Whenever you are traveling abroad, the last thing you will want is to get charged for doing something illegal. What may be considered absolutely okay in your country back home may turn out to be against the law in some parts of the world, you never know. But don't worry, let us help you out. We have picked some strangest rules around the world.

  • It is not allowed to wear heels, carry food and drinks when you are visiting any of the archaeological sites in Greece. Odeon in Athens, a stone theater has experienced a lot of wear-and-tear due to tourism.

  • In Milan, maintain a smile at all times if you do not want to be fined! It is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits.

  • If you are in Thailand, make sure you do not step on the currency. Although all of us avoid doing so, in Thailand it is considered a criminal act. The currency has an image of their King who was in ruling for 70 years. So stepping on the currency is obviously considered as an insult.

  • If you are in Saudi and want to go get some medicines, then you compulsorily need a medical prescription.

  • In Switzerland, it is not allowed to flush post 10 pm if you are staying in apartments. It is considered as noisy by some residents. In fact, the government considers it as a noise pollution. Tough luck if you are having an upset stomach.

  • In Singapore, it is not allowed to chew on gum. The exception is only for dental or nicotine gum. There in a ban on importing chewing gum into the country. Chewing gums made it difficult for cleanliness and maintenance since some people disposed it anywhere.  So a ban was called out in immediate effect. So if you are used to chewing gum then your visit in Singapore may get tough.

  • In India, we have certain spots where pigeons gather and are fed regularly but in San Franciso even if you feed one pigeon within the city limits you will be fined. It’s against the law to feed pigeons on the streets or sidewalks.

  • In the Netherlands, there is a ban on smoking tobacco in public places. But contrastingly there is no restriction on smoking cannabis. On 1 July 2008 restrictions were extended to restaurants and hotels.

  • In Sri Lanka, it is not allowed to click selfies with Buddha statues. The mistreatment of the artefacts or Buddhist images is considered a serious offence. In fact, even if you sport a tattoo of the Buddha you may be denied entry! British nationals have faced deportation before.

As they say, 'When in Rome, behave as Romans do,' the next time you venture into any of the above-mentioned countries keep in mind these rules. Please make sure you have a proper research about the rules and regulations in the place you are heading to. Remeber the world is a funny, strange place and you'd not want to mess with any legislation later on.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2018 12:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).