A female Chinese tourist was fined 200 SGD (about 657 MYR) for eating durian in a hotel room in Singapore. She later shared the incident on social media, stating that she was unaware of the common rule against eating durian in Southeast Asian hotels.
This Chinese female tourist claimed it was her first trip to Singapore and was not aware that consuming durian was prohibited in Southeast Asian hotels. Nonetheless, she apologized to the hotel afterward and paid the fine.
According to '8 Vision News Network', this female tourist posted a video on Xiaohongshu on the evening of the 26th, sharing her experience. Reportedly, she arrived in Singapore on the 24th and checked into a four-star hotel on Orchard Road with a friend.
The following day, she bought a box of durian and other fruits from a market fruit stall. Since there was no place to eat on-site, she and her friend brought them back to the hotel and consumed them in a private area.
She noted that the durian smell was present during a taxi ride, even though she had tightly sealed the paper bag, but the driver did not react specifically. They ate part of the durian and stored the remainder in the room fridge.
Upon returning in the afternoon on the 26th, she found a letter at her door stating that the cleaning staff discovered a durian smell in the room, resulting in a 200 SGD cleaning fee.
She expressed surprise at the moment and quickly searched Xiaohongshu to see if others had experienced similar situations, finding that many had. Some hotels issue a warning for the first offense, so she called the hotel reception hoping for leniency.
On the call, she apologized, explained it was her first time in Singapore, and was unaware of the rule, hoping they could adjust the handling. However, the hotel informed her that due to the durian smell in the room, deep cleaning was needed, and the odor might spread to other rooms via the air conditioning, possibly rendering the room unusable for several days.
“The hotel stated that 200 SGD is a very low charge. I indeed noticed the durian smell was quite strong, and some people shared experiences of being fined 500 SGD. Considering that 200 SGD seemed reasonable, I asked the hotel staff to dispose of the remaining durian.”
She mentioned that prohibiting the consumption of durian in hotels might be common knowledge in Southeast Asia. However, in China, durian is not a fruit that everyone eats regularly, and many are unaware that its odor can spread through air conditioning systems and is hard to remove. She recorded this experience and posted it on social media, hoping to remind others not to make the same mistake.
Her video sparked discussion among netizens, with some questioning whether the hotel had clearly indicated the ban on durians. Others commented that in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, most hotels and public transportation explicitly prohibit durians, and tourists should proactively understand local customs.
This Chinese female tourist claimed it was her first trip to Singapore and was not aware that consuming durian was prohibited in Southeast Asian hotels. Nonetheless, she apologized to the hotel afterward and paid the fine.
According to '8 Vision News Network', this female tourist posted a video on Xiaohongshu on the evening of the 26th, sharing her experience. Reportedly, she arrived in Singapore on the 24th and checked into a four-star hotel on Orchard Road with a friend.
The following day, she bought a box of durian and other fruits from a market fruit stall. Since there was no place to eat on-site, she and her friend brought them back to the hotel and consumed them in a private area.
She noted that the durian smell was present during a taxi ride, even though she had tightly sealed the paper bag, but the driver did not react specifically. They ate part of the durian and stored the remainder in the room fridge.
Upon returning in the afternoon on the 26th, she found a letter at her door stating that the cleaning staff discovered a durian smell in the room, resulting in a 200 SGD cleaning fee.
She expressed surprise at the moment and quickly searched Xiaohongshu to see if others had experienced similar situations, finding that many had. Some hotels issue a warning for the first offense, so she called the hotel reception hoping for leniency.
On the call, she apologized, explained it was her first time in Singapore, and was unaware of the rule, hoping they could adjust the handling. However, the hotel informed her that due to the durian smell in the room, deep cleaning was needed, and the odor might spread to other rooms via the air conditioning, possibly rendering the room unusable for several days.
“The hotel stated that 200 SGD is a very low charge. I indeed noticed the durian smell was quite strong, and some people shared experiences of being fined 500 SGD. Considering that 200 SGD seemed reasonable, I asked the hotel staff to dispose of the remaining durian.”
She mentioned that prohibiting the consumption of durian in hotels might be common knowledge in Southeast Asia. However, in China, durian is not a fruit that everyone eats regularly, and many are unaware that its odor can spread through air conditioning systems and is hard to remove. She recorded this experience and posted it on social media, hoping to remind others not to make the same mistake.
Her video sparked discussion among netizens, with some questioning whether the hotel had clearly indicated the ban on durians. Others commented that in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, most hotels and public transportation explicitly prohibit durians, and tourists should proactively understand local customs.