Singapore Expats

I am an Australian living in Bangkok and went to Singapore for 5 days arriving home only a few days ago. I do not think I will go again , I found them rude, unable to speak English properly, unhelpful, and selfish when walking on the footpath just bumping into people and not even saying "sorry" . I am not sure if it's the enviroment there or the way they are taught but to me Singaporeans are just a bunch of snobs. I was never said "hello" to or asked by any of the Hotels I stayed if I needed assistance. In fact 2 hotels I stayed I asked for something and never got what I requested. But of course they like to remind you how much things cost for some reason, maybe in order to put you off coming next time. I did not find any customer services of value but I think Singaporeans don't care.
I also found returning to Changi Airport difficult as the trains do not have special spaces for large luggage as like other countries. I got on a train at City Hall and had to almost sit on my bag as the train was overcrowded. I do not think Singapore is tourist friendly anymore.

There are trains that have spaces for luggages. Perhaps you took the wrong one?

Nice review..'no money no honey'.

yay! singapore for singaporeans!

sogohome wrote:yay! singapore for singaporeans!

Yay! All Singaporeans poor because no tourist dollars!

Think before you post.

Think you should spend more than 5 days in Singapore before you can comment.

Having lived in Bangkok, hailing from down under and now living in Singapore, putting some context to your comments would help you understand Singapore a little better.

Hotels are expensive and not as friendly in Oz, cheap and ultra friendly in Bangkok, Singapore falls somewhere in the middle but in general (and I live in Hotels all around the world), generally Singapore hotels are very very good, even the 3 star ones.

Getting bumped into on the footpath - most likely as much your fault as theirs and more often than not it is another tourist. Isolated experiences in 5 days does not entitle you to label Singapore as 'a bunch of snobs', walking around in Sydney is much snobbier and remember, there is a lot more space there.

Dont even mention cost of things, you are living in Bangkok and have probably lost touch of value of everyday things. Again Singapore falls somewhere inbetween Oz and Bangkok - a happy medium I feel

Take a taxi to the airport, plenty of space, cheap and very courtious service - at least you dont feel like you could be taken anywhere as with Bangkok taxi's and you dont feel like you are getting ripped of as with Aussie taxi's.

Enjoy Bangkok and remember we are lucky enough to live in a world where we can experience all different experiences, whether good or bad - just need to put them into context....

Being Singaporean, I don't think it is fair to pass a judgement of Singaporeans as such cause everywhere you go there is a fair share of the good and the bad.. So you must have stumbled upon some idiots in Singapore making your experience a bad one..but hey others migth have been lucky to stumble on nice Singaporeans.

But it all boils down to " what goes around comes around. "

Be nice OK.

sogohome wrote:yay! singapore for singaporeans!

Couldn't agree more here.

Singapore doesnot need the tourist dollars from these shortsighted and narrowminded kind of 'visitors'.

Stay in your beloved BKK, much much better.

Eric

While I agree with all the regulars who answered the OP I do have one thing to interject.

A while ago there was a thread (hopefully on this board ) talking about what people who have never been to Singapore think of the country (not having lived or visited Singapore before). The comments were not that good e.g., you can be caned for graffitti, chewing gum is banned, drug trafficers are hanged, it's a "Fine" city, and so on. Not too much on Number 1's other that Changi Airport and it being a sterile city (clean but a bit too much so).

Ever wonder how these came about? By people like the OP who spent a few days here and was shabbily treated. That's what he/she takes back to their home countries and tells the neighbours down at the pub, etc. Eric, you, better than all the rest of us can tell us (what with your tourguide training here in Singapore) is the average stay in Singapore. It used to be about 3.5 days. Maybe instead of dissing the OP we should take a better look inwards?

sms

What ? So someone complains and it's 'get the hell out? Nice.

The OP, while short-sighted and far too easily led, does have some fairly valid points. Customer service in Singapore is woefully behind Bangkok, or Shanghai or HK. SMS is right.

Eric you have made a conscious decision to live here permanently, you love it that much. Which is great, and I say, without sarcasm: Bravo for finding a place you call home and for making it work.

But please recognize, it is not like that for all of us. Just becasue we don't love it here as much as you does not make us delusional, stupid or spoiled -- just different.

