Korean Fares 20 Times Higher... Vietnam 'Overcharging Taxi' Warning

Using Vehicle Sharing and Mobility Platforms

As social distancing measures have been eased, the number of overseas travelers is increasing, but there have been frequent cases in Da Nang, Vietnam, where taxi drivers demand exorbitant fares from Korean tourists, requiring caution.

According to local Vietnamese media such as VN Express on the 17th, a Korean national named Heo arrived early in the morning on December 27 last year at Da Nang Airport. After completing the immigration procedures and stepping outside the airport, a taxi driver approached Heo, offering to take him to his hotel. Heo then canceled his Grab reservation, a Southeast Asian ride-sharing service, and got into the taxi.

However, upon arriving at the hotel, the taxi driver charged Heo 2.1 million VND (approximately 110,000 KRW).

The distance from the airport to the hotel is 4.5 km, and the basic taxi fare in Da Nang is 20,000 VND (about 1,000 KRW), with an additional charge of 17,000 VND (about 920 KRW) per kilometer. Normally, the fare would be 88,000 VND, but the driver charged more than 20 times the normal fare to the Korean tourist.

Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills located in Da Nang, Vietnam

Heo reported the taxi driver to the police, and the driver was apprehended. VN Express reported on the 15th (local time) that a spokesperson from the Da Nang Tourism Department Visitor Support Center coordinated with the police to refund Heo the 2.1 million VND.

In Vietnam, where motorcycles are widely used, taxis are one of the convenient transportation options. Compared to Korea, various public transportation systems are less developed, and taxi fares are relatively cheap, so Korean tourists often use taxis. However, as in the above case, there is a risk of fare scams with local taxis in Vietnam.

Tourists use Grab, the largest ride-sharing service in Southeast Asia. By entering the departure and destination points, a taxi driver is dispatched, similar to using Kakao Taxi. Fares can be known in advance and payment is made through a registered card.

If a taxi reservation is canceled, the fare is refunded within a few hours. Toll fees are paid in cash directly by the driver and later charged through the Grab app. Grab offers not only vehicle services but also delivery of goods, food delivery, and ticket and hotel reservations.

However, recently, some taxi drivers pretending to be Grab drivers have been demanding exorbitant fares, so it is essential to verify the Grab vehicle number before boarding.