johnny five

Sherpa

Why do you see it as your task in life to spoil this entire forum for everybody else?

I have recently started looking at the Far East forum with a view to getting an idea about other places to live other than India where I am now.

Everywhere I go I find your posts winding people up, picking verbal fights, your soooooooooooo not funny long words, and guess what? Not a hint of useful information anywhere from you.

I appreciate that your life might be boring, but could you please find somewhere else to annoy people - like the Zimbabwe forum maybe?

katongkaren

But it also depends on which part of the country you're in (just like any country really). Some parts are more expensive than others.

wendy c.

Hi I agree with katongkaren, although I find that most people in Singapore do speak English. Or they can if they choose to. At least from my experience! I don't drive so I can't comment on the driving skills haha.

You mean warm as in the weather? It's really warm all year round. Coastal - it's an island! Urban, safe with a good infrastructure, check. It's pretty advanced. Internet connection, there's wireless.sg

But if relaxing is your top priority, I think Malacca is a nice place to go.

All the best!

sr71

What he probably didnt mention is that in addition to the £400 he gets a rent-free council flat, pays no council tax and has concessions on everything else he pays - maybe even a car provided for free too in the cases of those mobility schemes.

wendy c.

To add on to my earlier post, here's a website I found if you want to find out more about living in Singapore:
www.sg

jose1

Oh dear me ,really really dear me!!!! Thought Johnny Five you liked India,Goa especially, dear me how could I be so wrong, . Myself I hated the filthy dump (Goa). This is paradise to anywhere in India. .You critisise me on the Goa forum for badmouthing Goa and then you come on this forum saying you want to leave it (SNIP)
Thailand like everywhere can be expensive,probably because there is so much to do,but after residing in the hell hole of Goa for a while I can tell you life has improved 10000%,and even the pits here in Thailand would make a 5 star establishment listing in India.It truly is one of the best places I have ever lived in ,and yes I have lived in plenty of countries including the USA. Just wish I came here years ago. Hope you liked the PM

the troubadour

Melaka is indeed a nice place to go,although somewhat sweltering for a part of the year some lovely people can be found there.
Intend to return soon and see how the changes have improved or not as the case may be.
Does anybody know how the development along the river has panned out?
Used to be a good spot for R&R for stressed out Singaporeans....

mohogony

Why move did you move to Perth when its boring, Why not Melbounre or Sydney which are 4 times the size of Perth and are much more vibrant cities?

Kooky.

Oh good grief, we have enough of those convos in the Oz forums don't we?

the troubadour

On reflection perhaps it may have been a mistake.The main reasons being family connections here in WA and second ten years ago or so it was so cheap to purchase an inner city house that it was too good an oppurtunity to pass over for which i am enternally gratefull as with todays inflated prices i would not be remotely tempted.

the troubadour

Thought Thailand was already a little passe.Have they eased up on immigration requirements yet?
If you had got there years ago i am sure the difference would be well noted.
A number of long termers have moved onto Cambodia and a lesser number to Laos,as both countries offer a year long business visa(no need to have a business)and cheaper.
This was the situation when last in this region in 2007.
Wonder if anyone has found any places worth looking into.
I have still to visit Sabah and Sarawak and check it out. Some have even mentioned China as a place to live full time. World does seem to be getting very small but also feel that perhaps the places of choice to life are narrowing also for one reason or another.

ex reg

I agree that the people in Malacca are very nice.

It receives more Singapore tourists than ever now that there was a very popular soap based partly in Malacca.

I'm disappointed that the Peranakan influence there doesn't come out more.
The Peranakan Museum is great but the Nonya restaurants are very plain inside when they could contain old style furniture and crockery etc.

The river development is OK, above average anyway.
I liked it more when they had old style schooners berthed in the river and it was a working port rather than just a ferry terminal. But things 'progress'.

And they have to be careful IMO that developments don't modernise such that the old flavour of the place is lost. A fine balance. I've heard a few locals complain about this.

Geelong Gent

I dont know he probably never turned up so life would of been easy

Not sure exactly why Singapore has taken off so much but my sisters apartment sold recently for $1.8m Sing but she was told it would only get $1m in March.

Whats happened in the last few months?

the troubadour

Great to get some response and opinions on the old town.
Was last there in 2003,so river developments were at there early stage.
Have witnessed a lot of changes in Melaka over time.
The period that i lived there was prior to the reclaiming of the land from the sea making an entire new area of the city.
Thought it a little sterile at first but grew to appreciate it in time.
Also Jalan Laksamana,used to be a major traffic clogged street how that area has changed down by the cultural area.
And yes the luggers discharging their cargo after being loaded from cargo freighters anchored off shore,at piers along the riverside.
Some of the older folks around town at the time were such characters.A number having had some sort of association with the British whom had previously had a military base there.
Prior to living there longer term, went as a very young traveller(not backpackers in those days,a term that suggests kiddies on their gap year)and stayed in the travellers hangout outside in Tanjong Kling,or to be exact Pantai Kundur,which was part of a Malay Kampong,sadly since raised and replaced with apartment buildings.What a shame. Another example of progress not being beneficial to anyone apart from the money men.

Chris351

I went to the " 5 star" Bangkok hospital in Phuket where my hemorraging from dengue fever was misdiagnosed as cancer.

I went home, called my sister, a gynecological nurse practioner and she diagnosed me correctly right then and there over the phone.

There were some issues about stem cell treatments too.

I would surmise as with anything in Thailand, the " western" medical standards is a load of BS hype.


Allow me to warn you ; the oft touted Thai Visa forum is renowned for presenting highly edited/ censored opinions and some of the sponsors offer legal advice that isn't the best, (such as pushing those bogus 30 year + 30 year " renewal" leases on land) - but forum rules forbid criticism of sponsors .

It also partners with newspapers Phuket Gazette and The Nation and all three conspire, in my view -to provide nothing but sunny sky reports for ex- pats.

Try Teakdoor.com for different, uncensored opinions than the TV Sex- Pats endless quest for " girls" (...If you get my drift..)

I would NOT recommend relying on visa runs , rules change constantly.

You'll need to open a business, risky seeing as how you have to have give a Thai partner majority share, or-

Marry a Thai, even this seems to be complicated ( and RISKY !!)

If you have 10 million baht in a FD certificate , an Investor visa can be had ( I think, this may have been changed )

or be 50 for retirement visa.

If you, as you say- are not interested in the sex industry, I think you would do well to pick another destination.

Thailand is just tooooo....Thai. I find the people are lazy, ill educated and hate foreigners in the most two- faced way possible.
Yes they are polite but it's the kind of politeness that behooves them , like politely not telling the truth because it's too stressful- for them..

If you're relatively wealthy and can hire Thais to clean your house ,
( " other services..? ) etc, then maybe you'll see the good face, but my experience having them work in a business situation is a constant nightmare.

I rue the day I moved here and would warn off anyone who asks for opinions.