I had just arrived in Singapore and wanted to experience some of the country’s nightlife. I decided to make my way to the Boat Quay area, a popular nightlife destination in the city.
I was excited to explore the area and see what it had to offer.
The bar was vibrant, filled with westerners like me
I walked into a random bar somewhere near the area and am immediately hit with a wave of energy. The place was filled with people, the music was loud, and the atmosphere was buzzing.
There were also female hostess wearing very scantily accompanying the patrons who were mostly westerners and because there were many westerners like me, I assumed that it was a safe place.
I ordered a beer for starters and was surprised to find out that it was more expensive than I had expected, about $30 for a pint of Guinness. I didn’t think much as I had heard about the prices of alcohol in Singapore and thought it was normal.
The night went on as usual and then the hostess came over to accompany me and after a while, they asked me if I could buy a few shots of ‘ladies drink’ for them and I agreed thinking that it was their tips.
When the bill came, I got a shock that I had paid over a hundred bucks for a tray of 10 shots for their drinks which tasted nothing like alcohol.
Realised that I might have been conned and wanted to leave
I didn’t want to spend so much because I realised that I might have been conned and I rushed to finish my drink and made my way to the door.
As I was leaving, the bartender rushed over with another bill for me and told me that I had to pay for the ladies’ time for accompanying me. It was about $150 per lady and I had two.
I was outraged and demanded that it was unfair and refused to pay. He refused and told me that there was nothing I could do about it. I was so angry that I could have punched him but I didn’t want to make the situation any worse.
I left the bar feeling completely defeated. I felt like I had been taken advantage of simply because I was a tourist and it really put a damper on my night.
I had wanted to enjoy my first night in Singapore but instead I was left feeling ripped off and frustrated.