While thousands of Golden Star supporters from across Vietnam took to Facebook to celebrate their team’s 1-0 victory over the UAE in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at My Dinh National Stadium, many dedicated fans who attended the game used the social media platform to criticize the outrageous parking fees and food and drink prices at the arena.

The Vietnam – UAE game was part of the Asian section’s second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification organized at My Dinh National Stadium on Thursday night. 

But Vietnam’s win was quickly overshadowed for spectators by unreasonably high service fees, such as parking spots that reached as high as VND400,0000 (US$17.3).

Nguyen Minh Anh, a Team Vietnam supporter, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he had to pay VND350,000 ($15.14) to park his car outside the stadium.

According to parking attendants at My Dinh, the parking fee for cars was not fixed.

Rather, its prices fluctuated between VND100,000-400,000 ($4.32-17.3) based on the size of the car. 

A similar situation unfolded in the motorbike parking area, where prices ranged from VND30,000-50,000 ($1.3-2.16).

These prices seem to be in direct contradiction to regulations set forth by the city’s administration nearly two years ago.

On January 1, 2018, the municipal People's Council began enforcing a regulation limiting motorbike and electric bike parking fees to just VND3,000-8,000 ($0.1-0.3) per vehicle while fees for cars with fewer than nine seats and trucks below two tons were limited to VND10,000-30,000 ($0.43-1.3) per car per hour, depending on the parking location.

The fee for cars with more than 10 seats and trucks over two tons was set to fluctuate between VND12,500-35,000 ($0.5-1.5) per car per hour.

Likewise, food stall attendants at My Dinh stadium also charged varying prices for food depending on the customers.

Sausages, for example, were sold to fans for up to VND40,000 ($1.73) while organizing staff were charged just VND10,000 ($0.43).

“I’ll charge you just VND10,000 for a bottle of water and the same for a sausage,” a food stall attendant whispered to a staff member from the event’s organizing board.

Meanwhile, one fan bought two of the same bottles of water and two sausages for VND170,000 ($7.35).

According to several football fans, similar issues happen during every match held at the stadium.

Tuoi Tre attempted to contact the management board of My Dinh National Stadium to discuss their pricing system but could not get through.  

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