Disclaimer: The situations described in this article are taken from anecdotal experiences and are by no means representative of the average travelers’ experience in Vietnam. While the scams and tricks described here do happen in Vietnam (and the rest of the world), the Vietnamese are by and large a beautiful and gracious people. This article is primarily meant to entertain so take it in the satirical and light-hearted manner it was written and enjoy!
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It is now officially summer time, and many of you are planning or already on your way to travel to Vietnam. You may have already received advice about the “one-third rule” of bargaining, checking pockets after a stranger bumps into you, or only riding cabs from reputable companies. Those things are considered basics and will not be covered in this article because I’m going for something a little more extreme. Just to be clear, these are not the kind of situations you should expect to run into—they are the horror stories your mom warned you about and tourists trade in backpacker cafes. But keep them in mind so that the next time you get a $50 cab fare or are beaten to death by a group of Vietnamese thugs, you know something’s up. Well, are you ready to take notes?
Be Careful in EVERY Taxi!
If you don’t have friends or family to pick you up, riding a taxi is probably your top choice. When doing so, a good rule-of-thumb is to use reputable taxi companies. That varies by destination and you should do your own research to find out which taxis to take. However, VNExpress has written about how some big-name taxis may actually be fakes here, so you MAY NEVER BE SAFE. Follow these guidelines, however, and you will be. First, keep your eyes glued onto the price meter. Some taxi drivers can tweak their meter in the blink of an eye to double the fare, and the taxi company is not part of this “fishy business.” When getting off, you should also ask the cab driver to help you unload your baggage or keep the passenger door open until you’re done getting your belongings. Most drivers will help you with unloading, but I have witnessed a few naïve tourists think that the taxi won’t go anywhere until the fare is paid. Well, as soon as the passenger door was shut, the taxi rolled away with everything still in the trunk. If this happens to you, good luck calling the fake taxi company to get your stuff back!
Hotel Reservation – No Rooms Available!
Most taxi drivers appear to be very nice to tourists, but actually they’re all out to get you and your first-born. Tourists often get tricked when their taxi driver (by using their magic reservation-checking powers, or an iPhone app) informs them that their reserved hotel room is no longer available. The driver will then graciously take the lost and confused tourist to hotels with higher rates where the driver is paid for referrals. So, never trust your taxi driver to call or check in the hotel for you. Always ask to talk to the manager of the hotel directly, even in English or your own language, until you have given up on the communication.
You’re Being Spied On!
This is a warning for all the ladies and couples checking into hotels. All shady hotels secretly install cameras in your room and bathroom. Check every corner of your place for cameras and suspicious items in the room. Alarm clock is usually the perfect item to install a spy cam. Check and see if your alarm clock has some funny looking lense. Or just check into your town’s local six star hotel for slightly more privacy. The last thing you want to see is a “not-so-nice” photo or video of you on the internet.
Tour Guide For Free?
That would be nice, but here is a true story: one of my close friends was visiting the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh for his first time in Hanoi. As he was about to enter the entrance, a very friendly looking Vietnamese gentleman came by and spoke English to him after recognizing that my dear friend isn’t a Vietnamese native. He introduced himself as a History student at the top university in Vietnam, where he would soon be receiving his doctorate. He said that it was his second time visiting the Ho Chi Minh tomb in order to finish one of his dissertations. He offered a free tour inside the mausoleum to my naïve friend. He also helped my poor friend check in his bag and camera at the entrance. After a 10 minute tour inside, he then excused himself to the restroom for a minute. He then checked out my friend’s bag and camera, took the exit, and never returned. So admit it: there is no such thing as a free lunch. And if you ever get offered one, eat it with one hand while holding your camera and bag in the other!
Scooter On Fire!
Riding a scooter in Vietnam is the most thrilling experience ever. However, riding a smoky scooter is not thrilling at all (or perhaps too thrilling). This fact has been used on people riding scooters in suburban areas for long distances to force the victim to immediately fix their scooter.
The scenario might play out as follows:
As you ride your scooter, someone will follow behind you and throw a burning piece of rubber that sticks to the back of your scooter. This piece of rubber will create quite a bit of smoke for at least a few minutes. The guy will then drive in front to let you know that your scooter is on fire. He will introduce himself to you as a mechanic and offer to fix your scooter on the spot for a small fee (ranging from 50-70 USD). Many tourists lacking burning-scooter expertise will then pay money to get their scooter “fixed”. So next time someone tells you your scooter is on fire, just ignore them (unless your scooter really is on fire, which you can only be sure of if your hair catches fire).
