#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Singapore Forum >  >  Singapore - Balestier Road area

## slimboyfat

So this is where I am living at the moment. Its not one of Singapore's trendiest addresses - in fact I believe the only time most farangs would go there is if that is where the taxi driver took them with their Orchard Towers take-away. You see its not too far from town but there are an awful lot of short-time hotels along Balestier Road.

But anyway, its one of the oldest areas of Singapore and has a history of brothels, opium dens and general gangsterism - so it interests me to walk around and find out whats in the area. As everything changes quickly in Singapore I try and take a lot of pictures because in 5 years the place may be unrecognisable.

I took this first set of pics a couple of months back after I just moved into the area and for all you local geography fans, they are all of the area of Balestier between Boon Teck Road and Thomson Road.



This is where I was staying at that time - in Boon Teck Heights which is just off Balestier Road. It looks ok, but the apartment I was living in was a tip - but thats another story.





Balestier is full of temples - this one was just down the road from my apartment block.



^ a rare sight in singapore these days - a free ranging cock. sadly he has disappeared now. This picture was taken near where that python was sighted so he may have been on the snakes menu........



^ one of the three Fragrance Hotels along Balestier road. Reasonably priced and clean, but unfortunately they are also there for the short-time market as well as the budget minded traveller so you may well get disturbed by comings and goings if you are there intending to actually get some sleep for the night.
Fragrance Hotel- Singapore budget hotel with affordable rates and 15mins away from Singapore international airport



^ Balestier Hotel - another budget cum short time hotel - cant recommend this place as i dont really know much about it. One time I called to make an enquiry and the guy on the phone only spoke Chinese.

All along Balestier road there are many eateries - in fact apart from the seedy side of things, food is what Balestier means to most Singaporeans - especially for the areas well known dishes like Bak Kut Teh (pork ribs soup), duck rice and chicken rice.





^ i ate the chinese mixed rice at this coffee shop for lunch.

and at that time not knowing where to go for good food, i was not too surprised to find that although it was cheap, it was pretty ordinary.

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## slimboyfat

This section of Balestier Road has 3 Lap Sup Bar's (or LSB for short). I don't know what the words actually mean, but i know what these joints are like because once myself and two local friends tried one out for a laugh.



^ This is Da Lu music lounge - the grandaddy of them all - and has been around as long as anyone can remember. The same goes for the women who work in the place apparently. Now on the night of our LSB expedition the place was closed for some reason, so we went to another LSB place across the road.



These places are kept completely pitch dark inside. When you come in then you will find the person bringing you to a table has a torch. There was no such thing as an ashtray - you just use the floor. Drinks are not too expensive. The real shocker is when you light your cigarette and see that the lady who has been sitting next to you and stroking your leg is about 60 (and a very hard 60 years at that) - wearing white face makeup and generally looking like an undead. Apparently they do offer hand jobs and blow jobs but my friends and I only stayed for one very hasty drink.
Avoid these places unless you really enjoy having recurring nightmares.

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## slimboyfat

Turn off Balestier road and walk down this rather pleasant path to a couple of places of interest.....



First up is Nanyang Memorial Hall - which is unfortunately undergoing emergency renovation now to prevent it falling down, and so is closed to the public.

Built in 1900 by a wealthy rubber plantation owner for his mistress, the building later became the planning centre of many......agh just read the website will ya?

Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall - About Us









^ See if you can read that.

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## Butterfly

I had a fantastic time in my last trip to Singapore (wanted to open a thread but too lazy)

It was great to meet you and that was a nice dinner, the clubs and bars in Boat Quay are awesome

love those SPG  :Wink: 

With rental going up 60&#37; from last year, I am not sure when I am going to move there  :Sad:

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## slimboyfat

And just a little distance away is my all time favourite temple in Balestier - the Burmese Buddhist temple.





and this temple has been covered already by the thread in the link below:

https://teakdoor.com/malaysia-and-sin...se-temple.html

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## panama hat

Excellent photos, SBF.   We have a place in Bukit Timah but are in the process of moving to Thailand. 
Back for a week to tie up loose ends and I miss this place already . . . 

Thailand is a nice place to be, Singapore is a great place to be . . . through the eyes of someone who is not yet retired.

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## slimboyfat

^ Don't know too much about Bukit Timah. Perhaps you should wander around with a camera before you leave and take some pics for TD. Remember to dress as a tourist and you can get away with almost anything.

Anyroad up, yesterday I decided to take a walk to Novena MRT station and take some pics along the way. There were a couple of things I wanted to check out for myself as well, and as it was a cool, cloudy day it seemed like a good opportunity.

Welcome to Tai Pei Buddhist Organization.


