A coffee shop in Geylang is being accused of employing 30 to 40 Vietnamese women to strike up conversation with and accompany male patrons.
These socialising antics have apparently drawn middle-aged men to the premises.
One person who witnessed it described the patrons as "drunkards who are not interested in drinking", according to Shin Min Daily News, which received and reported on the tip-off.
Lor 23 Geylang
The coffee shop is located at Lorong 23 Geylang, it was reported, and several Vietnamese women were seen gathering there daily.
The men would apparently pay the women stipends of S$20 to S$30 for their company and small talk.
The amounts can be more if the patrons are generous, as the woman charge no set price.
The reader further alleged that if the man gets along well with a woman, the duo would proceed to go out or spend the night together.
The women are reportedly in Singapore as tourists.
Reporter's observation
When a Shin Min reporter visited the coffee shop, he noticed that the shop was full of patrons.
Additionally, almost every table with male patrons were accompanied by Vietnamese women.
He observed that there were at least 30 well-dressed women in the coffee shop.
They walked between different tables, chatting and laughing during their interactions.
The male patrons in the shop can sometimes be seen behaving intimately with the women.
Rumours made by competitors
When queried, the manager of the coffee shop vehemently denied the claims that the women were working at the coffee shop.
Instead, they said the rumours were spread by competitors.
Another manager of the coffee shop mentioned that there were such instances of women working the tables some seven to eight years ago, but they have not since not made their appearance.
"I believe that some have maliciously slandered us because of competition, but there is no illegal antics in our shop," said the manager.
Top photo via Shin Min Daily News