Take a Taxi
There are dozens of types of fake taxis doing business in Ho Chi Minh City. By manipulating the meter, the fare is several times higher than that of a regular taxi, and there is a high probability that they will avoid the fast route to your destination. It is better to think that all taxis except VINASUN and MAI-LINH are fake taxis.
From the moment you arrive at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, beware of fake taxis. You can think of taxis soliciting customers at the airport as 100% fake taxis. Just ignore the touts and go to the taxi station and ask a VINASUN or MAI-LINH employee in white or green uniform to hail a taxi for you. Real taxi drivers do not wear plain clothes, but wear uniforms with the logo below attached to their chest or left shoulder.
There are cases where fake taxis work under the guise of two companies, VINASUN and MAI-LINH, so it is recommended to check the taxi logo and phone number. The photo below shows a fake taxi disguised to resemble a MAI-LINH taxi, with a different logo and phone number. VINASUN's phone number is 38.27.27.27 and MAI-LINH's phone number is 38.38.38.38.
Let's check the photos of VINASUN and MAI-LINH taxis below to avoid fake taxis. Both VINASUN and MAI-LINH have taxis for compact cars, midsize cars, and SUVs. Taxis for compact cars are the cheapest and SUVs are the most expensive. If you don't have a lot of luggage, it's better to use a compact car or midsize car. However, since SUV taxis are the most common in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, it is not easy to find a compact car or midsize car taxi.
There are cases where a taxi driver asks for more than the amount shown on the meter. If you boarded a taxi at the airport or passed a highway toll gate, the driver is asking for the amount he paid at the time, so it is correct to pay that amount in addition to the meter. There is no additional cost without these cases, so you can pay according to the meter amount.
If you accidentally boarded a fake taxi and found out about it too late, it is recommended that you not use it to your destination and take the following actions. If you are in Ho Chi Minh City, where there are many taxis, you can stop your car right away, pay the amount on the meter or roughly a little money, get out of the taxi, and catch another taxi.
Sometimes the taxi driver will ask you to show if you have money in your wallet, but it is better not to show it and get out of the taxi right away. It is quite dangerous to use a taxi with a driver who is trying to snatch money from your wallet. And among Vietnamese taxi drivers, in order to make a little more money, they often try to go to wrong way if the customer on board is a foreigner and does not seem to have much experience in Vietnam. So, after getting into a taxi, it is a good idea to show your destination on Google Maps and show the driver that you are continuously looking at Google Maps.
There is also a scam that makes you take a VINASUN or MAI-LINH taxi, which is not a fake taxi, but then switch to a strange vehicle after traveling for a while. If something unusual like this happens, it is safer to pay directly the amount on the meter on the spot and catch another taxi to go to your destination.
You don't have to be afraid to refuse when a driver makes strange requests. Be confident, but do not swear, yell, or hit. In Vietnam, there are tools such as iron clubs and axes in the back trunk of taxis, so it can be dangerous. Especially late at night on the outskirts of the city, if you have a problem with a taxi driver, it can be difficult, so it's best to resolve it without fighting. We are foreigners, and if a conflict arises with the locals, it is difficult to communicate and police is always on the side of the locals, so it is almost impossible to get help from others, so it is best to avoid trouble.
If you are not confident in distinguishing between fake taxis or using one, it is a good idea to use the Grab app. By sharing your boarding location and destination information with the driver, you do not need to explain your destination, and the cost can be automatically calculated and confirmed before boarding depending on the distance, helping you avoid meter fraud. For detailed information, including how to use the Grab app, click the button below.