Airport Taxi Scam in Saigon, Vietnam

#scam #vietnam #saigon
Don't Fall for this Scam at Vietnam Airports or you might pay anywhere from $15 to $40. $10 is the actual price to get from the airport to downtown in a taxi it is becoming very common for them to have fake meter rates. The green Taxi company is better than the others and typically will charge normal rates. If you want to take a an Uber AKA (grab or gojek) you just have to walk out of the airport zoning area. Other common taxi scams when you are in Vietnam when you are entering for the first time. When the taxi driver wants to know if it's your first time to Vietnam make sure you tell them you have been here before. When you give the money to the taxi cab make sure you double check and take a picture of the bill you give them because they will try to hand you back a 10k bill that is broken after you gave them a perfectly good 100k bill. It happens a lot to tourists that are new in Vietnam.

[@giannishen]

I think local buses is a good way, thanks a lot for sharing. 👍😄🙏 P. S. Always be careful when crossing the road!

[@bertdigsthis]

Yes, true. It's always fun crossing the road in Vietnam. I wasn't able to come to Taiwan because of some restrictions. I will be back there for sure soon though. Im in Malaysia now.

[@giannishen]

@@bertdigsthis Thanks a lot for letting me know! Take care! 👍😀👌

[@kasper_1280]

Hi from New Zealand awesome content for travelling

[@bertdigsthis]

Thanks Kasper. I think it is super good to have some options when you are first arriving in the country.

[@christopherfoley4332]

Well done, you can also take the 51 which leaves from the same spot, its the actual local bus and it is 1/3 that price, 5000 vnd.

[@AStupidTourist]

Not even $1 😎 thats a great find Bert 👌 Honorable mention to that guy trying to scam you with 😅😅😅

[@bertdigsthis]

But actually if it's just 10 dollars for an airport taxi to Bui Vien it's ok but they get a lot of fresh off the plane tourists for 20 and 30 dollars. Not a good intro to Vietnam.

[@BlueSkies360]

6:40 What statue?

[@bertdigsthis]

Its near the walking street.

[@ucthien2664]

actually you would have to walk away from the airport to the puplic streets to find a proper bus station

[@Angelo19835]

I learned my lesson at the Vietnam airport. Those scammers won't happen to me again, but otherwise Vietnam is a beautiful country.❤❤😊

[@bertdigsthis]

Yes. Its an amazing country. I cant wait to go back.

[@Angelo19835]

@@bertdigsthis now I’m back home 🏠 and I miss Vietnam 🇻🇳 already 😔😔😔❤️❤️

[@antoniomorais1503]

Hello Bert, Great video. Can I take a Grab or Bolt at the HCMC airport ? Thank you so much.

[@bertdigsthis]

You have to walk about 15 to 20 min past gas station nearby or a grab or a go jek. There is no bolt in Vietnam yet.

[@GTK-i1p]

No you don’t. Exit the airport and walk across the 20 foot wide st and that is the pick up spot for grab. Just got back from my third trip in 7 months and heading back in October.

[@matildasmom2876]

What was your Grab pick up point if you just cross that wide street? Does the airport wifi reach that spot? Going in 2 weeks.

[@keithronni]

Great find. 😮 I should have taken the bus.

[@ernestjohnortiz9769]

hello. can we hop on a local bus from airport even though we do not have a booking? we will visit saigon on december.

[@bertdigsthis]

Yes. You just find the mini bus and they take you. It's awesome.

[@bertdigsthis]

No need for a booking.

[@user-sq5dc6og6u]

My first trip to Saigon and vietnam. I took the taxi from the airport. Where you make the queue. I knew the price was around 200000 dong. I was watching the meter and just before arrive to my hotel i had a look outside. When i look again the meter the price was 500000 dongs. The taxi scammer shouting at me when i asked him why it was so expensive. I was so tired by my trip that i paid him but it didn’t hapened a second time as i used grab after that. Theses taxi scamers doing this since many years but the vietnamese government do nothing. What a shame! I live 20 years in thailand and it’s never hapened to me there. There is many scammers in vietnam so be aware. Thailand is so much better in every points.

[@bertdigsthis]

That's why I just take the local bus when I arrive at the airport.