^ I am living in this apartment block now, next to Da Bei Temple in Jalan Kemaman. There is something going on at the temple at the moment. There has been the sound of chanting from the place for the last week. Quite relaxing and pleasant though.

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## kingwilly

Absolute quality stuff mate. keep it up.

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## slimboyfat

At the corner of Jalan Kemaman and Balestier road is this ornately decorated shophouse from the 1930's.





On each of the pillars there is a Sikh soldier, apparently guarding the building...



If you really feel like it you can read the blurb, which someone has helpfully put nearby.

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## Sir Burr

Great thread.
I remember a bar called the Sweden bar. Infamous for octogenarian women giving blow-jobs. Ever heard of it?

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## slimboyfat

At the corner of Balestier and Boon Teck Road is a free water dispenser. I have never seen one anywhere else in Singapore - mind you I didnt know what it was until someone pointed it out to me either.



According to the Urban redevelopment authority -

"*The free water dispenser at the corner of* 
*Balestier Road and Boon Teck Road was once* 
*very common in Singapore. They were placed* 
*by charitable organisations such as Clans and*
*places of worship, to provide free drinking* 
*water for the servants and drivers of the horse* 
*carriages (and later, cars) for the rich, while* 
*they waited for their employers"*

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## slimboyfat

> Great thread.
> I remember a bar called the Sweden bar. Infamous for octogenarian women giving blow-jobs. Ever heard of it?


Not aware of that one. Any idea where it was located? There are a few such joints located in Balestier, Joo Chiat, Geylang and Lavender but I have never heard of that name before.

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## slimboyfat

Next on my quest for Balestier history was Jalan Ampas, where the Shaw brothers had their film studios from 1937 to 1967 (with a break during WWII as the Japanese confiscated it and made propaganda films here). After the war, more than a hundred films were made here under the banner of Malaysia Film Productions.

p-ramlee/shaw brothers

Well the place is still there, but obviously not being looked after.





^ Funny to find this plaque outside an old abandoned building, but there you go. Edit - I just noticed that you can see my clothing choices yesterday must have been inspired by stroller.

Anyway, as you couldnt see much from my first pic, I chartered a helicopter today and took this shot which is still a bit disappointing.

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## kingwilly

Chartered a helicopter just to get a pic for TD?

and u moan abt my having a maid and driver!

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## slimboyfat

> Chartered a helicopter just to get a pic for TD?
> 
> and u moan abt my having a maid and driver!


ok, actually i leaned through my room window to get the pic. but at least you were paying attention. :Smile:

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## slimboyfat

i just went for a walk to get some lunch and take a couple more pics. The freeranging cock is alive and well! I saw him strutting about with one of his bitches just now. So thats a weight off my mind.

So anyway - oh yes, my quest for lunch just now. Felt like eating something tasty without spending too much so decided on a walk to Whampoa market.

Took the canal path, saw the cock, felt relieved and then past the mosque.



Despite Balestier being home to many temples and churches, as far as I know this is the only mosque. Not really a very strong muslim malay population in this area historically I guess.



^ My favourite place to eat at 2am when I am drunk and feel like something to eat before going home. Nice roti prata, good curries and biriani at a price thats right. The place above is made up of studio apartments at $1500 a month to rent. This is where I had a bedbug problem I believe I mentioned on the forum somewhere before.

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## buad hai

Really great stuff. I love your Singapore threads. Please keep them coming.

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## stroller

How many baht to a sing $? 
Must be worth much less than the US $, judging by some of the prices you quote, maybe 5-10bt to the dollar.

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## slimboyfat

Another pretty looking shophouse at the corner of Kim Keat road and Balestier Road. The food is not bad at the coffeeshop below either. There is one stall doing fried chicken which is much better than KFC in my opinion.



Opposite is Balestier Point - which contains one famously dirty KTV joint and 3 massage parlours which also offer extra services I hear. In fact along Balestier Road there are about 10 dodgy massage places, with varying degrees of hygiene. The ones at Balestier Point are probably better from a cleanliness point of view and the rooms have an attached shower. The massage joints in the shophouses look dirty and seem to employ PRC girls illegally.





^ There are few of these old fellas around with their shoe repair/key duplication enterprises.

Just a little bit further down Balestier Road is where the majority of the budget/short time hotels are located. There is nothing wrong with Fragrance or Hotel 81 but quite frankly I wouldnt try any of the others.

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## slimboyfat

> How many baht to a sing $? 
> Must be worth much less than the US $, judging by some of the prices you quote, maybe 5-10bt to the dollar.


now about 22 baht to the singapore dollar......

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## slimboyfat

Just next to the Fragrance hotel is Go Chor Tua Pek Kong temple, which is the oldest temple in Balestier (it dates back to 1847). I will have to go and check it out properly one of these days. The red blocklike structure is a 'wayang' stage (chinese opera) and is the only fixed stage still standing in Singapore and was constructed in 1906.



