#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Singapore Forum >  >  Singapore - my place to Tanjong Pagar

## slimboyfat

Well I thought I would start doing some stuff about Singapore in case anyone is interested in coming here for a short break / visa run or whatever. 

So, yesterday, armed with my trusty phone camera i took some pics on my journey to the office where I work in Tanjong Pagar.



This is actually where I live, just off Upper Thomson Road in a flat in one of these HDB blocks. They are government flats and the lease is 99 years. It looks pretty crappy but the price does not reflect that. Our four room unit (3 bedrooms) costs around S$250k (or around 6 million baht)

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## buadhai

Thanks. Great idea. Give us a full tour.

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## Butterfly

how much do you pay in rent ? is that the cheap government renting contract or the more expensive contract ?

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## slimboyfat

So, after taking the dog for a walk, its time to head to the office. Unfortunately my place is not near an MRT station so I have to take the bus first and then the MRT. The bus ride is generally worse than this, but I was a bit earlier than usual yesterday.



Jammed up against the bus front windscreen as usual........



I used to regularly chat with the old guy in the white shirt a few years back, but as his only topic of conversation is how succesful his kids and grandchildren are, I don't talk to him anymore.

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## slimboyfat

> how much do you pay in rent ? is that the cheap government renting contract or the more expensive contract ?


we own the flat. after saving up and buying the flat I quit sailing on the oil tankers. it actually cost us S$200k but we bought it from my mother-in-law at a low price.

rental would be around $S800 per month.

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## MeMock

How long have you been living in Singapore?

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## slimboyfat

After the bus I take the MRT to Tanjong Pagar. I tried to get some pics on the train but people looked at me like i was a perv or a terrorist info gatherer or something.

So anyway, get out at Tanjong Pagar MRT station.



Here is the delightful view of Tanjong Pagar Plaza. More HDB flats and shops also owned by HDB (that stands for Housing Development Board by the way).

Tanjong Pagar is actually one of the older areas of Singapore. It was once a hotbed of vice and controlled by gangsters. This is also Lee Kwan Yew's constituency. In order to get power there he had to get the support of the gangsters, which he did. After that he then purged them out of his constituency.

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## slimboyfat

> How long have you been living in Singapore?


almost 12 years.

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## slimboyfat

As I was a bit early for work I thought i'd take some pics around the area.
This is the indian temple at Keong Saik Road. This road is notorious as it used to be where rich Chinese men housed their mistresses. There are also a few brothels further up the road. The ladies are local but most have been working there for over 20 or 30 years. If you like a cheap hooker who can take her teeth out for you then this is the place.

There are a few budget and boutique hotels further up the road. The Keong Saik Hotel to the left of the picture is quite ok and a double room costs S$85 (2000 baht) per night including breakfast. Ok it is more expensive than Geylang hotels, but here you are close to the city and chinatown so is quite a good place to stay.

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## slimboyfat

Tanjong Pagar Road. Lots of pubs around here and also just behind here in Duxton Hill. The green building is now a Filipino eating place. The reason? All the pubs around here are packed with Filipinas working illegally and trying to get you to buy them a lady drink at $20 (480 baht) a go. The girls are not officially for hire but I guess it depends on the individual.....
There must be at least 50 such bars in this area.



Below a couple of pubs. It all looks very quiet in the pics as it was only 0830.......

The pub on the left is called Bonkers. One of my Singaporean colleagues is currently getting ripped off by a filipina who works there.

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## buadhai

It looks like this neighborhood from my photo taken in 1977:

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## slimboyfat

This particular stretch of shophouses along Tanjong Pagar road has three Tui Na shops on the second storey (supposed to be traditional chinese massage but in fact just fuck shops). These are illegal and all the girls are from China. $20 for the massage (entry fee really), $50 for HJ, $50 for BJ and $100 for full service is the standard pricing ....cough cough.... so i am told.



Here is the entrance to one of them..... So nice. Well actually I havent tried this one but my colleagues go here for lunchtime sessions.

