Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

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kairosan117
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Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

Post by kairosan117 »

I was thinking of the different countries in SW Asia to expat at and wanted to know if there is anyone who knows what its like to live in Singapore? I know its a nation state but what are the pros and cons. Wanted to get an insiders point of view.
:?: And here are 4 things Filipina do better than your SWJ Ex http://bit.ly/pinayfunfacts
MrMan
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by MrMan »

I've had several Singaporean friends over the years, and I've spent time in Singapore for visa-related trips while living in Indonesia. I have done a little job hunting in Singapore without success, so I have thought about it.

I understand that apartments are expensive and can be rather small. A permit to have a car is very expensive. It keeps people from clogging up the road with traffic. The MRT is clean (or was the last I checked), and there are buses. I think street and food court food is reasonably priced by US standards, but more than in Indonesia. There are fancy high end restaurants.

A Singaporean friend said the government sponsored events to match up Singaporeans because of the lack of marriages there. I have read the women tend to be career-oriented. I knew an Indian woman who'd never married. She said Indian women were raised conservatively and did not date, but some of the men would marry Chinese. The women tended not to, so many of them were single. I don't know if that's the case. She's probably in her 50's now. I think she was a pretty woman when she was younger, kind of exotic looking, (in the sense of unusual and foreign looking. some people associate that word with dancers.) Some Singaporean men import wives from Vietnam after meeting them through agencies.

Singapore is like a big shopping mall. The last I asked around and looked online, salaries seemed to be lower than in the US. But I would imagine that at the higher levels, there may be some high paying jobs. Many of their own people are highly skilled in business fields, so the job market would be competitive.
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Contrarian Expatriate
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by Contrarian Expatriate »

kairosan117 wrote:I was thinking of the different countries in SW Asia to expat at and wanted to know if there is anyone who knows what its like to live in Singapore? I know its a nation state but what are the pros and cons. Wanted to get an insiders point of view.
As someone who likes to stopover in Singapore for weeks at a time, I can tell you I like it but only for short periods of time.

Some of the best eating in the world is in Singapore. That is reason enough to visit. The shopping is also world class if you are into that sort of thing. I'm not.....

The bad things about Singapore include the very impersonal, standoffish culture. Young women tend to strike me as socially awkward and/or socially insular. They also tend to suffer from too high a sense of themselves because they are very well off. Some exceptions for me were young Indian or half-Indian Singaporean girls who would sometimes flirt or make small talk with me. The Chinese or Malay have never been that way with me.

I also rarely see very attractive women in Singapore. They are there, but not in high numbers. Singapore imports women from other poorer Asian countries and the former Soviet Union to work in the sex or titillation industry. Most Singaporean women have no need to resort to such depraved activities.

Singapore is a very expensive place too. Unless you are an expat with a major salary or a well-heeled traveler, it tends to be cost prohibitive for a permanent residency.

Singapore therefore remains a place for short term stays only for me personally. But I highly recommend traveling there to determine if it fits your needs better than it fits mine.
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kairosan117
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by kairosan117 »

MrMan wrote:I've had several Singaporean friends over the years, and I've spent time in Singapore for visa-related trips while living in Indonesia. I have done a little job hunting in Singapore without success, so I have thought about it.

I understand that apartments are expensive and can be rather small. A permit to have a car is very expensive. It keeps people from clogging up the road with traffic. The MRT is clean (or was the last I checked), and there are buses. I think street and food court food is reasonably priced by US standards, but more than in Indonesia. There are fancy high end restaurants.

Singaporean friend said the government sponsored events to match up Singaporeans because of the lack of marriages there. I have read the women tend to be career-oriented. I knew an Indian woman who'd never married. She said Indian women were raised conservatively and did not date, but some of the men would marry Chinese. The women tended not to, so many of thAem were single. I don't know if that's the case. She's probably in her 50's now. I think she was a pretty woman when she was younger, kind of exotic looking, (in the sense of unusual and foreign looking. some people associate that word with dancers.) Some Singaporean men import wives from Vietnam after meeting them through agencies.

Singapore is like a big shopping mall. The last I asked around and looked online, salaries seemed to be lower than in the US. But I would imagine that at the higher levels, there may be some high paying jobs. Many of their own people are highly skilled in business fields, so the job market would be competitive.
How much would you think a permit would be to get a car?
:?: And here are 4 things Filipina do better than your SWJ Ex http://bit.ly/pinayfunfacts
MrMan
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by MrMan »

If you can get a really good job or are set financially, Singapore may be a good place if you want to live in a developed country surrounded by the third world. You can take plane or boat rides to Indonesia, or drive to Malaysia. I've only been to KL in Malaysia, and it looked pretty good in terms of development, more like Singapore than Jakarta. Jakarta has some magnificent buildings, but the pollution and lack of sidewalks and infrastructure after you step outside is quite bad when compared to other countries.