How Many Holes In Your Tire?
Similar to the “scooter on fire” trick, this tactic is used by all mechanics who sit on the curbside with their tool box. When I was riding my scooter in Vietnam, one of my tires suddenly blew up. Looking around, I was able to spot a mechanic sitting on the curb about a hundred feet away. I wasn’t aware of this trick and took my bike to him for repair. He told me upfront the price of each hole that he would have to patch for my tire. After agreeing to the price, I went over to a dessert vendor next door to get some “che`” while I waited for him to finish. When I came back, he showed me my poor tire being covered with 15 patches and handed me a nail to prove what he has discovered in my tire. Looking at the nail with its big head, I thought to myself that there was no way it could make 15 holes in my tire. If there were more nails on the road, my other tire would have popped as well. Learn from my experience and make sure to firmly tell your mechanic to not poke any extra holes in your tire. You might also want to try standing behind his back and watching his every move, but some mechanics have gotten so good at hole-poking that you won’t be able to catch it unless you record them while they do their repairs and play it back in slow-mo.
Before Your Bus Or Train About To Leave …
Do not buy anything through the windows! Often times, you will see a lot of people trying to sell you things through the windows of your bus or train. As soon as you hand them your money and wait for change, they will start walking away. You should never trust anybody you can’t immediately chase after, especially before your bus or train is about to leave.
Luring The Tiger Out Of The Mountain
I have witnessed quite a few of these situations with my very eyes. Before you turn on your scooter engine, look around for anyone standing next to you. This should be done all the time when you are carrying valuable items with you. An example: a foreigner turned on his scooter engine and was about to put his helmet on. The trickster that was standing near there suddenly yanked the helmet from the foreigner and ran away. The foreigner got off his scooter without turning off the engine and chased the guy. The trickster threw the helmet about ten feet away. Looking confused, the foreigner proceeded to go pick up his helmet. The trickster then ran back, jumped on the victim’s scooter and fled away while the poor foreigner had just picked up his helmet from the ground looking puzzled.
Be Nice To The Ladies, But Not All The Time!
As a gentleman, you must be nice to the ladies, whether it is in Vietnam or in a different country. However, the notion of being nice to the ladies everywhere doesn’t imply “all the time.” Seeing an old Vietnamese lady carrying some heavy load always spurs the chivalrous man to come offer a hand. If you decide to help her, be careful if she starts leading you to an empty alley. If she does, you should stop for a few seconds, look around for any suspicious activities, analyze the situation to decide whether you should proceed in helping her carry the item to her final destination.
It might be a good time for you to take out your Lonely Planet guidebook and see if this particular alley was warned about. You might also consider asking the lady to wait for a moment while you call your local Embassy/Consulate to ask if they have issued a travel advisory about this alley. Many cases have been reported of tourists being robbed, mugged, and beaten to death in an alley or other remote area by old Vietnamese ladies. Sometimes, refusing to be nice can save you from deep trouble.
To Wrap It Up…
Vietnam is a beautiful country and Vietnamese people very kind and welcoming. You probably won’t run into any of the situations discussed above on your trip, but if you do at least you’ll know some things to look out for. In fact, just count yourself lucky for going through such an interesting experience and share it with us!
So do you have any scary experiences that you would like to share with us from your trip to Vietnam?
Something else you should be warned of…thinking that every Vietnamese person is about to rob from you or scam you will certainly ruin any trip to Vietnam.
And walk through any city in the world looking nervous and you will be targeted.
The vast majority of Vietnamese are good, honest people – I felt that the article above neglected to say that.
I lived in Vietnam for 2 years and my Vietnamese Wife and her people tried to frame me as a drug smuggler and murder me. Yes. Murder. Read my detailed blog about this entire experience at http://hoahao.tumblr.com. I never saw such cowardly snakes that only care about themselves than what I experienced in Vietnam. My Wife was a Hoa Hao Buddhist which are described by the US Department of Navy as a militant group that comprises 2,000,000 Vietnamese. I was shocked to see how even old ladies would quickly jump in on the scam to screw an American. These people were evil, they smile as they twist the knife. I was very naive but fearless once I realized who they truly were and I fought for 6 months to get out of there with my money and my son! I am now dedicating my life to warning people about these evil people. I provide more than stories, I give proof on my blog. Judge for yourself.
oh yeah! i love schizophrenia too! (i don’t care if it’s preambled by “extreme” and not likely to happen.) the writer of this article forgot to mention these things:
– when in the countryside, one should avoid walking. you might step on a 40 year old bomb and regret it. instead, you should have the natives carry you as though you’re nefertiti.
