Know Singapore

“you can bring a yacht in foreign flagged and never pay tax.”
What’s the problem? Doesn’t everyone have a yacht? :roll_eyes:

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Procession of fire arms are prohibited. Permit to own a gun is hard to get and to carry one is impossible, unless you are a Police Officer, or in the SAF.

All cigarettes sold legally in Singapore are imported. Duty free cigarettes are not sold on arrival, but is available on departure.
One open packet with 19 sticks are allowed, whether you are foreigner, PR, or citizen.

The saga of the chewing gum ban. There is no law against chewing gum, or to bring in a few packs for own consumption, but it is prohibited to manufacture or import chewing gum for sale. That applies to everybody.
IFAIK nobody has ever been fined, but that is probably because there is no black market for it. (Unlike for cigarettes and drugs)

Only at Pharmacies, but no prescription required. You only have to present your NRIC. That only applies to medicated chewing gum, other types are not available.
This with “being WTO compliant” is funny. Some US Senators demanded that Singapore had to allow import of chewing gum, otherwise they would bring a complain to the WTO and Singapore could face US sanctions. So Singapore “complied” in a fashion. US trade balance was saved.

BTW; Singapore has been a WTO member since WTO came into existence 1. January 1995 and a member of GATT since 20 August 1973. The chewing gum ban came into effect on 3.January 1992.

Here is a BBC article about the subject of chewing gum ban from 2015:

I think there is a misquote here. actually it was because the doors wouldn’t fully close, thus the train could not move before the station staff had checked all 24 doors and cleared away the offending wad(s) of gum on the door seals.(48 doors on underground stations)
What do you do; stop developing a modern Mass Rapid Transit System, ban teenagers from using MRTs, or ban chewing gum?
Setting the system to tolerate a bigger gap was ruled out because a small child could get an arm stuck in the door and the train would still be able to start.

Actually it took many years from the problem developed until ban on import of gum was implemented by law. (Some regulations presided it)

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the law is zero, they let foreigners off with the ad hock open packet but locals/PR know better so they can take action. First offence is a fine second is prison.

Cigarettes and Tobacco Products There is no duty-free concession and Goods and Services Tax (GST) relief for cigarettes and tobacco products in Singapore.

OK so the “open packet with one stick missing” is not in the law book, but it has been tolerated since the "no duty free cigarettes or tobacco on arrival "rule has been in place.
(I can’t remember when. I stopped smoking in 1995 so it hasn’t affected me much)

yes, thats true for foreigners.
I wouldnt like to try that as a local

Where they really jump is if they see you smoking a duty free cigarette and then have to explain it and your a local who didnt fly in today.
There have been lots of large fines handed out.

you dont hear it happening much these days

There is a difference between buying cigarettes on the black market and coming in at an airport, or ferry terminal, with a single open packet in your pocket (NOT hidden in your luggage) which is tolerated. That applied to Citizens and PR, not only tourists.

The case you are referring to is the first kind, which was rampant (especially among foreign workers). Hasn’t been much in the news lately. Maybe the smugglers find the risk too high compared to the gain these days??

Two Singapore restaurants are on this year’s list of “50 Best Restaurants in the World”:

That includes the Aussie joint Burnt Ends, with this fellow as Owner and Chef:

Any personal experience from either??

No, I rarely go to upmarket dining in Singapore these days as they have become stupid expensive and the staff are getting worse and worse as they get cheaper workers. ( lots of which are now Singaporeans, had one put a steak down in front of me with a fork and a spoon, even the other diners who were locals laughed) Sick of drinking red wine that they keep in the freezer etc etc.
Ate at the Japanese beside the Goodwood the other day as it was good years ago, local female waiter says “you want water ahh”, thats a $150++ a plate restaurant.
Save my money to eat overseas where its far better value as is the whole dining experience.
Hawker centers still good
Costs have killed F&B in Singapore and the loss of the foreign workers have also trashed them.
Fine dining is way cheaper in the rest of the world and the staff know not to ask you if you want pepper on your tiramisu and know you eat steak with with a knife and fork.

PS I just heard they cancelled the F&B staff wage subsidy right before the end of month, no notice at all, thats going to kill them worse than they are now.
The stupidity of the work permits at the moment has also caused lots of business to leave.
Too many kids making the decisions in the Government.

“Jack’s Place” isn’t regarded as “fine dining”. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

It was shima
just checked on tripadvisor first post
" What people say:

17 Jul 2021

Over priced for such lousy service and food quality.

Singapore is an example of late stage capitalism. When the residents cannot afford to live in the country due to being displaced by expats who are there only temporarily. It is not a sustainable economy. No country, whether Singapore, the USA or the city of London can survive on an economy that produces nothing but exists on the rentiers extracting money from a populace with declining real wages .

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You ate steak with a fork and a spoon at Shima??

Stick to Hawker Centres and Coffee Shops. The food is good, the beer is relatively cheap (by S’pore standard) and service is non-existent, nor expected.
It is better if you speak Mandarin so the Chinese staff can understand you, but Hokien may work on any local staff that nay still be around.

Just remember to brig tissue paper to “chop table” when you go to order and fetch your food. And DON’T FORGET to clear your tray, bowl and chopsticks before you leave:

On a more nautical note:

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Sunset over the Republic of Singapore Yacht club
Photo: Luc Verley ©

London pulls in huge money and pays for the country

Yes hakwer food is good and good value.
The vendors know what they are doing
Fine dining in Singapore is just expensive disappointment.

Yes in Singapore I feel sorry for the masses whose only job is to vote in the government.
The economic model has engineered them out of the economy.
Too many old people that are still voting with war time mentality, the current party did a great job in the 60’s etc
Those politicians have all retired and the news ones have no clue what to do.

Did you make that comment??

And just ignore those comments with 5 stars. Those comments are probably made by somebody living in HDB flats. They know nothing about anything. :frowning_face:

No, i just thought funny that when I looked it was exactly what everyone must of thought the night I was there.
All the the restaurants are in the death spiral, prices going up quality of food and staff going down.
The wuhan wog has trashed F&B

From Maasmond Newsletter 11. Oct.:

PS> Been there a few times, but not a regular.