No Hamsters in Vietnam!

Do they eat hamsters in Vietnam?

I'm not sure. But there is a growing demand for hamsters as pets. No one seems to know why, except that more people in Vietnam have a little extra cash and it is the Year of the Rat in China.

Vietnamese authorities don't want hamsters. They come into Vietnam without being properly vetted, and therefore, are considered "a potential source of disease."

Please.

This is a country that has more strange diseases than a dog in Hanoi has fleas! Furthermore, all kinds of stuff finds its way into Vietnam illegaly - like fake chicken eggs, or fake anti-malaria drugs...

Be careful, though, 'cause if you get caught with one of these furry little buggers it'll cost you almost 30m dong ($1,900) which is "almost double the average annual wage in Vietnam."

Rats!