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## slimboyfat

> It looks like this neighborhood from my photo taken in 1977:


yes it does, but I believe there were many places like this knocked down to make way for new developments. Luckily some places were conserved before all of Singapore's old charm was lost forever.

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## Butterfly

you don't have a car ?

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## slimboyfat

Here is a very popular coffee shop in the area - Ya Kun - they now have many outlets around the island but this is the oldest and best one in my opinion. Even on weekends I sometimes come here with my son to enjoy a cup of local black coffee, soft boiled eggs and some kaya toast (kaya is like some kind of coconut jam - dont know if they have it in thailand or not).

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## slimboyfat

> you don't have a car ?


i dont have $S80k (1.9 million baht) to spend on a car when i live on an island that is only 30km across.

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## Butterfly

housing seems to be cheap, and traffic is good there. Even a small car could be useful. Or is that the min price to pay for even a small car is 1.9m baht ? would seem a bit expensive

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## slimboyfat

> housing seems to be cheap, and traffic is good there. Even a small car could be useful. Or is that the min price to pay for even a small car is 1.9m baht ? would seem a bit expensive


that would be the minimum. because you have to pay for a COE on top of the car price. The COE is a levy you have to pay to the government....basically something to dissuade everyone from having a car and jamming up the roads. 
I have never really considered running a car as the public transport and taxis are fairly good and cheap.

Carparks and petrol are pretty damn expensive too...

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## slimboyfat

Tras Street.

My office building is at the end of this road. Along here are a few nice pubs and small restaurants. My favourite restuarant is Mustajab - selling nasi padang - Malay mixed rice. Quite a popular place that people come to from all over Singapore to eat at. 
There is an Irish pub called Shamus O'Donnells, owned by an Irish bloke (funnily enough) called Pat (even stranger). Good selection of beers and not too expensive.
Other pubs include Patricks Place which is full of Venezuelan hookers (funny concept but who am I to argue). Apparently a few of the pubs in this street are gay pubs so I havent explored all of them..... 



Just next to my office block (Maxwell House) is this large red building which is XTD karaoke. Huge place, very expensive and the girls all look like Miss China on a good day. Went there once for work 'entertainments' and the bill for 8 of us came out to S$4000 (about 96k baht - and that was without any hanky panky)



At the other end of Tras Street is House of Rock - a Malay joint. Good live music downstairs and a dire KTV upstairs full of Malay slappers asking for too much money for any action.

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## in4zip

back in 1995 I lived in S'pore, right behind St. Mt. Helen hospital
for four months straight save for short trips to Jahor Bahru and across 
to some indo rat trap tourist joint island, the name escapes me now.

It was a rather boring time cuz knew nobody there so beside Orchard and Raffles area, i didn't get around much.

But it seams that there is a will to make the place more lively and more fun  like opening of casinos ...

SF at what point is the casino venture. Still a pipe dream or ...

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## slimboyfat

Murray Terrace is named after Colonel A. Murray, Colonial Engineer and Surveyor General of the Straits Settlements at the turn of the 20th century.

Good food here, including various chinese, one indian,one thai and a couple of japanese joints - Saw one of the female workers at Fatty Ox (Cantonese) restaurant being arrested on Monday by 4 policemen so I won't be eating there anymore. Shame because their food was good and not expensive.

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## slimboyfat

> back in 1995 I lived in S'pore, right behind St. Mt. Helen hospital
> for four months straight save for short trips to Jahor Bahru and across 
> to some indo rat trap tourist joint island, the name escapes me now.
> 
> It was a rather boring time cuz knew nobody there so beside Orchard and Raffles area, i didn't get around much.
> 
> But it seams that there is a will to make the place more lively and more fun like opening of casinos ...
> 
> SF at what point is the casino venture. Still a pipe dream or ...


They are still yet to decide on the final plan for the integrated resort. I think it will be at least another 5 years before it is ready. 
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents like myself will have to pay an entry fee of $100 (this is to discourage the locals from blowing all their money but has already caused a lot of consternation that foreigners will be treated better than locals).

