#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Singapore Forum >  >  Can anyone answer a couple of questions?

## harrybarracuda

Smoking: Can you bring cigarettes in? Is there an inbound duty free? Can you buy them readily in shops? Are smoking areas clearly defined? (NB Not worried about the cost).

SIM Card for Internet: Best one? Can you buy them at the airport? I need a lot of mobile data.

Cheers,
H

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## nidhogg

> Smoking: Can you bring cigarettes in? Is there an inbound duty free? Can you buy them readily in shops? Are smoking areas clearly defined? (NB Not worried about the cost).
> 
> SIM Card for Internet: Best one? Can you buy them at the airport? I need a lot of mobile data.
> 
> Cheers,
> H


No duty free allowance on ciggies.  Yes you can buy them almost everywhere.  Smoking areas are well defined.

There are a few hotels that have smoking rooms - book early!

Will pass on the other stuff.

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## Latindancer

You're a smoker, Harry ?



Gaaaaaaaaahhhhh.....



I gave it up in 1977.

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## biff

When you come out of Immigration at Swampy..after you get your luggage..there are some duty free kiosks on the way to the exit..I don't smoke , but always buys cartons for the hotel staff.. around 400 baht a carton..200 cigs..M/Red is 650 baht a carton..

For sim card , buy MybuyCat..its the government one..just leave 20 or so baht in credit and it does not expire.
As from this month, you will have to have a finger print scan now..

Making it happen for all

MBK and bigger places have this company sims..20 baht I think..

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## Davis Knowlton

^He's asking about Singapore.

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## nidhogg

> ..M/Red is 650 baht a carton..
> 
> ..


If you mean Marlboro red, how long is it since you last visited??????

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## biff

Dtac...Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (dtac) | dtac

Have a big pre paid package..I will look and get tomorrow , the package info..
All hotels these days have free internet..I use about 50gb per month..no one complains ..
Ask them at you hotel if you can use/ pay a little extra the internet...

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## biff

Thanks Davis...just realized , when read post..
oh well am old..

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## biff

Nidhogg, I am here in BKK, live here full time..
Got some cigs in Laos last month..from memory, M/Red was $9 or 12 a carton..
I got a few cartons for $4 U/S a carton..
Just for hotel staff, they never complain, always look out for me..etc

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## nidhogg

..and harry, resist the urge to throw a few pack in the bag.  The do occasionally scan luggage just as you are about to leave after collecting your bags, and they also employ plain clothed customs people to go round keeping an eye on what people are smoking.  All Singapore legal ciggies are individually stamped if I recall correctly.

A friend of mine was busted once at a nightclub.  They escorted him home and got the rest of his imports.  Fined by the individual ciggie.

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## nidhogg

> Nidhogg, I am here in BKK, live here full time..
> Got some cigs in Laos last month..from memory, M/Red was $9 or 12 a carton..
> I got a few cartons for $4 U/S a carton..
> Just for hotel staff, they never complain, always look out for me..etc


The point is the duty free at swampy has not carried Marlboro for at least 5 or 6 years.  From what I recall, King Power and Philip Morris could not reach a distribution agreement.  Annoys me afresh each and every time I go to the airport, which is quite often.

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## david44

Singers your allowed 19 I recall before I quit, idea you cannot resell an open packet.I used Singtel on roaming but I'm sure somewhere in Chango can selll you something their set up to trade

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## baldrick

I flew into changi once to transfer to ships crew - all the others who were filipinos were pounced on and had their luggage searched and all their cigarettes confiscated - poor bastards

I had moved away  from them and the shipping agent who was herding us through the airport just minutes earlier and passed through unscathed

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## AndyCap

Can only bring opened packet into Singapore.

SIM card at 7-11 need your passport. Quick job though. You won't get a plan without going to Singtel...so it will be a little costly, but there is wifi almost everywhere.