– since you’re allowed to have two check-in items for the flight, you should bring a 5 gallon jug of water as one of your check-in items. it is common knowledge that if you drink the water in vietnam, your stomach will become a black hole.
– beware of acid attacks!
– don’t wear any inkling of jewelry. you’ll lose your finger/wrist/earlobe/tongue/head/labia if you do.
– don’t talk to any of the locals. why would you? they’re just trying to scam you everywhere you go. besides, you’re so much better than them. they probably never even heard of uc berkeley, those peasants.
– when it’s raining, do not go outside. as a tourist, you’re 10000x more likely to get struck by lightning.
– to maximize the fun and excitement in vietnam, you must also maximize your paranoia and disdain of vietnamese people. you should stay in your hotel room as often as you can. don’t trust anybody, not even your relatives, as all of them are after your money and nothing else. it would totally suck if you got ripped off $20 during your visit here; it’d basically ruin your whole trip here. just like you, i like to pay local prices for my dragonfruit, too.
my suggestions here, combined with the insightful tips in this article, would guarantee you a wonderful time in this country. god bless!
vinh dang,
where are you getting your facts? you make claims about all of these scams that have taken place to either yourself or someone you know. i must say that i am skeptical about these stories and that these stories sound like urban legend. you sound like someone who has been wronged during your experience in vietnam, which is sad, but at the same time your negative experience shouldn’t paint the whole vietnamese population as being a lot of deviant tricksters out to drain your blood.
i was born and raised in california. i lived and worked in vietnam for 5 years throughout the last decade. i must say that my time living in vietnam was the best time of my life. my experience with vietnamese people was extremely positive. in five years living there i never witnessed a violent crime nor was a victim of some kind of scam. i’m not saying these things don’t happen, i’m saying that they don’t happen as often as vinh dang makes it sound in this farcical post. the worst thing that happened to me while i was in vietnam was a taxi drivier trying to charge me $10 more for a ride, or being charged $1 more for some fruit than a “local”. yes there is a population of people who make their living off of the tourism industry and some of these people may take advantage of ignorant tourists. but for the most part, vietnamese people are hardworking honest people. in terms of tourists being charged a higher rate than “locals”….this is a universal truth that occurs everywhere……even in the safe and cozy confines of california. a coke at fisherman’s wharf will cost more than a coke at a local grocery store in the richmond district. a hotel room next to the hollywood walk of fame costs more than a hotel room in gardena. does this disparity in price mean your being “ripped off”? no. these are basic rules of economics where supply meets demand. as a consumer, if you truly think something is too expensive, you wouldn’t buy it. so if you pay $3 dollars for a kilo of fruit at ben thanh market….then you turn around and see the same vendor sell the same kilo to someone else for $1.50….you have nothing to complain about. if you thought $3 was too much to pay, you shouldn’t have bought it in the first place.
i don’t know if this “article” is an assault on the tourism industry in vietnam or the paranoid delusions of a tourist scorned……either way its inaccurate and does not truly reflect the typical tourist experience in vietnam. if anyone plans on visiting vietnam in the future, please do not let this article affect your time there. vietnam is a beautiful country with a rich history and nice hard working people that will make your time there as pleasurable as possible.
At lest when you buy a coke at a vending machine or from costco you know what you are paying before you get your coke–not like vietnam where the price changes as soon as you drink your coke.
How many resturants have you been to in the states or other countries where the price for a meal is five times higher than what a menue says it is.
How many times have you had cops come to your door asking for a bribe evey month like they do in Vietnam when renting a house.
How many times in another country do taxis lock their doors demanding a hundred dollar bill for a two kilometer ride.
This happens thousands of times a day in Vietnam so tellm it like itreally is-Vietnam is a shit hole of a place and unless you like vacationing at your local dump -Stay Away From VIETNAM
Steve: Thank you for the warning. I have made the disclaimer more obvious.
Vinh Van: Sorry to hear that you didn’t find this to be entertaining. The article is not there to publicize my school nor my education.
