SAIGON COSTS UPSET ALLIED SERVICEMEN

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30977, 5 February 1966, Page 15

SAIGON COSTS UPSET ALLIED SERVICEMEN

tN.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright)

SAIGON, Feb. 4.

American and Australian servicemen complain they are being robbed by many Vietnamese business people. They say that prices of all commodities have risen sharply in recent months, especially for allied servicemen.

One example of this has occurred at the Sea coast resort of Vung Tau, where the Australian Army last week opened its rest and convalescence centre.

Before the first week had ended all restaurants in the city were barred and all public transport was placed “off limits” to the servicemen because of the steep increase in prices.

Bars were warned that the same thing would happen to them unless they lowered their prices. Overnight the price of a glass of beer fell 50 per cent. In Saigon there are two prices. One for the Vietnamese and the other for Americans. Australians are classed as Americans. A small bottle of beer costs a Vietnamese 18 piastres. An Australian or American pays at the very least 25 piastres. Lemonade is five piastres: the Australian pays 20 to 25. (The official rate of exchange is 160 piastres to the £A.) Australians Argued

Three Australians recently went to a restaurant in Cholon, Saigon. They ordered six small bottles of beer and one small bottle of lemonade. They were then presented

with the bill—l6Bo piastres (£AIO 10s). The beer had cost 200 piastres a bottle and the lemonade also cost 200. The extra money had included tax and service.

They argued violently that the bill was impossible. They demanded to see the manager. The manager did not come but the bill was returned, marked with discount, reducing it to 1400. The Australians disgustedly threw 1000 piastres on the table, said “That’s all you’ll rob us of,” and stormed out of the restaurant. Meals in Saigon are also highly priced. A plate of spaghetti costs 100 piastres (12s 6d) but with bread, coffee, service and tax. the bill comes to over £AI.

A reasonably inexpensive cafe will charge about £2 to £3 for a meal consisting of soup, steak and chips and salad, ice-cream and coffee. The minimum taxi fare is six piastres. A normal trip across the city should not cost more than 15 to 20 piastres, but taxi drivers now ask “How

much yOu pay me,” before they let allied servicemen in the vehicle.

Most Australians have found that for a short trip they may get a taxi for an offer of 50 piastres, but normally for a longer trip they have to offer 100 piastres. An Australian and a New Zealander were staggered re-

cently when they went to dinner with a Vietnamese friend. The taxi ride to the small Vietnamese restaurant in the suburbs cost only 10 piastres instead of the 100 they would have paid, the meal, consisting of a bottle of beer each, steak and salad cost 225 piastres and not the 700 piastres they had expected.