The passenger's boarding pass is torn during exit procedures at Phu Quoc Airport. Photo by China Times
According to a statement issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department on Monday, the officer's temporary suspension would allow a thorough investigation into the incident.
The incident occurred on May 13, during the processing of exit procedures for a family of four from Taiwan (China) departing Phu Quoc Island for Kaohsiung.
According to official accounts, an immigration officer requested that each family member present their passport individually, given that some documents included accompanying minors.
Authorities allege that the passengers refused to comply and behaved inappropriately.
A language barrier, with the officer speaking English and the family speaking Chinese, reportedly escalated tensions and misunderstandings.
Believing he was being shouted at and insulted, the officer lost his temper and tore up one of the passengers' boarding passes.
Senior airport officials intervened shortly after the incident, assigning another officer to assist the family. The passengers were provided a reprinted boarding pass and completed their exit procedures as scheduled.
The Immigration Department said disciplinary measures would be taken based on the Ministry of Public Security's internal regulations.
The case has drawn significant public attention in Vietnam and Taiwan, fuelling a broader debate over professionalism and service standards among border control authorities.
In a social media post written in Chinese, the female passenger recounted that she, her husband, and their two children were initially asked to line up in pairs at the counter, but were later instructed to join the back of another queue without a clear explanation. Confused, she questioned the change, speaking to the officers and her husband. She speculated that her tone may have been misinterpreted as yelling.
According to her account, her family was left waiting while other passengers were processed. She approached the counter to ask for assistance, at which point the officer allegedly tore her boarding pass in half.
The passenger also said that a local tour guide informed her that the Vietnamese customs authority had visited the travel agency to apologise on behalf of the officer.
