Possessing drugs is punishable by death in Singapore. What stops someone from dropping a bag of dope in your bag when you're not looking?
They'd need to have the dope in the first place. If you're coming in from overseas though there's nothing to stop someone else making you their drug mule.
Apparently they also do random urine tests in the airport. If you smoke pot in Amsterdam then fly to Singapore, will they try to execute you? Is Singapore basically off limits to anyone who smokes pot fairly regularly (once every two-four weeks)
I don't think you get the death penalty for doing drugs and then flying in, pot included. Death penalty is for import, possession and manufacture, so you would have to hop overseas for your fix, but not entirely sure what happens if you get screened on entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Singapore#Misuse_of_Drugs_Act
EDIT: Looks like you go to the slammer if you fail a drug test on entry
http://goseasia.about.com/od/singapore/a/Singapore-Drug-Laws.htm
Does moving to Singapore basically mean that you can never do drugs?
I'm pretty sure you can find them here if you know the right people.
Do native Singaporeans ever leave the main island?
Yes, to go to attractions at Sentosa (southern island), military training on Pulau Tekong, work at the oil rigs on Jurong Island, or a weekend trip to Malaysia (another country).
Are the neighboring cities as developed as Singapore? I.E. Are they more like suburbs or are they more like shanty towns?
No. I'll leave it at that.
Do people usually go to the "attractions" around the city (like, I see a water park, a zoo, a theme park), or are they more for tourists?
Depends on the person. There are usually a fair proportion of locals at the attractions, moreso if there's a promotion on.
I noticed that the median salary for software developers in Singapore is like 80% of the median salary in San Jose and the value of the Singapore dollar is 80% of the US dollar. Is everything proportional like this, or is it more expensive to live in Singapore?
It's probably mostly proportional, short of things like housing and cars. Cars here can cost upwards of $50,000, and that doesn't include the piece of paper that entitles you to own a car ($120k~ last I saw). Public housing easily goes for well above $300k for an apartment, especially higher in the more central areas.
It looks like alcohol is restricted. Is it possible to legally and inexpensively get shitfaced in Singapore?
Sure, with a low tolerance level.
Is caning a common thing?
Not recently, it's more of an implicit threat. They usually just jail you unless you do something insane like rape a child.
What happens if someone jay walks?
If they don't get hit by a car, nothing.
How are the beaches?
Covered in imported Indonesian sand.