Vietnam is one of the more smoker-friendly countries in Southeast Asia for air travellers. While Singapore, Malaysia, and (since 2019) Thailand have pushed smokers outdoors, Vietnam still keeps ventilated indoor smoking rooms inside the secure zone at its major airports. Vietnamese tobacco-control law bans indoor smoking in public places but carves out a specific exception for designated smoking rooms in airport waiting areas — so Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat (SGN), Hanoi Noi Bai (HAN), and Da Nang (DAD) all have post-security smoking rooms near the gates.
The big advantage for transit passengers: because the rooms are airside (after security), you can smoke during a layover without re-clearing immigration. That makes Vietnam much more convenient than Thailand for connecting flights. The trade-off is that the rooms are enclosed and can get busy and smoky at peak times.
How Vietnam Airport Smoking Works
Smoking is prohibited throughout the public, non-smoking areas of every Vietnamese airport terminal. The only legal place to light up inside is a marked, ventilated smoking room — these are concentrated in the airside departure areas near the gates, and several airline lounges have their own smoking rooms too. Casual smoking in the concourse, restrooms, or outside terminal entrances near doorways can draw an on-the-spot fine (typically VND 100,000-300,000).
Major Airports
Ho Chi Minh City — Tan Son Nhat (SGN). Vietnam’s busiest airport. The international terminal has indoor smoking rooms around gates 15-18 (travellers report one near gate 17). The domestic terminal has smoking rooms near gates 11-12 and near gate 1. The Vietnam Airlines Lotus Lounge also has a smoking room. All are airside, after security.
Hanoi — Noi Bai (HAN). Northern Vietnam’s main gateway. Terminal 1 (domestic) has smoking rooms after security between gates 3-4 and 9-10, plus rooms near gates 22, 24, 32 and 34. Terminal 2 (international) has smoking facilities on the upper floors, including a smoking room inside the SH Premium Lounge near gates 21-22.
Da Nang (DAD). Central Vietnam’s coastal hub and a fast-growing tourist gateway. The international terminal (T2), a Skytrax 5-star terminal, has a good-sized smoking room toward the far end near the Crystal Jade kitchen. The domestic terminal (T1) has a smoking room downstairs near gate 3. Some airport lounges also include smoking facilities.
The Vape Warning
This is important: vapes, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco are banned in Vietnam. Under National Assembly Resolution 173/2024/QH15, the production, trade, import, transport, possession and use of these products has been prohibited since 1 January 2025. Travellers caught using or carrying a vape face fines of roughly VND 3-5 million (about USD 115-190) and confiscation; larger-scale importing or trading carries far heavier penalties. Do not bring any vaping device or e-liquid into Vietnam. Ordinary cigarettes remain legal and are cheap and widely available.
Tips for Smokers at Vietnam Airports
- Vietnam keeps indoor airside smoking rooms — convenient for layovers, no need to exit security
- Look for the marked, ventilated smoking rooms near the gates once you are airside
- SGN: rooms around gates 15-18 (international) and gates 11-12 / gate 1 (domestic)
- HAN: rooms in T1 between gates 3-4 and 9-10 and near gates 22/24/32/34; T2 upper floors and SH Premium Lounge
- DAD: smoking room near Crystal Jade in T2 (international), near gate 3 in T1 (domestic)
- Vapes and heated tobacco are ILLEGAL — do not bring them into Vietnam
- Cigarettes are legal, cheap, and widely sold; don’t smoke in non-designated terminal areas or you risk a fine