This sounds like a strange food choice for a place like Singapore, but the last I checked many years ago, Singapore's Burger Kings were really good. I heard they freshly baked their own bread. I even ate at a Long John Silver's in Singapore. That's the kind of thing that is no big deal in the US, but if you have been in Indonesia for a while, and you want fast food, they have some selection there in Singapore. I've had Korean food, there too, Indian food, and of course, Chinese food. They have some of their own noodle dishes. They are either Chinese or unique Singaporean variants.

I've stayed in hotels in Singapore and Malaysia. One place I stayed in Malaysia had a good breakfast buffet. No complaints. But another one was just lousy, really big, but everything tasted bland. Even the milk labeled 'fresh milk' tasted like powdered milk. But I've never been to a hotel buffet in Singapore for breakfast that was not good that I can recall. They may serve bacon, a treat if you've been living in the predominantly Islamic world.
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

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If you can get a really good job or are set financially, Singapore may be a good place if you want to live in a developed country surrounded by the third world. You can take plane or boat rides to Indonesia, or drive to Malaysia. I've only been to KL in Malaysia, and it looked pretty good in terms of development, more like Singapore than Jakarta. Jakarta has some magnificent buildings, but the pollution and lack of sidewalks and infrastructure after you step outside is quite bad when compared to other countries.

This sounds like a strange food choice for a place like Singapore, but the last I checked many years ago, Singapore's Burger Kings were really good. I heard they freshly baked their own bread. I even ate at a Long John Silver's in Singapore. That's the kind of thing that is no big deal in the US, but if you have been in Indonesia for a while, and you want fast food, they have some selection there in Singapore. I've had Korean food, there too, Indian food, and of course, Chinese food. They have some of their own noodle dishes. They are either Chinese or unique Singaporean variants.

I've stayed in hotels in Singapore and Malaysia. One place I stayed in Malaysia had a good breakfast buffet. No complaints. But another one was just lousy, really big, but everything tasted bland. Even the milk labeled 'fresh milk' tasted like powdered milk. But I've never been to a hotel buffet in Singapore for breakfast that was not good that I can recall. They may serve bacon, a treat if you've been living in the predominantly Islamic world.
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by Jonny Law »

kairosan117 wrote:I was thinking of the different countries in SW Asia to expat at and wanted to know if there is anyone who knows what its like to live in Singapore? I know its a nation state but what are the pros and cons. Wanted to get an insiders point of view.
Singapore SUCKS!
Cost of living in Singapore is 84.78% higher than in Thailand (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account). Rent in Singapore is 313.24% higher than in Thailand (average data for all cities).

Singapore does have a low crime rate. For all you weak worthless people Singapore maybe a good place for you :twisted: .
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Yohan
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

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Jonny Law wrote: Singapore SUCKS!
Cost of living in Singapore is 84.78% higher than in Thailand (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account). Rent in Singapore is 313.24% higher than in Thailand (average data for all cities).
Singapore does have a low crime rate. For all you weak worthless people Singapore maybe a good place for you :twisted: .
I am also not a fan of Singapore. This place - it is more a modern city than a country - is OK, if you go there as a tourist and you stay for a few days, like the typical Japanese group tourist.

For me it's merely a transit point to continue soon after arrival to somewhere else. Singapore has good air links and reasonable airfare for tickets, good hotels, good medical care, anything you need you can buy there etc.

Yes, it is expensive, compared to nearby Malaysia, which offers you more or less the same, but Malaysia is considerably cheaper and offers much more space to go around. However Singapore is not so expensive if you compare it with other developed places in Asia, like Japan or Korea, or HongKong/Macao.

For a person who has to work for a living, Singapore might be OK, more jobs available and better income than Malaysia. - It depends on the individual, what do you expect from Singapore.

I am now fully retired and I really do not need Singapore any more in future.
For airports I am now always using Bangkok as my second home is in Pattaya, and Bangkok as also a good airlink daily to Manila and many flights daily into Japan/SouthKorea and to many other destinations.

About crime-rates it often has to do with poverty in Asian countries - if you compare Singapore with Philippines, you are right, but if you compare Singapore with Japan you might feel, that Singapore is nothing special at all, as both countries are safe.

Further, it is a difference if a country is a small island city and has 5 million people or if a country like Japan has 127 million people.
Bao3niang
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

Post by Bao3niang »

Singapore could arguably be considered part of the Anglosphere, though with a heavy non-Anglo influence. Are you sure you'd want to live there? It's a soulless, corporate hell that has successfully combined the WORST extremities of East and West.
CYKA BLYAT!!!!!!
fdiv
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by fdiv »

Yohan wrote:
October 27th, 2017, 8:26 pm
Jonny Law wrote: Singapore SUCKS!
Cost of living in Singapore is 84.78% higher than in Thailand (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account). Rent in Singapore is 313.24% higher than in Thailand (average data for all cities).
Singapore does have a low crime rate. For all you weak worthless people Singapore maybe a good place for you :twisted: .
I am also not a fan of Singapore. This place - it is more a modern city than a country - is OK, if you go there as a tourist and you stay for a few days, like the typical Japanese group tourist.

