Western Tourist Works as Miner 12 Hours a Day in the Desert to Live in Vietnam

People often say that a single trip can change many things. For some, it is just a few days of rest to recharge their energy. For others, a trip holds enough power to alter major life plans. A destination once visited out of simple curiosity suddenly transforms into a place where they want to belong permanently.

Accordingly, this 23-year-old young man goes by the TikTok username Phong Y. He traveled to Vietnam for the first time in 2025. Despite it being his inaugural visit, Phong expressed that he felt an immediate sense of familiarity and closeness. Phong was deeply impressed by Vietnamese culture, the cuisine, and the way people treat one another. Because of this, Phong felt a strong desire to call Vietnam “home.” He became determined to learn the language and harbored a wish to choose this land to live and build his career.

The 23-year-old Italian youth, named Phong, fell deeply in love with Vietnam after a single vacation.

“From the very first moment I arrived in Vietnam, I felt a very special closeness. It ranged from the food and daily life to the deep respect that Vietnamese people hold for their families and ancestors. All of those things felt deeply familiar to me. I realized that I was incredibly happy in Vietnam.

I felt that this was not just a place to travel, but a place where I wanted to settle down for the long term. That is the reason why I study Vietnamese. It is also why I accept working for two years at a mine in Australia. I want to return to Vietnam one day to build my career,” Phong shared regarding his motivation to return.

Reportedly, Phong has only been studying Vietnamese for nine months. However, he can communicate and express his thoughts quite well through his videos. On his TikTok channel, Phong also revealed that he learns the language by listening to Vietnamese every single day. Even though he understood nothing at the beginning, he diligently listened to podcasts, watched the news, and viewed movies in Vietnamese.

By practicing every day through speaking, writing, and reading books, the Italian youth’s language proficiency steadily improved. Nevertheless, Phong expressed that he still sets aside a specific amount of time each day to study. He reads more books and stories to continuously expand his vocabulary.

Phong self-studies and practices speaking Vietnamese every day.

Regarding his decision to work in Australia, Phong shared that he had prior contact with this industry. He fully understood the grueling nature of the job. Before officially starting, Phong had to go through intense classes and training sessions to master the trade.

For each work cycle, Phong and his colleagues fly out to the desert. They work 12 hours a day and must maintain absolute focus. This grueling schedule has partly reshaped Phong’s lifestyle. He has grown accustomed to waking up early and enduring scorching weather. Furthermore, his life now revolves strictly around working, working out, eating, and sleeping.

Despite the hardship, Phong stated in his clips that he will try his best to work here for two years. This timeline will allow him to save the target amount of 4 billion VND (approximately 160,000 USD).

“After one day of work, I earn about 12 million VND (roughly 480 USD) per day. It sounds like a lot, but this money comes at a steep price. I live thousands of kilometers away from my family. I wake up incredibly early every day. At times, I must work under brutal conditions. However, I push through because I have a clear goal. I want to save 4 billion VND, return to Vietnam, and start the next chapter of my life,” Phong said in his video.

Phong frequently updates his followers about his daily work.

The mining job in Australia helps the young man earn 12 million VND a day.

Underneath the comment sections of the clips posted by Phong, the online community expressed great admiration for his high level of discipline. Netizens praised him for setting a clear roadmap for his life. Furthermore, Phong’s daily perseverance received immense praise from the public.

In addition, netizens expressed deep gratitude for the love this foreign youth harbors for Vietnam. Most people left encouraging comments wishing him good health. They hope he completes his plans swiftly so he can return to Vietnam and build his dream life.