‘People in Singapore, why you don't say hello to me, your neighbour?' — French woman asks after ‘no one replies' to her 'hellos' in SG

Independent Singapore

a day ago

SINGAPORE: French TikToker Audrey Thiloy @audreythiloy just wanted to be friendly and expected a simple 'hello' from her Singaporean neighbours — but instead, she got radio silence and a cultural wake-up call.
'People in Singapore, why you don't say hello to neighbours?' she asked in her now-viral video, looking like a bewildered Disney princess who just moved into a horror movie scene. 'I just moved in and every time I say hello, hi, bonjour, bonsoir, no one replies,' she shared her frustration. @audreythiloy
Tag your grumpy neighbour 😾 #tiktoksg #tiktoksg🇸🇬 #sgtiktok #neighbour #neighbors #angmoh #singapore
♬ original sound – Audrey Thiloy
Seems like nobody even waved, nodded, or even gave her a half-hearted grunt. 'A little hello costs zero dollars [S$0]. It makes your day better, brightens your day, brightens your future,' she further advised.
Unfortunately, Audrey, in Singapore, people, as some say in the comment section, might think you're selling something. Or worse — asking them if you can borrow their money or join an MLM. 'This is Singapore. Just accept it!'
The video opened the floodgates for some seriously unfiltered commentary.
💀 'They think you're selling insurance.'
💀 'Hello = [equals] suspicious.'
💀 'We are scared we will be charged GST… Good-Morning Saying Tax.'
💀 'You're in our country… you're the guest… I've never heard of guests telling their hosts what to do.'
💀 'Say 'hello' once, and now we have to do it every day? That's a full-time job lah.'
Some even hit the peak of local sarcasm: 'I say good morning to my neighbour. He asked me what's so good about the morning?'
'This is Singapore. Just accept it!' as another expressed, where even greetings are transactional, and if they're not, people assume you're either emotionally unstable, selling insurance, or both. 'I can't accept that, sir. I will continue to say Hello! 🙋🏼‍♀️'
Despite the passive-aggressive feedback and unsolicited social etiquette lessons, Audrey clapped back like a polite queen:
'I can't accept that, sir. I will continue to say Hello! 🙋🏼‍♀️'
Sis is fighting a one-woman war against social apathy — and a serious lack of basic human courtesy. 'If you want our hello, give us your money!'
Many commenters weren't even mad — just brutally realistic: 'We have no time for small talk,' as one said.
'Overworked 12 hours a day, silent OT… who has energy to say hello?' said another. 'Stuck with 99-year HDB lease, MRT squeeze… then say hello? No, thanks,' added another.
Others blamed introversion, social awkwardness, and generational trauma, such as from awkward CNY family gatherings, as one speculated:
'My neighbours don't even make eye contact. I assume they're introverts silently screaming inside the lift.'
One Redditor went philosophical: 'Only money brightens our day. So if you want our hello, give us your money!'
And if you think that's dark, one just said: 'We're not very happy people.' 'Come to Malaysia! We'll not only say hello to you, we'll also invite you for a nasi lemak breakfast!'
Malaysians, on the other hand, were not going to let this moment and opportunity slide.
'Habibti [my dear], come to Malaysia! We'll not only say hello to you, we'll also invite you for a nasi lemak breakfast!' wrote one. 'Move to JB instead, people are merrier and happier here,' wrote another.
'You say hello to Indonesian people, and they always reply. We are humble,' noted someone from further down, south of Malaysia and Singapore.
We're not saying there's a regional rivalry brewing here, but if friendliness were an Olympic sport, it seems Singapore would be disqualified for not showing up. 'People became afraid of getting too close to others… because they might start borrowing things…'
Some older Singaporeans got nostalgic about the good ol' kampung days:
'Thirty years ago, in my parents' neighbourhood in Pasir Ris, everyone would greet each other.' Now, when people see someone entering the lift, they suddenly pretend to urgently need to check their email inbox.
Another shared this theory: 'After village life, people became afraid of getting too close to others… because they might start borrowing things.'
So the fear of lending their wok [cooking pan] to their neighbours might actually be what killed the greeting culture? 'You just met the wrong neighbour…'
Finally, a few Singaporeans came to Audrey's and Singapore's defence:
❤️ 'I do [say hello to my neighbour]. You just met the wrong neighbour.'
❤️ 'Move to be my neighbour ❤️ I always say hello.'
❤️ 'Try a little nod and smile. That usually gets a reaction!'
❤️ 'It's nice that you're trying to be friendly. Don't worry if they don't respond.'
One even offered this Singapore life hack:
🦉 'Forget bonjour. Try ni hao.' 'In France, the neighbours also never say hello…'
To be fair, this isn't just a Singapore thing, as one pointed out: 'In France, the neighbours also never say hello.'
So perhaps it's nothing personal. Maybe it's just urban living. Maybe it's just a bad neighbourhood. Maybe it's just capitalism. Maybe it's just TikTok, or maybe people are just tired of being told to 'brighten their future' when they can barely survive their present.
However, in the middle of it all, Audrey remains undeterred like a sunbeam in an overcast CBD [ Central Business District ].
She'll keep on waving. She'll keep on smiling. She'll keep on saying hello — until someone eventually says it back. Lower your expectations and raise your tolerance for awkward social silences in Singapore
If you're a cheerful foreigner moving into Singapore, lower your expectations and raise your tolerance for awkward social silences.
However, if you're a Singaporean reading this — go on, surprise the next Audrey in your neighbourhood with just a little nod, a little smile, or heck, even a grumpy 'hello!'
After all, it still costs zero dollars, and no GST, included. 😉
In other news, Audrey's cultural confusion didn't just stop at the 'hello' dilemma. In another TikTok video, she asked: 'I'm in the MRT in Singapore, and every time I am on the Blue Line, the MRT lady keeps telling, 'Happy, happy.' Please, people from Singapore, tell me what 'Happy Happy' means.'
You, too, can hear it — or maybe not — in one of her first commuting experiences over here: French woman hears 'Happy Happy' in MRT announcement, asks Singaporeans what it means See also Motorcyclist falls off bike, slides across Jurong junction