More than 10 individuals dressed in low-cut outfits or short skirts, who were believed to be female sex workers, were spotted outside Orchard Towers accosting male passers-by and soliciting business.

According to a Shin Min Daily News reporter who arrived at Orchard Towers at around 11pm, the individuals, reportedly women, were seen outside the building, with some acting alone and some in groups of two or three.

Several of them approached the reporter, with one asking him explicitly whether he would require sexual services.

"I provide all kinds of services, which are priced from S$150 to S$250, and I can meet all your demands," the woman said while holding the reporter's hand.

A group of three individuals were similarly seen approaching male passers-by on the street, Mothership observed on a recent Friday evening at about 10pm.

They would walk up to passersby or call out to them.

Women said ride to hotel offered

According to the Shin Min reporter, these women, who claimed to hail from Vietnam, aged around 20 to 40 years old.

They would usually appear outside Orchard Towers at around 9pm and stay until around 3am.

Migrant workers and foreigners appeared to be the main targets.

When chatting with the passers-by, the women also shared that a hotel was just around the corner, and a car, which was parked by the road, would bring them there "discretely and hassle-free", reported Shin Min.

All the willing clientele needed to do was to pay another S$30 to S$40 for the hotel room.

Residents said female relatives were mistaken as sex workers

Speaking to Shin Min, a manager from Orchard Towers building management, surnamed Wu (transliteration), confirmed that there were women outside the building soliciting business.

The number of women had increased so significantly that some Orchard Tower residents complained to him that their wives or daughters were harassed because they were mistaken as sex workers.

The residents also found it unacceptable that their place of residence had been tainted by the presence of these women and their patrons, and they hoped the building management could help solve the problem, added Wu.

Businesses also affected

Besides the residents, business owners in Orchard Towers also complained to Shin Min about the presence of the individuals on the ground floor.

The owner of a store that sells artwork said business was negatively affected, as some customers would not enter the building upon seeing the women.

Similarly, an owner of a business located near the entrance of the building also lamented that the women's presence affected their business the most, and they had already complained to the building management.

Building management to continue regulating activities inside Orchard Towers

For the building management, Wu said it had tried to reverse the negative stereotype associated with Orchard Towers over the years, such as by eliminating the illegal activities at the massage parlours and nightlife businesses within the building in 2023.

In 2023, all public entertainment outlets in the building also ceased providing public entertainment after the police announced that they would not be granting new or renewing public entertainment licences for existing PE outlets beyond May 31, 2023.

However, Wu said the building management could not do much about the women soliciting business outside Orchard Towers as the streets were "not under their purview".

Nevertheless, he said the building management would double down their efforts on regulating the activities inside the building and improve the public's perception of Orchard Towers.

Top images via Mothership & Shin Min Daily News