Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon's Desi Expat Community Finally Gets Its Own Night
Ho Chi Minh City's growing South Asian community is driven by Indian IT expansion into Vietnam, with professionals in Districts 1, 2, and 7
We're Coming to Ho Chi Minh City!Ho Chi Minh City is on the tour list. Sign up below and help us get there! Everyone on the list gets tickets first when we announce.
Ho Chi Minh City's South Asian community is smaller than Bangkok's but growing fast. Indian IT companies have been expanding into Vietnam, bringing engineers and project managers who discover that Saigon is one of the most exciting cities in Southeast Asia. RMIT Vietnam's campus in District 7 attracts some desi students, and the startup ecosystem in Districts 1 and 3 has drawn Indian entrepreneurs looking for the next frontier market.
The format from New York: real contestants go on live dates on stage while the room watches and reacts. Afterward, the whole crowd mingles. Saigon's expat social scene is concentrated in District 1 and District 2, but South Asians are scattered across these pockets without a central gathering point. This show creates that gathering point for one night.
The challenge of being desi and single in Saigon is that the community is just small enough to feel isolated. You know a handful of other Indians from work, maybe a few more from the cricket club or the Diwali party at the consulate, and that's your world. Cross cultural dating in Vietnam has its own complexities. A show that gathers the entire desi community in one room turns scattered acquaintances into a real social scene.
Vietnam's economy is booming and the Indian business presence is growing alongside it. The steel, IT, and manufacturing sectors are pulling in professionals who plan to stay. The community is at an inflection point where it's big enough to sustain dedicated events but hasn't had anyone build them yet.
Waitlist is open. Saigon's desi community, or apply to be a contestant.
Saigon's desi expats all know of each other and none have met
Ho Chi Minh City's Indian community rides Vietnam's boom: IT services, manufacturing, textiles and a growing founder crowd spread between District 1's towers and Thao Dien's expat villas. The community is precisely the awkward size, small enough that everyone recognises everyone from the same three restaurants, big enough that nobody has actually been introduced.
One night converts recognition into acquaintance at scale. The mixer is the introduction round the whole scene has been waiting for someone else to organise.
What a Garam Masala night in Saigon looks like
An IT delivery manager and a Thao Dien startup founder who have never met, despite four mutual friends and a shared biryani vendor, on stage, going on a first date while the whole desi expat scene reacts. Comedian hosts, live votes and a rooftop mixer because this is Saigon and rooftops are the law.
for first access to HCMC dates, or apply to be a contestant and give the group chats their biggest story.
No Ho Chi Minh City dates are live yet. The show tours nationally and sells out every stop. Watch full episodes while we make our way to you!
Watch Full Episodes on YouTube Follow on InstagramHelp bring us to Ho Chi Minh City! Everyone on the list gets first access when tickets drop.
See All Upcoming ShowsStay in the Loop
Get notified about future Ho Chi Minh City shows, discount codes, and free ticket drops.
Add your number for text-only discounts and free ticket drops.
You're on the list!
Questions About Ho Chi Minh City Shows
When is Garam Masala Dating coming to Ho Chi Minh City?
No date confirmed yet. Saigon is part of our Southeast Asia expansion. to be notified first.
Will the show be in English?
Yes. The show runs in English. The South Asian professional community in HCMC is comfortable in English.
Can I apply to be a contestant?
Yes. Apply now. Applications stay active for 12 months. HCMC applicants will be prioritized when we confirm a date.
Is there Indian speed dating in Ho Chi Minh City?
Saigon's desi expats have industry happy hours and a community small enough to fit in two group chats. No dating events exist, which makes the first one a community festival with a format.
Where do desi singles in Saigon actually meet?
District 1 and Thao Dien's expat circuits, the IT and manufacturing employers and the same handful of Indian restaurants where everyone waves at everyone. Small pool, full context, no occasions.
Is the HCMC desi community big enough for a show?
Growing fast on the back of IT and manufacturing investment, and small communities produce the most committed rooms. Everyone attends the only event, and everyone remembers it.
From the Journal
Also coming to: Bangkok , Manila , Chiang Mai