Status: repealed 2021
Why Is This a Law?
Following World War II, the government wanted to ensure a steady food supply and protect small farmers. They created a corporation to strictly control every potato grown and sold in the state.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
This is a holdover from an era when maritime security was a massive global concern. To prevent locals from laundering stolen treasure or hiding ships, the government made it a severe crime to even send pirates a letter.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
This law was designed to combat neighborhood nuisances and the classic childhood prank known as ding-dong-ditch. It ensures that people have a legitimate right to peace and quiet inside their own homes.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
In the 1980s, vandals began sticking chewed gum onto the door sensors of the brand-new subway trains, causing massive delays. The government solved the hygiene problem by banning gum entirely.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
Mercy feeding by well-meaning citizens caused the population of invasive rock pigeons to explode. To protect public hygiene from highly acidic, disease-ridden droppings, the government made tossing bread to birds a serious offense.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
In Thai culture, the feet are considered the lowest part of the body, while the head is the most sacred. Because all currency features the revered King's portrait, stepping on his face is viewed as a profound, intentional insult.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
Despite the sweltering tropical heat, local culture places a high value on polite dress and modesty in public spaces. The government passed this law to stop shirtless tourists from treating the roads like a giant beach party.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
During the Cold War, citizens grew terrified of the global arms race and the environmental effects of oceanic nuclear testing. Driven by massive public protests, the government established one of the strictest anti-nuclear laws in world history.
Myth or Law? — The Asia & Oceania Challenge
You have toured the strict city-states, the colonial rulebooks, and the royal decrees of Asia and Oceania. Now it is time to put your legal radar to the test. Can you spot the fake statute hiding among the real ones?
Two of these are real, citable laws. One is a famous fake — can you spot it?
It is a severe criminal offense to send a letter to, or engage in any kind of business with, a pirate.
It is a punishable criminal offense to step outside your house or hotel without wearing underwear.
It is strictly prohibited to bring any chewing gum into the country unless it is for medical or dental reasons.
The verdicts:
[real] It is a severe criminal offense to send a letter to, or engage in any kind of business with, a pirate. — This is a real law in Victoria, Australia, found in the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic), Section 70C.
[myth] It is a punishable criminal offense to step outside your house or hotel without wearing underwear. — This is a famous fake travel myth about Thailand. It stems from a massive misunderstanding of their general public decency and modesty regulations.
[real] It is strictly prohibited to bring any chewing gum into the country unless it is for medical or dental reasons. — This is a real law in Singapore, officially listed under the Imports and Exports Regulations 1999, Section 3.