The notorious four floors of whores in Singapore’s Orchard Towers are no more. Or at least they will be no more come May 2023. The Straights Times reports that the licenses of the 12 clubs and bars operating in the towers will not be renewed after that time. So the building will probably transform back into a shopping center in the middle of next year.
It was always somewhat miraculous that the presence of bars filled with prostitutes was tolerated in the heart of Singapore’s shopping district. Sure prostitution is legal in Singapore. But only when done inside of government regulated brothels like those found in Geylang. Singapore’s government is notoriously strict in all matters. Even if they have finally come around to legalizing same sex relations.
You can understand how a place like BRIX in the basement of the Grand Hyatt Hotel continues to exist. On its face the place is actually just a hotel bar where guests can relax. If ladies show up on their own to sell sex there is only so much that can be done.
Brothels and bothers
On the other hand the bars in the four floors of whores more or less existed as places staffing women to attract guys. Sure there were exceptions. A nightclub for example. But there were also lots of other venues including what were more or less juicy bars. Not to mention the massage booths and hair salons offering happy endings.
Anyone who has read this site regularly would know that I am for the complete decriminalization of prostitution. So I am not saying I support any moves to shut down sex work. Though I am able to recognize a few things. One is that not all sex work is the same. Another thing is that some sex oriented shops are honestly more nuisance than entertainment.
Locals and nearby business owners had long complained of the goings on at Orchard Towers after dark. It couldn’t help that the place was known worldwide as the Four Floors of Whores! Things really seem to have come to a head after a man had his throat cut in the towers back in 2019. Especially since it was all caught on CCTV.
With an intentional homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000, Singapore has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. Such an attack in broad daylight truly shocked the population. It seems to have had something to do with the plan to shut down the four floors too.
Prostitution continues in Singapore
Orchard Towers was opened as a general shopping center in 1975. Surely the original designers had no idea that the food and clothing shops would soon become intertwined with girly bars. Now it seems the trend may be reversed. But sex work in the city state as a whole will not be ended now or any time soon.
Despite the upcoming closure of the bars and clubs in Orchard Towers prostitution will continue in Singapore. After the impacts of the pandemic began to subside entertainment facilities were allowed to reopen in Singapore in April 2022.
The legal brothels located in Geylang are operating as normal. There doesn’t seem to be any plan to change that. Although they skirt the law, freelancers from around Southeast Asia and indeed the world continue to ply their trade in some local bars too.
There are also loads of in between places ranging from the ubiquitous KTV clubs to countless other massage parlors, bars, spas and other venues. There are many men in Singapore willing to exchange money for sex. There are money women in Singapore willing to provide sex for money. So sex will continue to be sold in the Little Red Dot.
