Yes, there is a helicopter bad at the Bitexco Building here in Saigon. Nope, nobody has ever used it. Some say the wind patterns make it too dangerous for helicopters to land on it. Others say that it is rude for dignitaries or businessmen to land there thinking they are scorning Saigon. Who knows but one rumor says that it may be converted to a restaurant or night club. Lets see what happens…
In the seven years I have lived in Ho Chi Minh City, I have never seen a helicopter in the air. You see military helicopters at the airport, but I have never seen them flying. I suspect there are no privately-owned helicopters in Viet Nam.
The reason the helicopter pad is on the building is to carry out the design analogy of the building as a lotus plant. This is simply the conceit of the architect and the building owner.
When I first moved to Vietnamin 2004, I did see helicopters flying from/to Tan Son Nhat.