For me it's merely a transit point to continue soon after arrival to somewhere else. Singapore has good air links and reasonable airfare for tickets, good hotels, good medical care, anything you need you can buy there etc.

Yes, it is expensive, compared to nearby Malaysia, which offers you more or less the same, but Malaysia is considerably cheaper and offers much more space to go around. However Singapore is not so expensive if you compare it with other developed places in Asia, like Japan or Korea, or HongKong/Macao.

For a person who has to work for a living, Singapore might be OK, more jobs available and better income than Malaysia. - It depends on the individual, what do you expect from Singapore.

I am now fully retired and I really do not need Singapore any more in future.
For airports I am now always using Bangkok as my second home is in Pattaya, and Bangkok as also a good airlink daily to Manila and many flights daily into Japan/SouthKorea and to many other destinations.

About crime-rates it often has to do with poverty in Asian countries - if you compare Singapore with Philippines, you are right, but if you compare Singapore with Japan you might feel, that Singapore is nothing special at all, as both countries are safe.

Further, it is a difference if a country is a small island city and has 5 million people or if a country like Japan has 127 million people.
I have thought about Singapore as a place to work. I work in IT but with a certain specific skill that is impossible for h1-bs here in the US. It doesn't involve classified work. These companies have operations all over the world, but particularly a large center in Singapore. Singporeans and western foreigners (UK, US are the only ones I know of) are the only ones that fill these positions. I do not do anything terribly complicated like programming. It is more like network management. I don't say it outright because that would affect my privacy I think.

A position that these companies offer would be a slight step up from what I am paid here in (a cheap part of) the US. I know it is around $60k USD/yr equivalent. Working in Singapore for a while would allow me still to save. You CAN be somewhat frugal here, probably even more than the US. It depends on what your lifestyle is. And closer to the Philippines for Vacations.
options in the US: maybe have a shot at a angry bluehaired landwhale and then, prison :roll:
options abroad: limitless 8)
Jonny Law
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

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Singapore
1. Low Crime (Don't commit crimes there and everything is against the law)
2. Women are Feminists
3. A big city (a tiny country)
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publicduende
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

Post by publicduende »

You need a lot of money to live comfortably in Singapore (or Hong Kong). Nowadays Singapore is experiencing a financial crisis and the two staple industries that used to provide quality jobs - finance and logistics - are in full vertical decline. I spoke to a couple of foreign friends who have been living in Singapore for 10+ years and they confirmed my darkest suspicions: Singapore has a fascist government who will (pro)actively banish whatever fact throws shadows on to the narrative of the super-efficient, super-rich Utopia.

The last two times I was there I saw a lot of old ladies begging on the streets. Begging is officially banned, so they resort to selling pocket tissues for 1 or 2 SGD. And most of them look like old Singaporean (Chinese) women, not from some ethnic minorities.

Unless one can still live the sheltered life that a banking or executive job with a full expat package (more and more rare nowadays) can afford, Singapore is what it seems: an expensive toy, just good for a few days sightseeing. Not more.

I actually like Hong Kong more...it's far older and has got a more authentic cultural vibe. Still quite expensive.

I will continue to plan my life in Manila with my gf, if possible.
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thighlander
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

Post by thighlander »

I think Hong Kong would be a much better place to smoke, drink, and chase women. Plenty of alternatives to GO girls, if they are playing hard to get.
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simon
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Singapore?

Post by simon »

Singapore is a great country to live in. But there it is kind of an expensive country. As to get any permits, the cost is really high. Also the apartments are way smaller in size when compared to amount that is being paid for it. But the life is great, and if you can match the expenses, goes ahead!
MrMan
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Re: Anyone thought about living in Sinapore?

Post by MrMan »

kairosan117 wrote:
October 26th, 2017, 10:30 pm
How much would you think a permit would be to get a car?

About 20 years ago a Singaporean Chinese friend of mine said it costs about $500,000 to get a Mercedes on the road and the Mercedes without the permits, etc. only cost about $100,000. That was probably Sing money, though, but it's still a lot.

I noticed traffice was light in Singapore, though the city was reasonably crowded for a developed, well-laid out city. (Not crowded like Jakarta is because they cram everyone into streets and what sidewalks they have, and there just isn't enough space.) The MRT is good, or was many years ago when I used it. I've used taxis for visa runs. I was there earlier this year, I think, maybe once or twice. I can't remember when my Malaysia trips all were and when my Singapore trips were. I may have just been to Singapore.

I found catching a taxi at a shopping center frustrating in Singapore after being in Jakarta. I went to the side of the road and tried to hail a cab, when I realized you have to go to a designated area and stand in a line. There seem to be an overabundance of cabs in Jakarta, though that's probably going to not be the case as GoJek and Grab destroy the taxi industry. And then if you run out of data, it will be almost impossible to get transportation like it is with ojek, hired motorcycles in Jakarta.
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