“Singapore was, hands down, the rudest place we visited in Asia,” she wrote on the r/SingaporeTravel subreddit on Feb. 15.
“And before anyone jumps in: No, this wasn’t just us being difficult, clueless, rude tourists. We traveled through China, Japan, and Malaysia with zero issues. Singapore was the outlier.”
In her post, the woman claimed that many staff members they encountered were “disrespectful and, honestly, sexist,” Singapore-based news site The Independent Singapore reported.
She also alleged that locals treated people differently depending on gender and ethnicity.
“Before anyone says, ‘Not everyone is like that,’ yes, we met some nice people, but the pattern was frequent enough to feel real, especially when compared to neighboring countries where people were consistently respectful and welcoming,” she added.
Her post quickly drew criticism from netizens.
“I’m an American guy and have been to Singapore a few times. I have always been treated very well. I found Singapore to be warm and welcoming,” one commenter wrote.
“Some might find it rude or unfriendly, but I find it totally understandable; people are simply too busy with their own lives to notice you or give you special attention,” another said.
Singapore was named the world’s friendliest city by readers of Condé Nast Traveler in its annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey in 2024.
Beyond its clean streets and modern public transport system, the city-state is widely regarded as exceptionally safe for tourists, known for its low crime rates thanks to extensive surveillance coverage in downtown areas and frequent police patrols at major attractions.
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