Anyway, I was after food so took a left turn towards Whampoa temporary market (the real one has been undergoing renovation for the last few months). 



Although the setting is a bit rough and ready, some of the foodstalls here are pretty well known and people will travel from other parts of Singapore just to eat their favourite noodles etc.

I am a man of simple tastes so just went to the nonya rice stall to get a basic lunch of chilli squid, bean curd, a bit if veggie and some rice which cost me S$2.80 .





^ I didnt manage to catch it on the pic - but the lady above is sitting with a much older singapore chinese man. That seems to be par for the course here. Either they are mistresses kept by the old men here in Balestier or the men are the girls customers from massage or KTVs I really dont know and unfortunately cant ask.

Sometimes of an evening it is quite pleasant to eat and drink in the 'beer garden' section...... espcially now smoking is banned in the pubs.

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## slimboyfat

On the way back through a back lane I thought I would take a picture of the spiral staircases that seemed quite popular at one time in Singapore. Why? Well because I like them and anyway its my camera and I can do what I like with it.



Remembered I had to buy some fruits to eat as cigarette substitutes so went to the supermarket at Shaw Plaza (yes the same Shaw brothers who set up the film studio round the corner at Jalan Ampas). Shaw Plaza features a pretty good cinema, fast food outlets and a supermarket in the basement.



and as I was standing on the bridge over Balestier Road I thought I would take some shots in both directions.

So first up is looking in the direction of Lavender and the city



And lastly is looking towards my gaff and Thomson road.



So I bought some groceries and went home. And thats about all for one weekend. :Smile:

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## kingwilly

again, cheers, great pics and thread matey.

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## Sir Burr

Excellent stuff Sbf!!

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## buad hai

I really like those spiral staircases. Excellent work.

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## terry57

absolutely superb photos fatboy and the travel section of teak door is brilliant.

alot of people say singapore is boring but if one likes to explore and is motivated i find that its a great city to stay in, except its getting a tad expensive these days.

the food is still cheap and i love the out door eateries and also the eating halls.

i apreaciate asian food in general and the singapore laksas are awesome.

i love the drive into the city at night time with  the  city lights,   the greenery  hanging of the bridges and singapore in general is a beautiful city full of awesome trees and plants.

ill be back in september and look forward to spending a few days wandering around again.

nice photos and keep up the good work.

cheers

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## mad_dog

Looks rather similar to Bangkok eh?

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## Spin

Good stuff fatboy, I like these shophouses, they look cute, shame Thais cant build them like that

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## Butterfly

older pics of Singapore were like Bangkok. No sidewalk, shop houses everywhere. Then 30 years later, Bangkok still the same shithole, Singapore shinning. 

Hum, I wonder why ?

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## gos

did you try all the massages down balestier road and point you seem to know a lot about them how clean the rooms etc are
I am only jealous keep up the good work great thread and photos

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## slimboyfat

> did you try all the massages down balestier road and point you seem to know a lot about them how clean the rooms etc are
> I am only jealous keep up the good work great thread and photos


how dare you? i have never been so insulted  :Wink: 

there's one place to go for reviews of all that kind of thing in singapore.

http://www.sammyboyforum.com/

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## stroller

To save us the lengthy search, just out of curiousity, how do prices compare to Thailand?
Not that I have any personal interest nor experience, neither in Thailand nor anywhere else, you understand, just wondering like, judging by the prices of everything else in Sing, i'd probably have to sell all my stock investment for a few drinks and a little "gobbal".

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## slimboyfat

rough guide - all prices in Singapore dollars

for massage places the standard is $30 for 45 mins massage

extra's - HJ $50 BJ $80 Sex $100 (but not all girls will do more than HJ). These places are illegal and you may get caught in a raid.

The only legal prositution in Singapore is in the brothels in Geylang, although there are plenty of illegal streetwalkers there too.

For Geylang whore houses and freelancers I really dont know - I heard you can get a Thai girl for $40 in the brothels there. There is lots of info on that sammyboy website.

Orchard Towers is up to your negotiating skill - I have heard some people pay $100 for a girl and some up to $300. But again, dont really go in for all that. Maybe Butterfly might be able to help on how much a ladyboy will charge.

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## slimboyfat

This thread wasnt really about sex.  :Sad: 

i blame that damn Teakdoor newsletter for misleading people.

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## stroller

Thanks for sharing anyway.

Maybe I should copy/paste some posts from Sammy. There is an "SBF-extra" who seems knowledgable.

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## slimboyfat

SBF is short for sammyboyforum. its not me!

