safe. If it is a small waterfall or viewpoint in the countryside without a parking lot or guard then this will usually be in a quiet area where it is safe to leave the bike there without risk. 

2 – A paid parking lot. 

If you are going to a popular sight or attraction then there will be a paid parking lot nearby which you should park at which has a ticket system and a security guard. 

Around the larger cities if you want to walk around then you will need to find a parking lot as well. You can search on Google Maps or look for groups of bikes parked with a security guard. You will learn what they look like very quickly. 

Never just leave the bike on its own and leave the area. 

3 – Inside the homestay or hotel.

Outside of the largest cities then homestays and hotels will have a gated area for parking bikes. Failing this they might put the bikes inside. In the large cities then space is a premium and they won’t offer this. So ask for the nearest paid parking. 

If you ask the staff then they will tell you what is the safe option to do. 

What not to do

Don’t leave the bike on its own in a city and presume it will be safe, especially overnight. The bikes come with a lock but if someone knows how to steal a bike then they will know how to break a lock. This can be much quicker and quieter than you think. 

Don’t park outside of a hotel on the street without checking with the hotel that it is safe to do so. If they accept responsibility for its safety then it is ok but without a 24 hour security guard there is always a risk. The bigger the city, the bigger the risk.

Helmets and Equipment

These items should not be left on the bike, even in paid parking overnight. Security guards are making sure that the bikes are safe but they aren’t checking which helmet or other property is on which bike. 

Even in a homestay or remote area where it is safe then it’s not good to leave things on the bike unless it is under shelter. There is nothing like waking up to a wet helmet after a heavy rain overnight. 

If you have a full face helmet then you can always use the lock to secure the helmet to the bike. It is also generally safe to leave a helmet on a bike during the day in a paid parking or at a restaurant but unfortunately there is no guarantee so use your own judgement on this.