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## friscofrankie

Some girl gets arrested and you won't eat there?  Why? She get arrested for spitting in the food?

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## slimboyfat

In the evening I took this pic at Chinatown after work. Unfortunately my camera phone becomes really shitty in low light so this was my only reasonably good shot.

One of these stalls is owned by a fat German who sells very average sausages at exhorbitant prices but the locals seem to love it

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## slimboyfat

> Some girl gets arrested and you won't eat there? Why? She get arrested for spitting in the food?


The place is closed. I guess they were employing the girl illegally.

Still investigating that one :Smile:

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## Little Chuchok

> housing seems to be cheap, and traffic is good there. Even a small car could be useful. Or is that the min price to pay for even a small car is 1.9m baht ? would seem a bit expensive


Off topic a bit..

There are a shit load of high end secondhand European cars that are exported from Singapore.It is big business.probably because they are so expensive...and Asian being asians..the s'poreans really look after there cars well.They are also just prepaired to flick them for a reasonable price...no rich bugger with a 'face' would be seen dead buying a second hand luxury vehicle

I've seen two/three year old BMWs/Mercs on the wharf at Auckland that look brand spanking new.

When they are exported,you can do a duty drawback and get the tax back etc.Hence the good prices.

Quite a few of these cars end up here......prolly imported by people with connections etc.

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## in4zip

re. s'pore's casinos 


> another 5 years before it is ready.


wow that's a long time .. the LoS might get to open some sooner .. of the legal non border type ones

i wager that will be one of the first things once the ole crowned head pops a gasket ... Suvanabhuni province seemed to be slated as the new las vegas  but ... didn't happened 

for sure merkin, macau and ozzie "entertainment" orgs are eager to open wherever they can get their foot in the door and thais are pushovers 
where making (shady) quick money is involved regardless of moral or religious believes

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## Begbie

> re. s'pore's casinos 
> 
> 
> 
> 			
> 				 another 5 years before it is ready.
> 			
> 		
> 
> wow that's a long time .. the LoS might get to open some sooner .. of the legal non border type ones


The resort outside Pattaya which was slated to be the first Casino was surprise surprise owned by Thaksin. Back to the drawing board.

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## daveboy

Looks like a really nice place to live SBF so clean, what do you do for a living?

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## slimboyfat

> Looks like a really nice place to live SBF so clean, what do you do for a living?


now i have a very boring job as an operations executive in a local shipbroking firm. I may well go back to working on oil tankers next year though, before my wife and I come to blows.

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## in4zip

> Originally Posted by daveboy
> 
> 
> Looks like a really nice place to live SBF so clean, what do you do for a living?
> 
> 
> now i have a very boring job as an operations executive in a local shipbroking firm. I may well go back to working on oil tankers next year though, before my wife and I come to blows.


I recall you mentioned making 1st mate. I've worked many moons ago as a marine (LLoyds & Gas free) surveyor and some of my collegues where ex sea captains in their 40s that seemed to have to quit their seafaring life due both to family and/or age.

So even you if you did get your feet back on deck, how long do you think it would last (regardless of yer missis blowing you or not  :Very Happy: )

I miss the euforia of command, lording over a construction site, the foreign adventure and all that rot, but no matter how many vitamins I am now taking, sooner rather than later I'll have to supplement the cocktail, with Viagra and Prozac if I want to achieve any "output"... if ya know what I mean  :Sad:

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## MeMock

> I've seen two/three year old BMWs/Mercs on the wharf at Auckland that look brand spanking new.


My old man is currently going through the process of importing a Merc to Auckland from SIngapore - apparently because of no tax in NZ it is well worth doing.

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## Sir Burr

I believe that once cars get to 10 years old in Singapore the government slaps on such a large punitive yearly tax, that they are not worth keeping.

