Some of the odd laws in Asia

The following text is originally lifted from the trivia section of The Jakarta Post dated Tuesday, 14 August 2007.

~Compiled from various sources~

In China...

• You must be intelligent to go to college.
• Drivers of power-driven vehicles who stop at pedestrian crossings are liable to a fine of five yuan, or a warning.
• There is a law against rudeness. Shopkeepers and wait staff who glare angrily at customers, make sarcastic comments or simply do not smile are at risk of breaking the law.
• In recent decades, China has indoctrinated its citizens to ignore their sexual interests. Transgressors are severely chastised. Is prostitution punished? Yes! And with heavy penalties. Nonetheless, officially speaking, there are no laws against prostitution anywhere in China. Why? Because, according to a member of the Communist Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, "There is no prostitution in China. However, we do have some women who make love for money."

In Singapore...

• Bungee jumping is illegal.
• Homosexuals are not allowed to live in the country.
• Oral sex is illegal unless it is used as a form of foreplay.
• As it is considered pornographic, you may not walk around your home nude.
• Failure to flush a public toilet after use may result in hefty fine.
• It is considered an offence to enter the country with cigarettes.
• If you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying, "I am a litterer"

In South Korea...

• Traffic police are required to report all bribes they receive from motorists.

In Thailand...

• It is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
• You must wear a shirt while driving a car.
• It is illegal to throw chewed bubble gum on the sidewalk, to do so incurs a hefty fine.
• No one may step on any of the nation's currency because all Thai bills and coins have a picture of the king printed on them. As the king is highly revered, stepping on his likeness not only lands you in gaol, but can also lead to a serious beating.
• There are no bestiality laws in Bangkok. Any man who "forcibly subdues and has a sexual intercourse" with a female dog is merely charged with cruelty to animals. The culprit is fined a small amount of money. If the female dog happens to be in heat, the fine is slightly higher.

In Japan...

• In 17th century Japan, no citizen was allowed to leave the country on penalty of death. Anyone caught coming or going without permission was executed on the spot.
• There is no age of consent.