So we we hoped that the requirement for bribes would have gone away with the new airport but they are still there.
At least entering the country was the easiest I have ever seen. No hassles or bribes required to get in for the first time. Back in 1999 you needed to place USD$5 in your passport (a lot of money for them back then) in order to prevent from being hassled. Now entering was like any other airport even with the amount of luggage we had.
Exiting was fine for me because I am white and given a free pass from having to bribe my way out. My partner was hassled for a long time about extra paperwork about the hotels he stayed at, special forms, etc., etc. and actually argued with them but the agent would came up with a new reason why he could not let him through. Finally, he gave in and gave the agent 50K Dong for Christmas and was let right through. Even though this is very normal practice this upsets us very much but we were warned by his mother that this bribe is still required from expats. Any idea when this practice will finally stop and if non-Asian travelers are ever required to bribe agents at the airport.