Chinese tourists ripped off? Nha Trang restaurant fined $33 for not listing prices

The action came a week after some Chinese tourists shared a photo of their check at the restaurant online, sparking public anger for exorbitant prices.

Last Thursday the group of 14 tourists ate at the seafood restaurant on Pham Van Dong Street near the Ponagar Tower and received a check of VND16.5 million ($710), including VND250,000 each for a plate of fried melon and fried spinach. 

Normally, the two cost no more than VND100,000.

A Facebook photo shows a bill for a meal of Chinese tourists at the restaurant last Thursday.

Authorities inspected the place but said the prices of all other dishes except the two are clearly displayed on the menu.

Overcharging is not uncommon in Vietnam despite occasional crackdowns by authorities.

Recently Vietnamese neitizens and foreign tourists expressed indignation at reports of some Malaysian customers being charged over VND9 million ($387.76) for a meal at a Nha Trang seafood restaurant. The incident is still under investigation since the restaurant has temporarily closed.

In 2016 Nha Trang ordered its tourism department to publish a list of establishments that are found to have overcharged or provided sub-standard services to customers.

Last year the town received 1.9 million Chinese tourists, a 60 percent increase from a year earlier.