Restaurant Scams in Vientiane

Mekong Riverside Restaurant Bill Inflation

Restaurants lining the Mekong riverside promenade in Vientiane frequently present tourists with bills that include items not ordered, inflated prices that differ from the menu, or mandatory "service charges" not disclosed upfront. Menus shown to foreign visitors sometimes carry different prices than those shown to locals. The discrepancy is rarely acknowledged, and staff rely on language barriers and tourist reluctance to cause a scene.