Singapore has enjoyed incredible growth as a tourist destination in recent times, having hit a record high in tourist arrivals and spending for the second consecutive year in 2017. In fact, the overall number of arrivals increased year-on-year by 6.2% to an impressive 17.4 million. While travelling to Singapore is obviously a wonderful experience, however, there’s also a number of things to take note especially for someone visiting from the UK so as not to run the risk of dealing with skilled litigation lawyers.
1. Chewing Gum is not Permitted in Singapore
In the western world, chewing gum is an immensely popular and harmless pastime, and one that incredibly has links with patriotism and the Second World War. However, the same cannot be said in Singapore, with the practice of chewing gum actively banned by the government unless it’s used for medicinal purposes or as a replacement for nicotine.
This means that you should really refrain from packing gum in your case when travelling to Singapore, while also making sure that there’s none on your person when you land.
If you really can’t do without it, however, the law does allow individuals to carry an individual limit of two packs at any given time.
2. Smoking is Only Permitted at Designated Areas
Smoking is another common practice in the UK and Europe, even though these jurisdictions have recently intensified their regulations of late.
Singapore takes an even more stringent approach to regulations, however, with the infamous ban on smoking at Orchard Road indicative of this.
This means that people can only smoke in public at designated areas or face a fine, with these locations typically outlined in yellow paint and placed away from the public eye.
On a similar note, vaping is completely banned in Singapore, and anyone caught indulging in this pastime will face a hefty fine.
3. Some food prices may be inflated due to seasons
As a general rule, we can access specific food items all year round in the UK, with the concept of seasonal produce less commonplace. This is not the case in Singapore, however, where local restaurants often sell seasonal chill crab and durians at inflated price points during specific times of the year.
Of course, people flock from across the globe to sample such delicacies, without realising that they’ll be required to pay a premium to enjoy them. These prices will not always be advertised in advance, however, so you’ll need to ask for the cost before you order to avoid being stung!
The guest author thoughts as a UK visitor does not reflect the sentiments of the blog. We respect the writer’s view and agree to disagree.