Johnny: I am not here to prove or show evidences for any of my points as they are some thing I have experienced myself, heard from friends, and witness with my own eyes when I was still living and visiting Vietnam. After reading my article, it is up to you to decide you want to believe it or not. A personal blog is not a same as a research paper. Vietnam is my home country where I was born and grown up for 15 years. I have been to the most upscale areas to the poorest corners of many cities and villages of Vietnam, so I know what I am saying and writing. If your 5-year living experience in Vietnam was all positive then you are very one lucky man that my home country has blessed you with. I also think that you have misunderstood the notion of rip-off. It has not much to do with supply and demand. To me, getting rip-off is when someone at the same situation with me and at the same time is getting something for paying less, while I’m getting it for paying more. A soda can being sold at Costco does not have the same situation as the same soda can being sold at the vending machine, where you pay for your convenience fee. I appreciate your comment because at least you wrote long enough so I can understand your points of view.
Really interesting article! I have friends who’ve experienced this. What a nightmare. Luckily in all my visits back to VN, I’ve never personally encountered these scenarios. PHEW!
i have lived in vietnam for more than 2 years. i don’t think i have met more than 5 honest people in this country. everyone is out to rip off foreigners. the vietnamese people learn this and if you have any good vietnamese friends, they will tell about this. be prepared for someone to try to charge you a ridiculous price for everything if you are a foreigner everyday. i’ve travelled a lot and this is the worst place for meeting honest people.
This is my first trip to Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh.. I was shocked when I was charged for 40USD for such a simple lunch and to make it worst, 3USD for an ice cream.. I do understand the “natural-higher-price-for-foreigners” scenario, but seriously, this is too much..
Thailand is far better in terms of this and now I know why people are keep on coming back after their first visit, but I doubt that same thing would happen in Vietnam.. I am really sorry to say this but this is gonna be the first and the last time that I would visit Vietnam..
I wish someone has posted this article before I went to my trip to Vietnam a couple years ago. The author should add “Cơm Tù” or “Prison Meal”, something very horrible that I have experienced for which it ruined my whole beautiful trip to Vietnam. Since I only came to the America a few years, so my Vietnamese language was still good and I’m quite confident about myself when getting around in Vietnam. I took some public bus and when the bus stopped at Quang Binh to rest, my gf and I went down to get some foods at a local restaurant on the side of the road. Nobody got out of the bus and now I know why. After finishing my meal, the owner gave us a bill that is at least 20 times more than the prices that were listed on the menu that we originally saw. We refused to pay and instantly, 5 men from outside ran into the restaurant, closed the door. They were all armed with weapons such as poles and knives. It scared the shit out of me and my gf. So I had to pay up 600,000 VND for such a stupid meal that I couldn’t even swallow. Yes! This is rip-off! This is robbing! This got nothing to do with supply and demand Mr. Johnny!! Stop yapping your big mouth until you get yourself into this….
After they let us out of that scary place, we went to the nearest police office to report our case. The Cong An guy said that they can’t do anything when there isn’t any proof. Are you kidding me? Am I supposed to let them beat the hell out of me and film it to provide proof? This is completely BS!!! 600,000 VND to me isn’t much (what? 40 USD at that time), but the feeling of being robbed and not getting protection from the government is disgustingly horrified. It ruined my whole beautiful trip and the only one thing I’m glad is that those people didn’t do anything physically to me and my gf. Props to the author! We need more of these articles.
@Kenny Vo
First off, I’m sorry that happened to you. I hope you have a better experience next time.
Technically Johnny is right with his economics. You decided getting a fight or getting killed was not worth the 40 dollars. Your opportunity cost of not getting hurt was 40 dollars. If you thought you were not worth the 40 dollars, then you would have just gotten hurt/killed. Economics at its purest form.
@ Johnny
I read the article and found it anecdotal and at least semi-informative. These examples for so specific that it will likely not happen to most people. BUT if you were in a similar situation, you can at least be forewarned rather than caught off guard.
@ author
This article does not generalize the experience in VN. Please do not make any types of generalizations from this article. The author should explicitly state this in the article or disclaimer.