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## stroller

Sure... :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## gos

we beleive you thousands would not :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## slimboyfat

> At the corner of Balestier and Boon Teck Road is a free water dispenser. I have never seen one anywhere else in Singapore - mind you I didnt know what it was until someone pointed it out to me either.
> 
> 
> 
> According to the Urban redevelopment authority -
> 
> "*The free water dispenser at the corner of* 
> *Balestier Road and Boon Teck Road was once* 
> *very common in Singapore. They were placed* 
> ...


 
Actually I didnt know anyone actually used this or even knew what it was for, but this morning I saw a couple of delivery men availing themselves of the charity water.



I am not surprised when you have to pay 2 bucks for a bottle of water at the 7-11 just behind the Fragrance Hotel.

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## MeMock

Looks like I need to visit Singapore again as I never seen this sort of stuff before!

Good thread - cheers.

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## slimboyfat

> Looks like I need to visit Singapore again as I never seen this sort of stuff before!
> 
> Good thread - cheers.


I am pleased about that. My whole reason for posting these threads and pics is to try and show that Singapore is not a completely boring and sterile place -although it can be if you only stick to Orchard Road etc. I was talking to an American guy in Bangkok who had lived in Singapore for 2 years and it turned out he never left the expat areas and only ate western food and drank Starbucks in that time. No wonder he said it was boring. 

Singapore is probably the safest place in the world so really there is no excuse not to wander a bit off the beaten track. :Smile:

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## terry57

you are doing a brilliant job with you photo's fat boy, cheers and keep them coming.

i think that if one has enough get up and go in him and is willing to go out of ones way to have a good look at singapore,  it has a shite load to  see and do.

to bad the night life is so expensive, but thats life mate.

as you have so rightly said, if you hang on orchard road all the time you will find it boring.   but its the person who is boring and not the place.

nice work mate.  :Smile:

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## babygirl

Great photos and story, slimboyfat. Singapore looks very modern and clean. Do the majority of Singaporeans speak English? How is the shopping there?

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## cisco999

I thought the same.......


outstanding report.

thank you

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## slimboyfat

> Great photos and story, slimboyfat. Singapore looks very modern and clean. Do the majority of Singaporeans speak English? How is the shopping there?


everyone under 40 will speak english (and many over 40 too - in fact some of the older chinese can ONLY speak English). it is the language used for all school lessons (apart from chinese, tamil or malay language lessons)


the shopping is outstanding in Orchard Road so I am told. I hate shopping.
I dont bother taking pics and making reports on those kind of things though as they are not particularly interesting or unique to Singapore

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## panama hat

Singapore is an oddity in that it has three official languages (Tamil, Malay and Mandarin) and English as the business and unifying language.  A dialect has taken firm roots, called Singlish which is a bastardisation of English with a smattering of Hokkien (an Chinese dialect) and Malay thrown in. 

As SBF mentions, everyone speaks English - - - save new immigrants from China, under the immigration/population policy of keeping the Chinese race dominant, in terms of numbers. 

Shopping?  That's the second pastime for people, the first being food - which is very varied and excellent.  Kind of leaves Thai food in the dust when it comes to diversity. 
Malls everywhere, as well as pasar malam and pasar pagi (morning and night markets)
Orchard road is where even Hongkies come to shop

We just left Singapore after 6 wonderful years to live here for our business.  

We miss it.

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## babygirl

^Interesting, panama hat, and SBF! 

I was told that it is illegal to chew gum in Singapore, or if you are caught littering there is a hefty fine? Is this true? 

Singlish is a funny name, reminds me of Konglish that you hear in Korea. I would guess that the food that you speak highly of, would be a mix of Chinese, Malay and Tamil?

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## slimboyfat

> ^Interesting, panama hat, and SBF! 
> 
> I was told that it is illegal to chew gum in Singapore, or if you are caught littering there is a hefty fine? Is this true? 
> 
> Singlish is a funny name, reminds me of Konglish that you hear in Korea. I would guess that the food that you speak highly of, would be a mix of Chinese, Malay and Tamil?


it is not illegal to chew gum, however it is illegal to bring it into the country. You can buy it at pharmacies etc.

Yes there are hefty fines for littering. Is that a problem for you? It is fine by me - you can see from this thread that even in a very old and un-touristy part of town there is seldom any litter.

The rules are quite tough but I have never had even a cross word from a policeman here in 12+ years. If you are not an idiot you wont have any problems. You can walk around the streets anywhere here quite safely at anytime day or night.

You can get every food you like here (although i havent been able to find bangers mash peas and gravy - thats why i make trips to Pattaya every few months), although as you say the local foods are chinese malay and indian.

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## babygirl

^ no problems with littering here. Sounds like a paradise from what I've witnessed in other Asian countries, excluding Japan. I'll be looking into jobs there at some point. Thanks  :Smile:

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## slimboyfat

you're welcome. anything you would like to know then feel free to ask

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