Floating eatery caught overcharging tourists in Vietnam’s Nha Trang fined $800

Nguyen Thai Quoc, head of the market surveillance team, on Wednesday announced the issuance of the administrative penalty against P.V.L., a Nha Trang resident and owner of a floating seafood restaurant on Tri Nguyen Island.

The floating restaurant was accused of selling one kilogram of boxfish for VND3.5 million (US$134.7).

The team determined that the floating restaurant had committed three administrative violations: changing its business line without notifying the district-level business registration authority, operating a food and beverage service without a food safety certificate, and failing to publicly post prices of goods in accordance with regulations.

On the evening of May 2, a Facebook post went viral showing a photo of a restaurant bill totaling VND2.78 million ($107) for two customers. Half a kilogram of boxfish, locally known as ca bo hom, appeared on the bill at VND1.75 million ($67.3), or VND3.5 million ($134.7) per kilogram.

Nguyen Tan Tuan, chairman of the Khanh Hoa People's Committee, had directed the administration in Nha Trang to urgently inspect the seafood restaurant after tourists accused it of overcharging, and to strictly handle any violations found.