Hoan Kiem Ward Police announced on the morning of 11/6 that they had penalized a street vendor following a widely shared video. The video, posted by tourist Rod B Tyler Jr, showed the purchase of 10 donuts for an exorbitant price. The vendor was identified as Pham Thi Yen, 50, from Bac Ninh.

At the police station, Ms. Yen admitted to selling 10 donuts to the foreign customer for 430,000 VND and offered to refund the money. The incident, which occurred on 8/6 near Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, involved Ms. Yen approaching Rod B Tyler Jr, counting 10 donuts, and quoting 150,000 VND. However, when Rod paid with a 500,000 VND bill, she only returned 70,000 VND before quickly leaving. The typical market price for 10 donuts is about 50,000 VND.

Hoan Kiem Ward Police issued a 225,000 VND fine to Ms. Yen for "improper small-scale street vending." Authorities also mandated that she display prices and sell goods at correct rates, along with a commitment not to overcharge tourists. This measure aims to protect the city's image. Despite Rod not explicitly stating he was "ripped off," his video quickly garnered nearly 5,000 likes, sparking outrage among viewers who condemned the exploitation of language barriers for profit.

Ms. Yen selling goods in the Old Quarter area. *Screenshot*.

This incident is not unique, as both local and international tourists have frequently reported overcharging in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Previous cases highlight a recurring problem.

In January, a street vendor received a 225,000 VND fine for selling a conical hat to a foreign customer for 250,000 VND. A motorbike taxi driver faced penalties in February after charging an American tourist one million VND for a 7 km ride. More recently, in July 2025, a taxi driver in Hoan Kiem ward overcharged a group of Filipino tourists nearly 1.4 million VND for a ride less than 1 km. Another incident in September 2025 saw an Australian family pay 1.2 million VND for a cyclo ride, which was three times the regulated price.

Hoai Anh