Practical Information
Singapore is well known for being a modern and well-organised country. Just like any destination, though, it has codes and rules to be aware of when planning a visit.
Tipping
Most of Singapore’s hotels and restaurants include a 10 percent service charge in their bills. Even where such a charge is not automatically included, tipping is still optional. In such a case, you could leave a 10 percent tip as a gesture of satisfaction for good service. This also applies also to taxis.
At Changi Airport, tipping is actually prohibited as all employees receive wages.
Local time / Business hours
Singapore's time zone is GMT+8. Singapore does not participate in Daylight Savings Time.
Although five-day work weeks are becoming more common, most companies are open from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, with a lunch break between 1pm and 2pm; Saturday hours are 9am to 1pm.
Most shops are open from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm (Sundays included) especially in malls. If you wish to visit a specific shop, it is wise to check with them regarding their hours, as they may be different.
Post offices
Singapore Post is the national postal office of Singapore providing domestic and international postal services.
General Hotline: 1605
From overseas: +65 6841 2000
Postage Rates
Water
Singapore’s tap water is safe to drink without any further filtration or treatment and complies with World Health Organisation drinking water guidelines. Even though there are no natural fresh water sources within the country itself, Singapore has developed a strong and reliable water supply system, comprised of four sources, known as "The Four National Taps":
• Water from local catchment areas
• Imported water from Malaysia
• Desalinated water
• Highly-purified reclaimed water (NEWater)
Internet
High-speed connection is available throughout the island, the Internet country code top-level domain is .sg.
Some second – level domains:
.com.sg - Commercial entities
.net.sg - Network providers and info-com operators
.org.sg - Organisations in the Registry of Societies
.gov.sg - Government organizations
.edu.sg - Educational institutions
Subscribe to Wireless@SG and enjoy free international Wi-Fi Internet access, with speeds of up to 1 Mbps! Wireless@SG is a wireless broadband programme developed by IDA (Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore) and is powered by a network of three local operators. It will be provided for free until 31 March 2013.? You just need to sign up with any of the three Wireless@SG operators online, or via the operators’ Customer Service Centres:
• M1
• Singtel
All residents and visitors to Singapore can sign up for a free account. The account will be activated immediately, and a password sent via SMS.
For those who would like to enjoy a bandwidth beyond 1Mbps or a connectivity with higher-quality service, there are several paid packages offered by the three operators.
The national free WiFi network offers more than 800 Wireless@SG hotspots, including public libraries, community clubs, commercial buildings, shopping centres, cafes and fast-food outlets such as Delifrance, Gelare, Spinelle, Olio Dome, Starbucks and Burger King.?For the latest list of coverage areas available, click here.
Electricity
Standard voltage of electrical supply: 230V
Standard frequency of electrical supply: 50Hz
A home appliance rated at 110V can be used by connecting it to the 230V adaptor before plugging it into the power point.
Phones
The country code is +65
International call prefix depends on the telecommunications company used.
• SingTel: 001
• StarHub: 008
• M1: 002
Prepaid international calling cards may be purchased in the many convenience stores throughout the country, such as 7-Eleven; Cheers, and Watsons.