Nice snow job attempt Tuan, or should I say Anh Viet Nam gov PR man, Tuan? Thanks for the patronizing invitation back “next time”…. but didn’t you know 95% of tourists never return…next time? Perhaps you might ask yourself “why could this be??”. Vietnam being so beautiful and all. So what is it that’s obviously working against VN’s incredible appeal…that 95% of tourists never return? (VN’s own Visa statistics confirm this, if you absolutely, positively….need to check). By way of comparison, 85% of visitors to Thailand return again (and again). Again…the pertinent issue here is, why? Dear Mr Tuan, you ARE allowed to put your thinking cap on for this one. We are all friends here. Remember, we’re trying to solve the problem, right? (and not just sweep it under the rug like it doesn’t exist – all due respect to the ‘Bhuddists’ among us).
So regardless of any anecdotal accounts we might like to conveniently dismiss as ‘isolated instances’ or someone’s “bad luck” (as it is so succinctly put), would it not be the wish of Vietnam and ALL it’s people to maximize the potential for prosperity that tourist dollars invariably bring to the country? And by extension, would it not then be fair comment to espouse that it’s in everyone’s best interests to reject the sort of distasteful behavior Kenny Vo et al too frequently seem to iterate whenever one happens upon Vietnam discussion forums, “unlucky” tourists or those even more disfortunate souls…the victims of things “not likely to happen to most people”, as Mr Tuan might put it. Yes, they certainly were unlucky, my dear Mr Tuan.
For many countries, tourism dollars are lifeblood. At the very least, it’s one helluva handy boost to the local economy, and particularly so for poor 3rd world countries, I would imagine. So why would such an obvious truth…the sickening and innumerable tales of woe painstakingly entered into the permanent historical record by “unlucky travelers”….be apparently ascribed so little significance by Vietnam…and it’s people? Logical answer: -there must be some unaccounted for variable(s) not being taken into account.
I’ve lived in VN for 3 years now. Not a long time. But not a typical tourist either. So when Mr Tuan massages our minds with cute notions of ” Economics at its purest form, likely not (to)happen to most people…” as he goes about minimizing the “semi-informative” comments of ‘Johnny’ for instance…well it’s a bit rich in the face of what I personally know and experience on a daily basis. I’m trying to be polite.
And who IS Mr Tuan to say “Please do not make any types of generalizations from this article/..The author should explicitly state this in the article or disclaimer”? Hmmm, if I didn’t have such an open mind where I specifically disallow others to pervade notions dissonant to reality…I’d almost think he’s a paid apologist or something. So if there’s a problem, let’s fix it. Then at least any ‘anecdotal’ comments made by the ‘unlucky’ among us…might suddenly be “informative” once again. We’d assume. And Vietnam would be better off too. Everyone’s a winner. So what’s stopping us again…?
Wow! You really OWNED that guy!!! You’re the Man, dude! Let’s see Tuan spin his way out of THAT intellectual beating. Awesome!!!
Vietnam is a shithole, I was locked in a taxi and robbed. Didn’t meet one honest person, Vietnam doesn’t deserve it’s tourists.
Vietnamese people cheat at everything they do, they are the most unhonest people ever, you cant even enjoy a simple online video game with out the dirty gooks ruining it by cheating. If it was up to me I would simply Bomb the shit out of those people and walk away, it would truely make the world a better place.
I’m in Vietnam right now. After having a wonderful time in Thailand and Laos, and interacting with those ever friendly and honest Thai and Lao people, Vietnam came as a rude shock. Now, after one stressful week in Vietnam, I find myself wanting to get out. Instead of relaxing and enjoying, I’m on high alert in preparation for the next ripoff coming my way.
Of course not all Vietnamese are conman, but the number is high enough to put off any tourist. And you know the situation is really bad when you have one rare honest Vietnam dude warning me against his own people! I met him on the street while waiting for the public bus from Da Nang to Hoi An and he warned me I’m about to get ripped off and told me not to pay anything more than VND20000! And bingo, bus conductor insisted on 50000. I politely and smilingly stood my ground, and he started to turn aggressive. I ran off at the next opportunity and got on a xe om, driven by another cool Vietnam dude.
But sad to say, those cheats are really spoiling it for their own countryman. This will be the last time I’m stepping into Vietnam, and I will be doing my friends a favor by warning them not to come.
I lived in vietnam for few years and can tell you there are scams that will likely happen to you while you are visiting there.
Also many other things you wont think twice about that may affect your health even long after you are home in your country.
I have read on the net many times how good the food in Vietnam is and it always makes me laugh.
