Vietnamese taxi drivers win over foreign tourists with honesty, kindness

Da Nang driver stops South Korean tourist from overpaying

A video showing a ride-hailing driver in Da Nang preventing a foreign passenger from mistakenly paying far more than her fare has attracted attention on social media in recent days.

The driver, Huynh Le Quoc Khanh, 32, who lives in Hai Chau Ward, Da Nang, told news site Vietnamnet that he picked up the South Korean tourist through a ride-hailing app on the evening of October 5.

He drove her from Hai Chau Ward to Duong Dinh Nghe Street in An Hai Ward, with the fare totaling VND26,000 (US$1).

When they arrived, the tourist struggled to find the right banknotes because she was unfamiliar with Vietnamese currency denominations.

Khanh gestured and explained that she could pay with three VND10,000 ($0.38) banknotes, and he would return the change.

Instead, she took out three VND100,000 ($3.8) banknotes. Realizing that she had confused the denominations, Khanh immediately waved his hands and explained that she did not need to pay that much.

To make things clearer, he showed her a VND10,000 ($0.38) banknote. The tourist then found VND30,000 ($1.16) to pay the fare, and Khanh returned the change.

Before she left, he pointed out the VND100,000 ($3.8) banknote and advised her to remember its denomination to avoid similar confusion in the future.

After he explained the difference, the tourist smiled, thanked him, and left in good spirits.

“I simply want to earn exactly what I deserve, whether it is a lot or a little,” Khanh said.

Hanoi driver keeps his word, gets Chinese couple to airport on time

At 2:10 pm on October 3, with less than three hours to go before their flight from Hanoi to Da Nang, a Chinese tourist surnamed Liu and his girlfriend left Hanoi’s Old Quarter to head to Noi Bai International Airport.

The couple initially planned to take a bus from a stop on Hang Tre Street, expecting to pay a total of VND90,000 ($3.5).

After they arrived at the bus stop, they found that the next bus service had been delayed.

If they kept waiting, they risked missing their flight.

As the couple anxiously checked their phones, a local driver approached and asked whether they needed a ride to the airport. He offered to take them for VND160,000 ($6.2).

At first, Liu and his girlfriend hesitated because a taxi ride from central Hanoi to the airport usually costs around VND200,000-300,000 ($7.7-11.6).

Liu asked whether the driver would raise the price upon arrival, take a detour or pick up other passengers along the way. He also asked whether charging VND160,000 ($6.2) would mean the driver was losing money. The driver answered 'no' to all the questions.

Seeing that the couple remained uncertain, the driver suggested that Liu take a photo of their agreement, adding that if he changed the price, the couple could report him to police officers.

He also promised not to raise the fare and said the trip would take around 40 minutes.

Liu told the driver that getting to the airport on time was what mattered and that he was willing to pay extra.

Nevertheless, the driver stuck to the original VND160,000 ($6.2) fare.

During the journey, the driver looked for shortcuts and drove quickly to save time.

The couple reached Noi Bai International Airport on time.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Liu called the driver a 'hero' and offered him VND200,000 ($7.7), including a VND40,000 ($1.5) tip.

The driver accepted only the agreed fare before shaking hands with the Chinese tourist and saying goodbye.