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Things have obviously moved on a bit since these posts were written but for what it’s worth, I’ve read plenty of reports (on a couple of bike touring FB groups) of foreigners being refused service in hotels, restaurants and stores in Vietnam. So risk of infection apart, travel there would be pretty tough right now.

This is about the visa waiver, not the e-visa. Although they now seem to be also suspending e-visa but it just says if you are coming from a country where the virus is growing, so might not been down just passport.

Lol.. So I guess that 25$ I spent last week for my Evisa was a waste!!.

Does anyone have any idea if it's based on departure point!.. I have a UK passport but left 6 months ago

It's a suspension of the visa waiver that your UK passport entitled you to. Nothing to do with where you are or have been.

It's unclear if the effect is immediate or if there's 2 days grace like they did when they suspended visa waivers for Italy. I've seen nothing at all to say there's a grace period. There are people who would have been in the air when the announcement was made and it will be chaos if they can't get in :-/

Hmmm mm.. Well that sucks... Does anyone have any idea if it's based on departure point!.. I have a UK passport but left 6 months ago

Although a lot of Thailand's visa/entry quagmire is because it has added and amended so many times in an attempt to curb real or perceived problems. They need a full root and branch overhaul of their whole immigration system. Unlikely to happen as too many vested interests.

Vietnam is in part headed that way with it's myriad of different entry methods.

"change is very slow" GOOD!
I certainly would not wish Thai style mass tourism on the Vietnamese.
A more reasonable model might be PDR Lao. A little petty corruption but nothing like Cambodia.
And, not the political and social mess that Thailand is today.

Not only the money they bring in but the jobs they sustain. I suspect people in these plum jobs have a lot of clout

Pre approved are frowned on by Embassy staff who sometimes cast doubt their validity. A big reduction in Embassy issued visas is a reduction in well paid cushy overseas jobs.

Just look at the UK Thai Embassy so called evisa. It requires just as many staff to administer as the old one.

If Vietnam really wanted to promote tourist...they would follow Thailand's lead and make visas easier and free.

There's talk of that, but I think there's an ongoing struggle within the administration between those that take your view and those who only see the money visas bring in. Yes, visas bring in money, but they put people off visiting Vietnam since the system is so complicated - E-Visas, visas, visa waivers, visa exemptions, pre-approved visa letters. The direction is towards easier and cheaper (or free) visas, but change is very slow.