[@bertdigsthis]

Great story by the way. I definitely been there before in that situation.

[@arendeepropertymaintenance]

Also known as Ho Chi Minh City? No, it is Ho Chi Minh City. It used to be called Saigon.

[@bertdigsthis]

If you are in Saigon you will notice everyone calls it Saigon. Ho Chi Minh city is just the official name.

[@GTK-i1p]

Even the locals call it Saigon

[@arendeepropertymaintenance]

@@GTK-i1p yes, that is true.

[@laurent.5019]

Didn’t consider taking local buses from airports. 😅sth to try in future

[@FoodXBert]

Hello

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

I live in th US and every day I get email scam and teller marker scam and its very annoying. But in the past I get towing scam, taxi scam, car repair scam, internet scam, Email scam and even hotel scam when the hotel host get your debit card number while checking in. And make a separate personal charge using your debit card number online. This happen in the great USA. My lost was with US dollars is way more than the Vietnamese Dong that you lost.

[@bertdigsthis]

That is really annoying

[@Kushal6831]

Thanks for sharing 🙏 i avoided these scam at airport

[@fkaceng]

Did you buy your sim card at the airport? That's another scam if you did. The sim cards are registered to a company in Hanoi. You can only buy sim card at the airport, no top ups and NOBODY will help you.

[@bertdigsthis]

I didnt realize that. I got my sim card in town. Viet moble is really not good compared to viettel.

[@lishr4536]

so you're saying that if I visit Vietnam I should buy the simcard at the airport, or I shouldn't ?

[@fkaceng]

@@lishr4536 The sim cards sold at the airport are prepaid cards valid for 1 month only. They are meant for one-time visitors.

[@barrioboi14344]

which side did u find d bus 109, thnx.

[@bertdigsthis]

I cant remember. It was 2 years ago I was there.

[@GTK-i1p]

I don’t understand the comments about grab. All you do is exit the baggage claim area, exit out the area where they try scamming you for currency exchange and sim cards ( i either show up with currency or just get what’s needed from atm ) walk directly straight across the small street right out front and all the grabs are sitting right there. Grab is the easiest to use and cheap. Cost me $2 two weeks ago.

[@bertdigsthis]

You can do that too. Grab is great but the bus is a lot cheaper and still gets you to where u got to go. If you have a lot of bags it might be hard to walk down the street to the gas station where you are allowed to get a grab. Its like a 5 min walk.

[@GTK-i1p]

@@bertdigsthis its not 5 minute walk. It’s literally 45 seconds after exiting the building. Walk out and only walk across the crosswalk.

[@matildasmom2876]

Is there a manned Grab stand there where someone can help you book a ride or do you still need to order on the app?

[@GTK-i1p]

@@matildasmom2876 use the app. Then look for the car description and tags. They always call me but speak Vietnamese. Then they come up to me. I think they look to see who raises their phone to answer and then approach that person. Just make sure the license tag match the description in app. I have never had an issue with grab and use it several times a day when there.

[@rockylee4696]

Who is Gojek ?

[@bertdigsthis]

Gojek is like uber or grab in vietnam.

[@geraldwong8763]

What bus number did you take?

[@bertdigsthis]

I think I say it in the video. I say two bus numbers that work and get to the bus number that takes me to buivien.

[@eddiggs5993]

Thanks for the tips on getting buses.

[@bertdigsthis]

Lots of scams when you are arriving in a new city that can get you.

[@lwagiman]

I hope one day I can visit Indonesia

[@bertdigsthis]

Indonesia is awesome. Vietnam is great too.

[@RandA1220]

Crossing the streets like a pro!

[@bertdigsthis]

I always do.

[@josephfernandes8414]

Bro is there WiFi in the local buses

[@bertdigsthis]

Definitely not. But it is 50 cents to go on one.

[@bertdigsthis]

You can get a sim card in town and at the airport for 10 dollars for the whole month.

[@marc-austintampharne4511]

A normal person would arrange for transfers before they travel. Sadly, there's not a lot of normal people around.

[@bertdigsthis]

I think the bus is the most affordable way when you first arrive in vietnam to avoid getting a jacked meter. I know people who have been charged 40 or 50 dollars before arriving from the airport to the backpacker street.