Six holidaymakers were asked to pay VND500,000 (US$24) for the “chair hiring fee” by a restaurant in Bai Dai beach, 10 kilometers off Nha Trang city in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa on Tuesday.

Le Xuan Thanh, a tourist from Hue, reported to local authorities that he and his five friends were shocked to learn that they would have to pay VND1.4 million, including the unreasonable seating fee, after having lunch at Bao Hoa Restaurant in Cam Lam District.

“Nowhere on earth have I been charged VND500,000 only for seating,” Thanh said.

Upon receiving his complaint, Nguyen Thi Thanh, chairwoman of the district government, said the restaurant had breached price regulations.

“Facilities leasing beach chairs are not allowed to charge tourists more than VND5,000 each,” she said.

Thanh said her agency had asked the restaurant to refund the tourists.

On April 28 and 29, Khanh Hoa authorities also imposed fine on four local restaurants for violating price regulations, and three travel companies for organizing tours without reporting to local agencies.

In related news, Binh Minh, a tourist to the coastal city of Vung Tau, reported to the city’s tourism management board that a friend of his was charged VND2.6 million per day by a hotel at Bai Sau on April 29.

Normal room rates in the area are only between VND800,000 and VND1 million per day.