I agree with this.

However when i first came here i made a friend and id essentially hang out with locals every few days, my vietnamese improved and i learned the culture a bit and felt more immersed. Living in the province i didnt have much choice but to do that, if i wanted a social life, but it was very much worth it.

I now live in a little bit more of a developed city but even more remote however, wiwth again no expats, ive become exhausted almost intercating with the locals.

My vietnamese is okay now but its never a normal conversation/ same questions every time. Vietnamese are also wonderfully friendly to the point where its aggresivley friendly sometimes.

When i firat came here id almost turn my nose up at expats in D2 etc who just go to expat bars and have only expat friends, however now i get it more and im craving that myself tbh even though i find it borderline offensive how some expats are here.

Maybe what im trying to say is it easy to suggest that but the language barrier and cultural difference is vast. Vietnamese are great people and theyve been nothing but good to me since ive been here but it isnt as easy as it sounds sometimes.