Singapore's tough 1TP8 laws have had an unexpected impact on neighbouring Indonesia. Cities on neighbouring islands are seeing a marked increase in tourists keen to let off steam where it is still allowed. One country's prohibition laws have become another's market.
Batam, an Indonesian city on the island of Pulau Batam in Indonesia, is just 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore and has quickly become something of a breathing space for Singaporeans who don't fancy quitting vejpa. While the risks at home include heavy fines and imprisonment, travellers on Batam can buy and enjoy e-cigarettes as they please. Batam therefore seems to have become an obvious weekend destination - and for local businesses, a clear revitalisation.
According to statistics from the Riau Islands Central Statistics Agency, a total of 738,186 foreign tourists visited Batam between January and June 2025. Of those, over 430,000 were from Singapore.
Package travel and personalised tourism
Batam's tourism chief says hoteliers and travel companies have started adapting their offerings to attract more short-term travellers looking to get away from Singapore's laws, writes Tobacco Reporter. Roadside shops in cities like Nagoya and Jodoh have put up English menus and are enticing with pricing models tailored to Singaporeans - such as package holidays and special offers for vejp guests. The effect seems to have been a significant economic injection for Batam and other cities.
Singapore has had a total ban on e-cigarettes since 2018 - importing, selling and possessing them is illegal, and fines can be as high as SGD 2,000 (around £15,000) for anyone caught with a vejp. Smuggling can lead to even harsher penalties, such as six months behind bars or a whipping (!) as Vejpkollen wrote about before.
Afraid of zombies
A large part of Singapore's hard line is so-called K-pods, where mixtures containing the narcotic substance etomidate were detected. More than a third of the units seized contained the substance, which has been linked to permanent internal damage and hallucinations, or 'zombie effects' as it is known in the local media. The country's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has announced that etomidate will soon be classified as a narcotic substance, with all that entails in terms of rehabilitation, prison sentences and yes, that's right - the whip.