If you could see how meats and greens are produced for human consumption you would puke at best.-All meat unless it is imported from reputable foriegn countries has been butcherd in a dirty inviroment and then put out in high heat and humidity for hours and sometimes days before it is sold to a resturant or private individual.
This meat is a bacteria club med and it starts from the place it is being butherd as the slaughter place is generaly filthy at best(many tourists become ill from eating these tainted fish,fowl,pork and beef and seafood.
This does not even account for the high rate of parisites that are already in the meat before being butcherd.
All you have to do is go to a meat or vegetable market before it opens and watch the rats peeing and defecating on the tables that produce and meats are sold from and you will see what I am talking about.
As far as vegitables are concerned they are quite often fertilized with human waste or pesticides that are banned for use in almost all countries and can cause long term problems for you long after you have eaten it.
Many farmers do not know how to read fertilser instructions and put high volumes of chemicals on their crops that are poisonis for human consumption.
BUSES-Taking a long trip on a bus is dangeous as well as a lot of bus drivers,truck drivers are heroin addicts and aquire their fixes on the route.
The rule of the road in Vietnam is size —trucks and buses then cars and last is motor bikes.
The bus drivers travel to fast for the road conditions and pass muliple vehicals at a time with oncoming traffic and barely miss each other and many times there are accidents that cause death to the passangers.
there are many bus drivers that do not have a licence to drive a bus or have ever taken an air brakes course or anything else for that matter and are just plain morons when it comes to saftey.
Being a foriegner does not make you immune to death.
As soon as your plane lands at the airport weather Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh you will be accosted by touts so get used to it as everywhere you go in Vietnam you will be swarmed by these people who will try their best at relieving you of your money.
As an example I was eating breakfast at an sidewalk cafe and these touts selling books,sunglasses and all other kinds a crap kept coming by and bothering me(one right after the other)so I put on a pair of my sunglasses and put a pair on my tee shirt and a pair over the top of my head and they still kept coming and hanging around trying to sell me their glasses and they wont leave easily.
This will happen everyday you are vacationing there weather on a beach,hiking,walking,on a boat or anywhere else you go.
There is no such thing as relaxing in Vietnam and tourists often say they want to go off the beaten tourist traps but there is no such place in Vietnam-not even if you speak vietnamese fluently which I do.
You have to remember Vietnam is a log narrow country and there is nowhere to go that hundreds of tourists are not there already and along with the tourists are the scammers and touts,taxi rip offs etc.
Most bus companies are owned by the government and even with all the names of travel buses they are all mostly owned by the government but not suprvised at all or very little.
Motor bikes-if you plan on riding a motor bike while in Vietnam you had better be prepared to get a Vietnamese driving license because if you are involved in an accident and you do not have a valid Vietnamese driving license you are automaticaly at fault and the police will take your passport untill you pay in full all damages or personal injury claims against you even if someone hits you.
A international drivers license is no good in Vietnam.
The place that has rented you the motor cycle (usually a cheap Chinese brand of honda)that sells new for a few hundred dollars will try and get a couple of thousand US dollars for damage to their bike(not a good position for you if the police are keeping your passport so you can’t leave before all claims are paid).
Also the police are usually taking a cut of what you have to pay out to because you are at fault because you dont have a Vietnamese drivers license.
Motor bike rental shops dont care if you have a license or not and dont tell you that you need a Vietnamese drivers license(they hope you are in an accident because it’s easy money for them.
All in all I would recomend not going to Vietnam for a vacation and pick another country in asia to enjoy as everything you read about Vietnam on their travel websites are usually BS.
Bank Machines–be carefull when using ATM machines as one scam people dont read about is when you take money out of an ATM say 2 million dong–you get your money just like at home but within 24 hrs your account back home will get debited twice for 2 million dong(this happens very often and people dont realise it untill they are in their own country and by then it’s to late.
I myself have been traveling for over thirty years and I think im pretty wise to scams in foriegn countries but Vietnam is the worst place I have ever been in all these years as the country is as corrupt as you can possibly imagine and dirty almost evrywhere(even bottled water is not safe to drink).
So good luck to you if you still want to travel within Vietnam
My Vietnamese wife and her people tried to kill me in an attempt to steal my money when I was in Vietnam. These people are snakes that smile in your face as they stab you. Read about this true story at my blog http://hoahao.tumblr.com
I never knew people could be so evil and dishonest, Vietnam is the worst in the world.