Singapore is a country that many tourists love to visit. Even though this country is known for having a high cost of living, it is close to many South East Asian countries, which makes it a good place to visit.
This country is known for having strict rules, which is different from most other South East Asian countries. Singaporeans do have to follow a lot of strict rules. You should know that this rule also applies to tourists who stay there.
The Culture Trip says that some of the rules are very fair. But there are a lot of rules that are strange and even seem strange. What do they mean?
Going naked at your own home
Going naked in public is wrong, and people who do it are obviously not in a good mental state. But when they’re at home, most people like to dress more casually. They might even step out of the shower naked. You shouldn’t do this in Singapore.
The reason is that if a neighbor sees it by accident and tells the authorities, you will be fined $2,000 or put in jail for 3 months. The government of Singapore thinks that not wearing clothes at home is a kind of pornography. Porn is also against the law in the country.
You can only take off your clothes when you’re in the shower. In fact, if you forget to bring a towel, you must first make sure that all the curtains are closed tightly so that no one can see you leaving the bathroom.
Eating on Public Transportation
While we are discussing going out to restaurants… Every visitor to Singapore should be aware of this law, which is one of the strangest in the country.
How frequently do you bring a coffee, bagel, or another form of grab-and-go snack with you when you use public transportation to get to work?
You had best forget about that before you board the train in Singapore because of the strange regulations that are in place there.
To tell you the truth, we weren’t too into this one until we saw how immaculately clean the trains in Singapore were. They have what has had to be the cleanest public transit systems in the whole world! You could be fined 500 SGD for it
Spitting in Public
You’ll start to see that some of these regulations are things that everyone should adhere to; they are not simply rules that visitors to Singapore should be aware of. To be more specific, many of these strange regulations in Singapore are aimed at maintaining the cleanliness of the city.
The more you explore Singapore on foot, the more likely it is that you will begin to enjoy the city.
Spitting is a disgusting habit, and littering is detrimental to the health of the natural environment, as we can all agree. When you see this, you won’t be able to throw a Coke can or a loogie into the ground without giving it some serious consideration first.
Smoking
In Singapore, smoking is prohibited in a wide variety of public places, including all enclosed spaces, public transportation, bus interchange shelters, the five meters surrounding those shelters, public restrooms, public swimming pools, public dining areas, nightlife establishments such as bars, clubs, and pubs, public outdoor spaces such as playgrounds and markets, exercise areas, the five meters surrounding any entrance or exit, and even parking garages.
In real honesty, the only places where smoking is permitted without risk are the smoker’s own home (provided that their neighbors don’t protest) and specially designated smoking areas. It’s probably preferable not to light up, in my opinion.
Keeping a cat in an apartment
There are no rules about having cats anywhere in Asia. There are rules about how to keep cats in Singapore. Cats aren’t allowed in apartments, so people who live there can’t have them.
The Housing and Development Board says this is because cats like to lose their fur without being careful. Even worse, cats often urinate and poop without thinking, even in public places. The government of Singapore does not stop its people from having dogs. But people can’t buy a dog to keep as a pet without first getting a license.
Not Flushing the Toilet
Yes… in Singapore, there are actually cops that wander around checking public restrooms. Is there anyone out there that disagrees with this law and does not support it?
In all honesty, this ought to be more than just a fine! Anyone who makes a public restroom more unsanitary than it needs to be should be taken into custody immediately. You will be given a fine of 150 Singaporean dollars.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is one of the most popular snacks for kids and adults alike. Gum is one of the foods that can’t be bought or sold in Singapore. People are not allowed to buy, smuggle, or even chew gum in Singapore. Not because of the gum, but because of the people who chew it.
Before 1992, people who chewed gum often just threw away their used gum without thinking about it. It wasn’t unusual for them to put it in different public places.
This behavior is not only disgusting, but it also hurts facilities that are already there. So that the same problem doesn’t happen again, Singapore made chewing gum illegal there. Anyone who breaks the law can be fined up to 100,000 Singapore dollars or put in jail for two years.
Feeding the pigeons
In many places around the world, it is not against the law to feed pigeons. But in Singapore, it is against the law to feed pigeons, and doing so can get you a fine of 500 Singapore dollars. There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t feed pigeons.
Harlow Pest Control says that if you feed pigeons for a long time, their numbers will grow much more than they should. This will definitely throw off the balance of things. Not only that but pigeons also poop, just like other animals. More feces will be spread around the city if there are more pigeons. Of course, this will make things hard for the people who clean the streets.
Drug Activities
If you are caught trafficking or in possession of drugs during your time in Singapore, the penalties can range from fines of up to S$20,000 to 10 years in prison, and in the most severe cases, even the death penalty. This is not an unusual practice in many countries around the world, and it is certainly not unheard of by any stretch of the imagination.
One aspect of this law that stands out from the rest is that Singapore authorities have the authority to administer unannounced and arbitrary drug tests to anyone, regardless of whether or not they have a warrant to do so.
Additionally, you could face legal repercussions if you are found to have drugs in your system. This also implies that you are putting yourself in danger if you have taken any drugs in the time leading up to entering Singapore that may still be present in your system.
Using other people’s WiFi
Singapore’s Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act says that using someone else’s wifi without their permission is a form of hacking that is against the law.
You could go to jail for 3 years or pay a fine of 10,000 Singapore dollars. So how do you get wifi for free? Well, you can go to a cafe, buy something to drink, and then ask the cafe for the wifi password.
The 10 rules above do sound strange at first. Even so, it’s clear that the Singapore government has a reason for putting these rules in place. After all, these five rules are in place to make sure that everyone, including tourists who come to Singapore, is comfortable.
