Driver allegedly abandoned China tourists in Little India for not buying 'souvenirs', STB investigating

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is investigating an incident where a tour bus driver allegedly abandoned a group of more than 20 Chinese tourists in Little India after they refused to purchase "souvenirs".

It reportedly took place on Aug. 16 at around 12pm at Race Course Road.

The incident

Shin Min Daily News reported that the group was visiting temples in the area, as part of a 10-day tour in Southeast Asia arranged by a Chinese travel agency.

A person from the tour group said in a now-deleted Douyin post that before lunch, their tour bus driver tried selling souvenirs on the bus, but the response from the group did not meet his expectations.

After the tour group returned from lunch, a female tourist wanted to go back onto the bus to get her high blood pressure medication, but the driver apparently refused to let her board.

He allegedly commented about how "people from China are unwilling to spend money", the user said.

The user also claimed that the driver opened the bus door, which hit a tourist, and offloaded all their luggage before driving away.

"We wanted to report the matter to the police, but the tour guide threatened us," a member of the group said.

Shin Min reported that the group was left stranded by the roadside for about four hours before another bus came to pick them up.

STB investigating the matter

In response to Mothership's queries, an STB spokesperson said it is currently conducting an investigation with all the involved parties for a thorough assessment of the matter.

"As the regulator of travel agents in Singapore, we emphasise that all licensees must fulfil their obligations," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that STB does not condone any acts of disrespect or putting visitors at risk, and will not hesitate to take action against undesirable tour practices.

"The safety and well-being of visitors to Singapore is of utmost importance, and we are committed to upholding Singapore's reputation as a safe and welcoming destination for all visitors."

Tourists continued on their itinerary, now back in China: Embassy

The Chinese Embassy in Singapore confirmed with Shin Min that it received a report on the matter by a member of a Chinese tour group to Singapore on Aug. 16 at 12:49pm.

According to the report, the tour bus driver "hurled insults" at a tourist when she went back to the bus to retrieve her belongings, leading to an argument where another tourist was "knocked down".

The tour group asked the driver to apologise but he refused, offloaded their luggage and drove away, leaving 15 tourists stranded by the roadside.

"After understanding the situation, the embassy urged the tourists to seek urgent medical assistance, and reminded them of their rights under the law. The embassy also provided them with contact numbers for the local police and tourism hotline," the spokesperson told Shin Min.

The spokesperson confirmed that after contacting the group's tour guide and their local tour liaison personnel, another vehicle was dispatched to pick up the Chinese tourists.

"We understand that the day after the incident, the tour group continued on to Malaysia as per their itinerary, and returned to China on Aug. 19", the spokesperson added.

Top image from garygaryocp / TikTok