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## Bobcock

> One of these stalls is owned by a fat German who sells very average sausages at exhorbitant prices but the locals seem to love it


I walked past him the other day with the wife

We both sniggered as we looked at the 'Fat German'

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## Little Chuchok

> Originally Posted by Little Chuchok
> 
> 
>  
> I've seen two/three year old BMWs/Mercs on the wharf at Auckland that look brand spanking new.
> 
> 
> My old man is currently going through the process of importing a Merc to Auckland from SIngapore - apparently because of no tax in NZ it is well worth doing.


more than well worth doing.As long as you buy well,you can't go wrong.There is no tax on cars in NZ.

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## Butterfly

> There is no tax on cars in NZ.


Yeah, but who would want to move there ?

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## Sir Burr

Bout the only "white mans country" i would consider moving to. Stunningly beautiful country with very friendly people.

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## Butterfly

^ that's what I have been told. Planning to visit. However I was told by a native NZ that life was fucking boring there.

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## Itchy

I'll be back in Singapore after Christmas, can't wait.

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## dirtydog

> Bout the only "white mans country" i would consider moving to. Stunningly beautiful country with very friendly *hobbits*.


Thats just a fairy tale  :Smile:

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## Sir Burr

American hobbits at that.

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## slimboyfat

I had lunch at Tanjong Pagar railway station today. This is where you can catch the train to Malaysia and Thailand if you wish. There are fantastic (and cheap) Indian / Malay food stalls there and I went there with some Singaporean friends as a special treat as it was my birthday.

Here are a few pics









^ My favourite biryani stall in all of Singapore



^ My favourite biryani. S$5.50

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## jandajoy

Belated Happy Birthday.

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## kingwilly

happy birthday  :party43:

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## Butterfly

Happy Birthday Slim !!! will be in Singapore soon  :Wink:

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## Ghandi

Nice one slim , enjoyable pictures and tasty looking food

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## parkwahn

Just read this,  the OP says  his place was worth 6 million baht,  I have just returned I bet its worth  a minimum of double now,  the OP was in 2006.

Nice to see photos of a few years back,  thanks.

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## Mr Brown

I thought this was a new thread until I saw Sir Burr on the second page.

Good nontheless

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## slimboyfat

> Just read this, the OP says his place was worth 6 million baht, I have just returned I bet its worth a minimum of double now, the OP was in 2006.


We sold it at the beginning of last year to my wife's sister for about 10 million baht (and that was below the market price).

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## Seekingasylum

Returning after a short trip I can now finally resign myself to the fact that Singapore is beyond the reach of any mere mortal wishing to relocate there, unless of course they had already owned a property.

Utterly bizarre that an unprepossessing house with a small garden in a nice area of an insignificant S.E.Asian city/state should cost 6 million SGP$.

I understand the mainland Chinese laundering their ill gotten gains are the cause but it can't be good for the locals trying to survive. Those HDB flats will inevitably increase and one shudders at the leverage to which the average earner must enslave themselves just to put a roof over their heads.

19 $ for a pint of lager at Clarke Quay and a meal for 2 by the Riverview restaurant 120 $. Ciggies 14 $ and a small can of beer out of a local 7/11 costing 4 $. The happy hour window may mitigate the drinking bill but still......

I wonder if the PAP actually wanted this for their folk back in 1960s.

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## Mid

Did I just hear a collective sigh of relief from the population of Singapore ?

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## Seekingasylum

That was just silly.

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## kingwilly

but rather apt.

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## terry57

Singapore is not to bad if one stays away from tourist pubs and such but any decent hotel is dam expensive.

Bummer as I do like Singapore.

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## DrAndy

> That was just silly.


 
yes, it is awful, is it not, that your serious and thoughtful post merely gets such a childish response

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## sunsetter

> soft boiled eggs and some kaya toast (kaya is like some kind of coconut jam - dont know if they have it in thailand or not).


love the omega half boiled eggs mate........... hmmmmmmmmmm

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## Seekingasylum

> Originally Posted by thegent
> 
> 
> That was just silly.
> 
> 
>  
> yes, it is awful, is it not, that your serious and thoughtful post merely gets such a childish response


To put it into context, whereas you have no redeeming feature whatsoever, Mid posted his trite comment only because I had upset his sensibilities in another thread. This was somewhat unusual for him being a level headed sort of chap and I responded accordingly. 

