honesty of Vietnamese?

My experience is that OPs like this are written for sport.

I met Violets (a regular TTer in this branch) yesterday in Hanoi and she told me a story. At Hanoi Army Museum, an Aussie tourist refused to pay VND 5,000 (30 cents) for photography at the Museum, he said he would not take any photo. Later Violets saw him taking photo, she said to that man "You are cheating Vietnamese, what a shame!".

So taxi drivers in New York, London, Paris, Toronto and so on are nice honest people and xe oms and taxi drivers in Vietnam are not?

So hotel sold tours are overpriced in Vietnam, and you can do them cheaper on your own? So go on a package tour to Greece or the Spanish Islands and look at the trip they sell.

Restaurants overcharge you. Would you order food in a restaurant with a menu without prices in your own country?

Finally, if you knew the customer was never returning anyway as they would be jumping on the bus or train the next day, would you add 2000 dong to the price of a bottle of water?

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<hr> know it is a hot topic.....<hr></blockquote>

The silly OP is getting the many responses she was hoping for!!

I have been travelling in vietnam now for over a month and have just extended my visa for another month.. it is such an amazing country, but i can sympathise with the OP.. i don't think it is dishonesty, yet i have had my fair share of problems, but they are mainly related to services, travel, shopping.. and not necessily in 'backpacker areas' i have been robbed by gambelling prostitutes on a walk home one evening, a taxi driver pinning me to a wall because i only payed the price we agreed and not more, and i am just a small inofensive english girl! also had groups of people stand around laugh at me because they know we are getting rippped off! YET i have in the same days received such kindness a and generousity from local people, whom now i call my friends.
i am due to venture into the Northwest on my own only using local buses and transport upto sapa, so i can experience more of the geniune generous people of vietnam..

i do wish when people want to talk about their experiences that aren't always great that other posters don't put them down as troll, some people just want others side of the story and looking for postive reply..
be nicer to each other!
: )

i agree with #16. the local people in vietnam were really lovely, but those involved in hospitality and tourism were anything but - especially in hanoi. actually, only in hanoi as far as we were concerned. we didn't really experience any problems anywhere else in vietnam, in fact every where else was great. i don't think the OP is a troll. it's a pity some people are just so dismissive, defensive, sarcastic and quick to pounce on people who have negative experiences and want to bring it to other people's attention. everyone's experiences are valid - good or bad, just because a person wants to engage others in a topic that speaks about their negative experiences, shouldn't automatically make those people topics of derision!

angeldust - it is difficult to validate some peoples posts when they include such incredibly sweeping statements as:

<blockquote>Quote
<hr> people were lovely, but those involved in hospitality and tourism were anything but - especially in Hanoi<hr></blockquote>

Many, many people in Hanoi who work in the hospitality industry are not only really decent, honest, trustworthy people - but they also work incredibly long, hard hours dealing with horrible, and I mean REALLY HORRIBLE tourists!

Tourists who spend a fortune getting themselves to Vietnam, they then have a few dollars in their pocket and feel very superior and treat the locals with contempt, rudely fighting to beat them down to the lowest possible price, we witnessed this behavior many times, it was revolting!

But we don't imagine that all tourists are like that, because that would be a ridiculous generalisation to make about an entire group of people, based on our limited experience with a select few!!

And if I made a post stating that all tourists to Vietnam were rude, ignorant, superior fools then I would expect to be labelled a troll and sarcastically dismissed!

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>everyone's experiences are valid - good or bad<hr></blockquote>
I agree in principle, but my complaint is that the OP, like many other generic whiners, does not cite one specific example to justify the topic title: "Honesty of Vietnamese," which is a racist and inflamatory thing to write. It annoys the hell out of me when posters make these vague accusations and lump several million innocent people in to their judgement of a nationality. I could just as easily go to the Euro Branch and post "honesty of the Irish" based on a few unpleasant experiences there, and you could substitute any other nationality/country with the same legitimacy, if you are legitimizing this OP.

Indeed, Rose! Those of us who have spent a lot of time on the road have observed quite a few horrible tourists. It gives the rest of us a bad name, and I feel pretty bad for the local folks to have to deal with those idiots. :-(

Hello everyone!

Looks like some of you were offended by our experiences! Let me put it right:
We have met some very kind, friendly and helpful Vietnamese people and of course I am not making
general statements about a whole nation. Have been traveling around SE and visited Thailand, Myanmar,
Laos and Cambodia so far and most of our experiences with the local people there were great. However,
traveling independently in Vietnam is much more frustrating than anywhere else. I am not talking
of being overcharged or about too expensive tours and I know exactly that I do not get a 4* hotel room for 25 USD.

Some examples of our experiences:
Bought a suit, a dress, shirts and pants in a tailor's shop in Hoi An; after taking our measurements
we returned for a final fitting and we asked for some changes of the clothes because they were too tight, etc.
the lady got very unfriendly and didn't want to do it - after a long discussion we finally agreed that the clothes
were to be changed; in the same shop I had asked whether it is possible to shorten a skirt I had bought
earlier on our travels - she said yes no problem, but did not amend it as we had agreed on.....now the whole
pattern of the skirt is ruined;
motorbike drivers take you to places that we didn't intend to go - only because they get commission (hotels, minibus companies)
etc. etc.

I am not a native english speaker, so I dont know what a troller is....but you all might explain that to me

anyway, sweetrose 6 when you call me dishonest and untrustworthy I consider your statement rather silly (as you did) and not very
intelligent which only reflects my opinion!

mrmooki, what was dubious about MY opinion about vaccinations? that there are only 2 shots needed for Hep A? I can send you a copy of my doctors degree when i get back from my travels in 8 weeks if that helps you!

thank you, dharmawheel78 and angeldust for the support!
why are so many OPs here reacting in such an offensive way to negative experiences of others?

good luck on your travels wherever you are going!