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## chassamui

> You're a smoker, Harry ?
> 
> 
> 
> Gaaaaaaaaahhhhh.....
> 
> 
> 
> I gave it up in 1977.


Then it's about time you stopped being such a smug prick about it.

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## harrybarracuda

> Can only bring opened packet into Singapore.
> 
> SIM card at 7-11 need your passport. Quick job though. You won't get a plan without going to Singtel...so it will be a little costly, but there is wifi almost everywhere.


I don't need a plan, just a SIM card and data.

Wifi is everywhere, but I plan on strolling around and using Google Maps to see what's about.

I'm in an office during the day but the rest of the time is mine.

Don't want to go all the way to Singapore to sit in the hotel watching the movie channel.

So if I buy a SIM in 7/11 and put 20 bucks on it, I can just ring up and get them to enable data like I can in Thailand?

Is 4G common?

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> 
> Smoking: Can you bring cigarettes in? Is there an inbound duty free? Can you buy them readily in shops? Are smoking areas clearly defined? (NB Not worried about the cost).
> 
> SIM Card for Internet: Best one? Can you buy them at the airport? I need a lot of mobile data.
> 
> Cheers,
> H
> ...


But can I just bring in a carton of my usual and declare them and pay the duty?

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## harrybarracuda

Well this appears to be ideal. Can pick up at Changi.

https://www.singtel.com/personal/pho...tsimcards.html

Probably one of those Tourist-spying SIMs.

 :Smile:

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## nidhogg

> Originally Posted by nidhogg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> ...


Sure.  Not sure it is worth the time or hassel, but sure.

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## Dragonfly

only suspicious looking characters get checked up by customs there,

since you are Indian, they are going to strip search you,

brought cigars, expensive French wines etc... several times for expat friends and never was asked for a search despite standing next to those scan machines and their operators while waiting for my luggages

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## AndyCap

Chuck the ciggies in your suit case, if you get scanned and caught you can pay the duty or put them in a locker and get them on the way out, at least this was always the case in the past. Scanning is random, always a big scandals because the Japanese bring in cartons for their customers and never get scanned, or this used to be the case.

It's no biggie if you get nabbed.

Same with driving the car over the bridge to Malaysia, only with over 3/4 full tank, well that's not really the same, but you see what I'm getting at?

 :Confused:

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## nidhogg

^ yup.  To be honest, i always have a few packets distributed amongst my bags.  Ok so far, touch wood.

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## harrybarracuda

> only suspicious looking characters get checked up by customs there,
> 
> since you are Indian, they are going to strip search you,
> 
> brought cigars, expensive French wines etc... several times for expat friends and never was asked for a search despite standing next to those scan machines and their operators while waiting for my luggages


I know you're lying because an HR clerk can't afford anything expensive, and katoey bum chums do not count as "expat friends".

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## TizMe

I just got back from 5 days in Singapore last Monday.
I just got an M1 prepaid sim. I think it was $28 with 3gb of data.
It could send SMS but couldn't make a real phone call.

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## harrybarracuda

Well...

I took a couple of opened packs in my hand luggage and one in my pocket and they didn't scan anything. After that it was official smokes at SIN$13 a pack.

At the exchange place in arrivals they gave me Singapore dollars for US and charged me $30 for a Singtel "Tourist" card with 14Gb of data, which was ample.

Generally it was LTE all the way, the only problem was that every time I got in the lift and it lost signal, I had to reregister on the Singtel network to re-establish data, but that was no loss.

The hotel TV was crap so I plugged in my Firestick and that worked cushty on the Hotel Wifi which was really fast.

Really enjoyed Singapore I have to say, first time I've been there, but those fucking hawker centres are dangerous and I have probably put on a few kilos.

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## Mr Earl

Sometimes I do miss the old days of smoking the gags.

Like when I found a carton of Lucky Strikes in Doi Mae Salong in 1978, that was fucking heaven after months of suffering KringeTips. Back in those days you had to hold a Krung Tip vertical to keep the tobacco from falling out..

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