Singapore

A ferry-boat waiting for passengers.
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Arriving in Singapore after Thailand is a bit of shock.  Thailand is well-developed but not really first-world and chaotic.  Singapore is completely first-world and very organized and structured.  A similarity between the US and Singapore is that both countries have an inordinate number of signs cautioning citizens of various hazards.  The difference is that in Singapore it is the government being a bit over-protective while in the US it is companies trying to out-guess how stupid humanity might be.  So, in Singapore there are strange warnings about how to wash your hands in the bathroom or something, whereas in McDonald's in the US the coffee cup has a label that says "Contents Hot".

A view of Singapore from a top-floor bar in a hotel I stayed at last time I was in Singapore. We went back to take advantage of the views!
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As a country (city?) Singapore manages to be peacefully diverse.  The intermixing of Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures is pretty impressive.  There are parts of the city that maintain a separate identity but all the people seem to mix peacefully and successfully.  It isn't clear to me how Singapore managed to pull that off given the way different groups of people seem to fight everywhere else in the rest of the world.  It is impressive and very inviting.  There isn't much from a tourism standpoint however.  (Singapore is also jokingly referred to as Singabore but I don't think that is quite fair.)  The city looks like a great place to live and work but doesn't compare well in terms of beaches or adventure with its neighbors.  (Though the number of bars and restaurants will support an active nightlife if that is your pleasure!)  I wouldn't mind living there someday.  It's a great jumping off point for islands in Indonesia or to go to Malaysia.  The airport is also a major hub for discount flights so a person could have the best of both worlds.  Safety, comfort, and convenience where you live but quick access to rough and tumble developing countries and beaches.