Singapore questions thread

[panama hat]

Nice thread.

MrT:

Not many people leave singapore, so jobs do not open up particularly often, same same HK really.

Well, yes and no. We are PRs in Singapore but just left to com here, we know a few other Expats who have also left recently. All of their jobs were filled with locals. This is also the case for many new jobs.

Don't think that Singaporeans are in any way less educated than anyone from the 'west', in many cases they are more educated - in Oz, the UK or the US. (They do lack creativity, though)
Added to this you now get very many Malaysians with equal qualifications who are happy to earn 50k instead of 100k and work towards getting PR in Singapore.

The main problem you will face in Singapore is the huge increase in rental accommodation, that has taken place in just the last few months due to many things, among them being en-bloc sales of older apartments.

As for living in JB and commuting . . . not really an option.

Having said the above I don't think Singapore is the right place for many Thailand-based expats . . . just too different.

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by in4zip

Slimboyfat, not exactly a S'pore question but perhaps related ...

*yes I'm getting geared, albeit very slowly, up to leave the LoS or to better say, looking for new shores, not keeping all my eggs in the TH basket*

cons: Living in S'pore (years back, I've lived there for 4 mos. straight) can, at times, be daunting for many reasons. It's a relatively small island, all the rules and regs, cost of living (e.g. highish rents, cost of property, of cars etc.) not the cheapest and the " I'm so serious " S'porians at times can be a tad trying ... to mention but a few reasons;

pros: good infrastructure, banking, health care, youtube and the caning of foreigners like Scampy etc.
I am also told that the laws are pretty fair even if one is not a citizen of this island state...

sooooo

how about living in Jahor Bahru (and/or hinterland say Senai or even further afield, topography of which I am fairly sure, generally speaking, tends to be/resemble TH's modus vivendi) and when in need of "order" ... to escape from the chaos ... do the commute by ferry, bridge, car, bus, taxi, train or whatever.

I understand that many Malays do the daily commute and traffic at peak hours is atrocious but not too bad outside of rush hour.

Thank you for your (and anybody else's) thoughts re. a Spore/JB combo!

i have heard of Malaysians who do it. I have also heard Sporeans and expats talking about it - but have never seen anyone actually doing it because it is just too much hassle, and no-one really trusts the Malaysians and JB is a dump compared to Spore anyway.

[in4zip]

thanx for the reps ^ ^^

agree JB is a dump, been there
not much worse than many lossian, cambo lao shitholes, prolly better than many

and further down the road perhaps there are some nice spots in w malaysia

If and when, I won't be doing the commute, no need, though day trips, long weekends, to the fair City why the fek not?

[MeMock]

Dear SBF will you pick me up at the budget terminal tomorrow at 6am and take me to Changi to catch my next flight?

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by MeMock

Dear SBF will you pick me up at the budget terminal tomorrow at 6am and take me to Changi to catch my next flight?

no.

1) I dont do 6am on a saturday morning
2) I don't have a car.

[kingwilly]

Originally Posted by slimboyfat

no.

1) I dont do 6am on a saturday morning
2) I don't have a car.

a real man would still be out at 6.00am on a SAturday monring!

[robin]

Slimboy, do you know if there are any cheap return flights there from Phuket?

[panama hat]

Originally Posted by robin

Slimboy, do you know if there are any cheap return flights there from Phuket?

If you're lucky you can find them at 99 cents each way plus tax. Checkout Tiger Airways, JetstarAsia etc . . .

[robin]

Thanks, PH.

[babygirl]

What's their to do for fun in Singapore? I heard there was quite an artsy scene there?

How is the cost of things there? I realize they are probably more expensive than Thailand, but what are costs for eating out, and rents like?

Thanks

[kingwilly]

Originally Posted by babygirl

What's their to do for fun in Singapore? I heard there was quite an artsy scene there?

How is the cost of things there? I realize they are probably more expensive than Thailand, but what are costs for eating out, and rents like?

Thanks

roughly times 10 thailand!

[slimboyfat]

food isnt 10 times more expensive KW. Rents maybe.

anyway i will address this problem later when i am not drunk.

i was a real man and still out at 6am.

Got invited to a private opening party for a bar with free flow of Johnny Walker (which i dont even like)

[Jet Gorgon]

^ and ^^. I lived in Sing for about a year. Food stalls and courts were cheap; some OK food, but anything sniffing of farang wa outrageous. I loved some the clothing chains. Really cheap and real casual styles (not tie-dyed crap) and they all fit me.
Went back with my sis for a few days and we stayed at a hotel off Orchard. About S$50-60 a night (2001). It was clean and interesting -- the back lobby was the holding tank for Russian hookers waiting for bookings late at night. hehe. We found it convenient for the MRT.
SMF, do you ever go around Raffles Place and the Stock Exchange? I'm trying to remember a pub's name near there -- Carnaby's perhaps? Went there often after work; half outdoors. Lovely manager. It was also where I was on 9-11. All of us from the financial industry with a cell phone (ie, almost every customer) were going into shock, trying to call colleagues in NY, not knowing WTF really happened. Had to go to three big hotels to find a lounge with a TV. Sh*****t. Next day, no Chinese would look at us white folks. Had lunch at the quay while going through alll the papers. Imagine, front page of one tabloid had a photo of people jumping out of the windows. Anyway, the waiter came up, a lovely Indian lad, and the first thing he said was "I'm so sorry for your tragic loss." I guess the Chinese were too embarrassed to say anything? Never forgot that.
Anyway, cannot beat Changi airport for its outdoor Cactus lounge (smoking OK) and the other huge smoking area -- you can buy a drink at the bar next door and take it with you. Is that still there, SMF? I know you quit but...

[slimboyfat]

SMF?

Carnegies I believe you mean. It went out of fashion and closed down a year or so ago. It was quite good for a while.

[kingwilly]

ok food is not 10 times but i notice you conveniently did not mention the price of beer!

[Sir Burr]

^^^
The Cactus garden is still there at Changi terminal 2. Best airport in the world.

[slimboyfat]

Originally Posted by mrT

ok food is not 10 times but i notice you conveniently did not mention the price of beer!

one large bottle of Tiger at a foodcourt is $6 (about 130 baht) and at a supermarket it is slightly cheaper.

a pint of lager is around S$12 in posher places. (about 260 baht)

most places I actually drink I will buy a jug for S$20-24.

The funny thing is that although beers are expensive, the price hasnt actually gone up a lot in pubs since I was first here in 1992.

[Jet Gorgon]

Red face, SBF. Mebbe I was thinking of a fab stock ticker when I called you SMF...

[Butterfly]

food is definitely not expensive and is now at par with Thailand (high THB and inflation). Even expensive restaurants cost as much in Singapore as in Thailand, but the places are much nicer than Thailand.

Drinks are a bit more expensive in clubs, but these are nice places. Actually most good places in Bangkok charge 180 to 200 THB for a drink, so that's at par with the rest of the international expensive cities (nice Paris cafe, 5 Euros for a draft beer).

Singapore has cheap clubbing because of the recent high competition, so it's all reasonable in a city that doesn't look like a giant garbage dump.

Rent has become outrageous in the last few month apparently, going up as high as 80% in some location. While you could get a nice studio at 24,000 THB/month (1,000 SGD) near the MRT, it has gone up now to 40,000 THB/month (2,000 SGD)