Tattoo places in HCMC?

For tatoo's you might be better served by a trip to Thailand.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but I am under the impression that Vietnam really doesn't have a strong tatoo culture. It's not that you an't get one in Vietnam. I'm sure you can. I just don't think it is the type of culture that puts an emphasis on tatoo's although i have seen some very nice ones there sported by both locals and travelers.
Can't vouch for cleanliness. You'll have to assess that on your own.
If you find a good one let us know.

good luck

I cringe when I think of needles and Vietnam in the same sentence...scary proposition,..

Half a million people in Vietnam have AIDS, and 10% of the poulation of Saigon has hepatitis. Tim, #2 above, is right, don't even THINK about getting a tattoo in Vietnam.

Where your flip flops in the sand too....discarded needles are not uncommon.

#3 I believe your figures on AIDs are not accurate,UN says that at the end of 2005 14,428 Vietnamese have aids most of which are drug users (who also would be a large part of the hepatitis infected you mentioned).You can google (aids in vietnam) the info is in the first site mentioned.But I would never get a tatoo in Vietnam,or a blood transfusion

Haha thanks for the replies,

Yeah I haven't sensed a big tatt culture here either, just thought it might be pretty snazzy to get one and be like 'i got that done in vietnam, i did'.

Yeah about the AIDS thing, that's a bit crap isn't it. Just wondered if there's and established place that's known for being safe? Looks like there isn't, might give it a miss then...

Cheers, J x

Have seen a few guys in nha trang with tatts these were local guys but to be honest that did look rubbish if you do have tatts you are seen as a bit of a wrong un.
I had mine done on bali in ubud afew years ago and even travelling recently to Flores etc I did get strange looks or maybe thats just me.

My figures are from Vietnam News, around three years ago. Discussing HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, the newspaper said that there were [approximately 145,000 cases in Vietnam, BUT this figure was under reported by three or four timess. In other words, the actual number of cases was three or four times the reported number, hence my figure of half a million.

UNAIDS website reports: " Although the actual number of HIV positive cases detected up till December 2004 was 90,380 of which 14,428 people have developed AIDS, UNAIDS and the country’s health ministry estimate that 263,000 are living with HIV ... Injecting drug users have a national prevalence of approximately 33%, although this rate is much higher in areas such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh ... The average HIV prevalence among sex workers nationally is approximately 16%, and infection levels are even higher in the cities of Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Can Tho (Ministry of Health Viet Nam, 2005). In addition, a Ho Chi Minh City survey in 2003 found HIV prevalence of 8% among men who have sex with men.

The AIDS Update warns the possibility of a larger epidemic especially in Ho Chi Minh City (which accounts for about one quarter of all HIV infections in the country and where adult HIV prevalence was estimated at 1.2% in 2003) ... "

As Tim says, getting a tattoo in VN is "a scary proposition".

yeah, now in vizetnam there is some talentuous tattoist and many good tattoo shop really clean.
I ve been in a new one who just come from france, it's "France Passion Tattoo Vietnam" in Bui vien street , there is on this street about 7 tattoo shoop . I ve done my tattoo on this shop very clean and the tattooist is a french guy, he had a tattoo shop in france in toulouse. Really Artwork and the price is very cheap, about 70 usd/hour. you can look at his facebook "Tery Do"
France Passion Tattoo !!! Go There !!!