There have been many articles, reports, conferences, and seminars trying to explain why the number of international tourists to Vietnam is always lower than that of Thailand and other countries in the region, while it seems that everything about us is better than others. There are many reasons, among which the problem of "ripping off" tourists is considered very serious.
Accordingly, tourists can encounter dishonest people anywhere, such as taxi drivers, motorbike taxi drivers, street vendors, and restaurants. Even hotels and service companies rip off customers, raising room rates and other service prices whenever they have the opportunity. This problem is so serious that foreign tourists are always warned before coming to Vietnam, and that is also the reason why they do not want to return to Vietnam.
Most recently, Thai newspapers reported on May 18 that a Vietnamese street vendor in Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi province altered the scale, selling a 4kg durian to a customer, increasing it to 4.5kg, cheating 75 baht (about 2.2 USD, equivalent to 50,000 VND). This person faces 7 years in prison and a fine of 8,000 USD (about 200 million VND) for violating the Thai Metrology Law.
From 1999 to now, after 24 years, Thailand has only had 585 people arrested for defrauding customers related to incorrect weighing and selling at the wrong price, which means that every year in Thailand there are about 20 people cheating customers. Reading this information, we understand why international tourists love to come to Thailand.
Tourist stalkers - a common sight at tourist destinations in Vietnam.
The above case started the story of durian in Thailand, and in Ho Chi Minh City it may have started with the story of coconut. Most recently, on March 29, a group of 3 German foreign tourists were forced to pay 300,000 VND for 2 coconuts, while the real price was only 10,000-12,000 VND.
The incident took place in front of the Reunification Palace, and was immediately posted online by a German tourist with photos and a video. It went viral with tens of thousands of readers and comments.
A few days later, several newspapers republished the story, but it stopped there. In fact, the story of coconut sellers overcharging has been reported in newspapers for many years. However, this problem has not only not been eliminated but has persisted and has somewhat changed, openly challenging public opinion, causing people to ask why?
The group of coconut vendors has about 30 people, temporarily residing in District 4. Every day, they divide into small groups of 3-5 people, occupying places with many foreign tourists. Their business areas include 5 main locations: around the War Remnants Museum; in front of the Reunification Palace; in front of the City Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral; Tan Dinh Church and Le Van Tam Park; in front of the Zoo.
In addition, they also expanded their area following tourists on the main streets of Districts 1 and 3, such as Le Duan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Du, Ly Tu Trong, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Vo Van Tan...
A tourist spot in Thailand, street vendors are brought into a centralized area.
To lure tourists into the trap, they create a perfect “script”. They understand the psychology of tourists who love to take pictures with strange things. When they discover tourists (prey), they generously put the coconut basket on their shoulders and give the coconut to the tourists to take pictures.
Tourists happily pose for photos with coconuts in their hands, next to a vendor with a carrying pole on his shoulder… very Vietnamese. As soon as the photo shoot is over, the coconut in the tourist’s hand is quickly cut in half and the vendor gives it to the customer to drink for 200,000 VND. If the customer complains about the price, the coconut group will signal to charge for the coconut, the carrying pole, and the seller for being the model.
In case the customer asks to buy, they hold up 10 fingers, the customer thinks it is 10,000 VND, but when they pay, it is 10 USD. Any tourist who makes a fuss, immediately the support group appears with fierce faces and shouts, wrestles, and curses. With this method of extortion, each coconut street vendor earns 600,000-700,000 VND per day.
On hot days like last May, they easily earned millions. It must be said that the story of ripping off foreign tourists happened all over the country, from Son La, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Can Tho… everywhere.
Seeing this disgusting and insolent scene, everyone was indignant and angry, from the taxi drivers, tour guides and the people who witnessed it, but no one dared to intervene. Even the green shirt force (TNXP) were afraid of this group, and the traffic police did not intervene, because it was not their job.
For a long time, handling has been considered the responsibility of the local police. But the local police only intervene when someone comes to the police station to report. Meanwhile, tourists, no matter how upset they are, never set foot in the police station. They accept losing a few dozen dollars to get over the matter, rather than having to meet with the authorities, not knowing what will happen next. As tourists, everyone wants their trip to be a few days without any mishaps.
Back in Bangkok, why do Vietnamese tourists hardly complain about shopping in Bangkok? First of all, Thai people are very decent and kind, they do not rip off customers, including vehicles and stalls on the sidewalks and alleys. Second, they cannot do that, because if anything happens, the tourist police and environmental police will be there immediately.
According to Bangkok statistics, the city currently has about 300,000 street vendors. How they move and trade is always under the control of the authorities. Because Bangkok is equipped with surveillance cameras everywhere, street vendors have identification codes, and their phones have location chips.
For tourists, 200,000-300,000 VND is not much, but the resentment and fear of being robbed will haunt tourists throughout the trip. Such unpleasant things make them bored and not want to come back again. A German female tourist who was robbed of 300,000 VND for 2 coconuts wrote on Facebook: "We stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 days and felt terrible, this must be the most unforgettable experience in Vietnam".
Such a small thing can not be stopped, how can it attract tourists like Thailand, Singapore?
