I think, the Dropdown box with a class and JQuery code to disable the first option for user to select, will work perfectly as Select Box placeholder.
<select class="selectboxclass">
<option value="">- Please Select -</option>
<option value="IN">India</option>
<option value="US">America</option>
</select>
Make the first option disabled by JQuery.
<script>
$('select.selectboxclass option:first').attr('disabled', true);
</script>
This will make the first option of Dropdown as Placeholder and user will no longer able to select the first option.
Hope It helps!!