Is it your pitiful life's work to traipse aimlessly round every thread in the fora, cocking that little hind leg of yours on whichever post takes your fancy as you mark out the miserable extent of what may pass for your feeble intellect?

The pun is intended and quite clever in the circumstances.

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## Sailing into trouble

Looks like a nice spot! Must visit sometime. So different than LOS!

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## DrAndy

Singapore is OK in small doses but it has cleaned itself up so much that it has become unreal

a bit like Milton Keanes full of Chinese, with a touch of Disney

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## Seekingasylum

If that is the sum quality of your thinking in relation to a unique cultural entity then I suppose one may well discard anything else that might seep out of what may pass for your undoubtedly dismal consciousness.

Singapore is the apotheosis of achievement and should be applauded for its sterling progress even if it may not include a seam of filth and corruption easily quarried by degenerate, second rate dross looking for a quick shag in circumstances not otherwise available to them.

Singapore is actually a fine place but the economics of it do make one pause for thought if only to speculate on just how stratospheric property prices can rise and yet still afford a sense of nationhood achievable by the ordinary citizen.

I do like the place but I suppose sentiment, born out of the fact I grew up there as a teenager, might play a role. The bawdy charms of the island were readily found in Bugis Strasse, Lavender and Arab Streets and down in Geylang but they were never that defining and have long since evaporated as much as the bucolic charms of a trip to Ponggol Point en route to Pulao Ubin or perhaps even a day spent on the pagar or medan by Changi beach before a long bus ride home through a verdant tropical rainforest lushness via the Tampines Rd running parallel to the water pipeline hydrating the island from peninsula Malaya or possibly an expedition through the Mandai swamps north of Nee Soon amidst the Japanese trench lines dug in 1945.

Never mind, eh? The place is crap because a repulsive bin bag like you 'andshandy can't cop a cheap shag. Stands to reason, don't it?

You dull headed bag of shite.

PS. It's Milton Keynes you dumb fuck.

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## DrAndy

> Never mind, eh? The place is crap because a repulsive bin bag like you 'andshandy can't cop a cheap shag. Stands to reason, don't it? You dull headed bag of shite. PS. It's Milton Keynes you dumb fuck.


you really are a vulgar little man under your coat of pretentiousness

I don't find anything to dislike in Singapore, but equally, not much to like except the food and some of the people - all that culture (unique cultural entity!!) you may remember from when you were a stupid spotty youth does not exist any more, at least in a coherent form

as for cheap shags, they are easily found there today if you are so inclined, but I never have bothered and never needed to. When I worked there I had a relationship with a co-worker who was lovely, we are still friends although she now lives in Hong Kong

anyway, I am glad you know all about Milton Keynes, it is important to spell it correctly otherwise nobody would know where you were referring to




> Singapore is OK in small doses





> The place is crap because a repulsive bin bag like you 'andshandy can't cop a cheap shag


your hate for me seems to be clouding your reason, such that it is. Maybe you had better go take your meds and change your colostomy bag and dream of when you were a teenie in verdant lands

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## Mr Earl

Any tips on visiting Singapore from Jahor Bahru?
I'll be travelling down there on my moto and have to park the bike in Malaysia.

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## DrAndy

I think they have a bus across the causeway, maybe a train too

usually very easy as it is well organised

make sure you put your bike somewhere secure though, as they have a habit of vanishing

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## Mr Earl

Yep the bus accross is easy peasy.
Found a great little homestay place in JB for only 15rg a night. Clean and I really hit off with the owner as we are on the same page regarding  health care  and being independant of government.

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## terry57

^

Yep, the bus from JB is frequent and easy. The Singapore Zoo is a must see even if you don't like that stuff, Simply world class amazing establishment.