Eric,

Please don't take my post the wrong way. I wasn't carping at you. I was actually asking you for confirmation of my statement of the normal stay in Singapore as you have actually been a receipient of tour training and I would expect had received that sort of data.

Lindsaybkk wrote:I am an Australian living in Bangkok and went to Singapore for 5 days arriving home only a few days ago. I do not think I will go again , I found them rude, unable to speak English properly, unhelpful, and selfish when walking on the footpath just bumping into people and not even saying "sorry" . I am not sure if it's the enviroment there or the way they are taught but to me Singaporeans are just a bunch of snobs. I was never said "hello" to or asked by any of the Hotels I stayed if I needed assistance. In fact 2 hotels I stayed I asked for something and never got what I requested. But of course they like to remind you how much things cost for some reason, maybe in order to put you off coming next time. I did not find any customer services of value but I think Singaporeans don't care.
I also found returning to Changi Airport difficult as the trains do not have special spaces for large luggage as like other countries. I got on a train at City Hall and had to almost sit on my bag as the train was overcrowded. I do not think Singapore is tourist friendly anymore.

Hello, it's not a "train", it is commuter rail. How many luggage racks have you seen on the Chicago or New York subway?

I have visited Singapore on my business trips multiple times in the past and now have lived here in Singapore for a few weeks. Yeah, there are few things that do get on my nerves, i.e. people crossing the street anywhere, but overall, I really like this place! It's clean, safe, very diverse in cultures, has great food places everywhere, shows Premier League games constantly on TV, has a great airport, has wonderful public transportations...the list can go on for a while. It's not uncommon to run into a series of events on a short visit to any place to have a bad memory of such place, but it's a bit premature to draw some generalization out of that experience without any reasonable validation of such experience with many others.

I travel all around the world as well and Singapore is one of the nicest places that you can visit. I just got back from another trip and felt so relaxed upon arrival at the airport, taking only a minute to go through the customs!

You should give it a try again at a later time. You may have a totally different experience next time.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Eric, you, better than all the rest of us can tell us (what with your tourguide training here in Singapore) is the average stay in Singapore. It used to be about 3.5 days. Maybe instead of dissing the OP we should take a better look inwards?

sms

As far as I know, the average a tourist here will stay, is 6 days, according to the information we got from STB.

No offense taken sms, not at all!

Eric

Mary Hatch Bailey wrote:What ? So someone complains and it's 'get the hell out? Nice.

The OP, while short-sighted and far too easily led, does have some fairly valid points. Customer service in Singapore is woefully behind Bangkok, or Shanghai or HK. SMS is right.

Eric you have made a conscious decision to live here permanently, you love it that much. Which is great, and I say, without sarcasm: Bravo for finding a place you call home and for making it work.

But please recognize, it is not like that for all of us. Just becasue we don't love it here as much as you does not make us delusional, stupid or spoiled -- just different.

Hey there La Reinne,

I didnot say the OP should get the hell out of here, I said (s)he should just stay in beloved BKK, which is different.

We both seem to agree the OP's comments show a bit of short-sightedness, to say at least.

And into details: when walking the streets in BKK it is exactly the same as here: some people will be polite, others won't. Even when looking at it form a general point of view: The culture in Thailand regarding the western 'politeness' is exactly the same as in Singapore: Nobody will look at you, all will just ignore you when you bump into them. Never ever heard a Thai say sorry to me in such cases. Not trying to prefer Singapore here, it is just the same there, both can be quite disturbing.

Regarding the supposed ignoring of a question asked in hotels here, would like the OP to state which hotel would not say hello or answer your question asked. That one really makes me laugh: Burger king staff may do so, but not in Hotels here.

The comment on the train luggage... Well, what should one say on that, it is just too hilarious to be taken serious.

I have no issue with people criticizing Singapore at all, in fact I can name a few things myself, but this is just as silly as it can get.

Can't really understand why a person who just came here on a visit, would then start whinging on a forum about it if he or she don't like the place

Seems like somebody liked to stir up some flaming again with sheer nonsense here...

Eric

Eric from the Netherlands wrote: Seems like somebody liked to stir up some flaming again with sheer nonsense here...

Eric

And in that case you did what he expected by reacting to his bullying bullshit!



(Sapphire, I want to clarify that I do not see any close relationship between Eric and you even if the symbols used might lead to confusion )