Regards costs, Singapore is very reasonable if one takes public transport and steers clear of upmarket pubs and restaurants. The local eating markets are great value and beers are reasonable  within the establishment.

The accommodation has become simply over priced but one must just bight the bullet on that one and pay the bigger dollars to stay in a nice gaff.

Just the way it is these days in Singapore and go with the flow.

Must get back there soon as I've always had a nice time there and met some good locals who actually know whats going on in the world up against Thailand where the average local knows fok all. 

Where is Fatboy?    I liked that guy.

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## Mr Earl

Yea I spent yesterday in SG got the shopping I wanted done.
Yep its really easy hopping the bus from JB.
 Checked prices on cameras and they're much more than the USA! Fo k that.
Went to little india and had a great massala dosa for $1.80sg.
I didn't stay  the night because my place in JB was too cheap(15rg) and good parking.

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## Harry Sheene

Mr.Slim, some interesting stuff there. I move to Singapore in 1991. Me and the Mrs still have a place inBSP which we rent and an fairly new HDB in woodlands. I have ridden Motorcycles, driven cars between Singapore and Thailand, but Singapore fails to bring me back. First drive I did was in a Land Rover the company shipped over from the UK under carnet as I had to take a lot of filming equipment up to Phuket and it was cheaper to ship the thing over on a Ro Ro back then.Still, have some happy days of Singapore from back in 1984 when I first visited and theRaffles Hotel was the Raffles Hotel!

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## slimboyfat

Bloody hell. All the green bits in my pictures aren't green bits anymore. They are condos or hotels.

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## TizMe

> The pub on the left is called Bonkers. One of my Singaporean colleagues is currently getting ripped off by a filipina who works there.


 So how did your colleague & the filipina end up?

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## Seekingasylum

> Bloody hell. All the green bits in my pictures aren't green bits anymore. They are condos or hotels.


Should have seen it in 1966!

Singapore was another country then. A city rich in cultural diversity and architecture, suburbs and actual countryside where folk lived in kampongs and natural beaches laced the coast along Changi.

They destroyed  their heritage totally in 40 years. Quite astonishing really.

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## harrry

> Originally Posted by slimboyfat
> 
> 
> Bloody hell. All the green bits in my pictures aren't green bits anymore. They are condos or hotels.
> 
> 
> Should have seen it in 1966!
> 
> Singapore was another country then. A city rich in cultural diversity and architecture, suburbs and actual countryside where folk lived in kampongs and natural beaches laced the coast along Changi.
> ...


And you could always find the Singapore river by following your nose.

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## tanjongpagarsingapor

Thank you for sharing some pictures in Singapore when you're on way to Tanjong Pagar. Indeed, Tanjong Pagar is so nice place. They already have lots of new building when you go there. Really beautiful building business. And one of those beautiful building there is what do we call Tanjong Pagar Center which is located near the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station. Isn't it beautiful? Have you been there? The Tanjong Pagar Center is a large scale integrated development comprise a luxury business hotel linked to the main tower. Thank you so much.

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## terry57

> Bloody hell. All the green bits in my pictures aren't green bits anymore. They are condos or hotels.


I used to stay at an old hotel called the" 7th story hotel " near Bugis Street. 

Fantastic place, cheap and really great atmosphere located in a large park standing alone. 

Wanker Government reclaimed it for another MRT station.

Bastards.

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## ossierob

Too expensive in S'pore to stay too long as a tourist.

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## terry57

^

Only for accommodation. 

Reasonable priced food and drink to be had away from fancy restaurants and pubs. 

Public transport is efficient and cheap.

Over all a heap cheaper than Australia if one knows the go. 

I'm going there next April after a Boat cruise I'm doing. Its ending there, I'm looking forward to it as I ain't been there for 4 years.

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## MANICHAEAN

Very interesting. Thank you.

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## xanax

Any decent recommended Hotels in Orchard st area? been once on the 90's and did not seem too expensive then. looking at going in August.

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