bakedbean

I hear it's damn expensive. My cousin did it but it was a special anniversary train trip. All the same he said it was fantastic ....but not cheap

Gunnar45

For info on train travel, 'the man in seat 61' is a good website.
Here is his take on the E O Express:
Eastern & Oriental Express: Insider's guide to the Singapore-Bangkok luxury train

Twixy

To put things in perspective, the average monthly income in Kuala Lumpur is a little over 8,500 RM: Average monthly income and cost of living | Free Malaysia Today

OriginalSunshine

For four of us, in a 4 bed semi d house. Rent, utilities, food, clothes, coffee, cat food (we have four), hobbies (supplies), books, CBTL lunch on a work day, Amah salary, Driver salary, treats (eg once in a blue moon ne phone), internet, telecom, trips to KL, Singapore once per month, eating out, Christmas presents, cinema, pub once a week, fuel, car loan, medical insurance: takes us to on average 40-50k per month.

OriginalSunshine

Of course there is no way we have to spend all of that, there are major areas (rent, treats, entertainment, holidays) where we would and could economise, but we have a salary that covers our spend and pension savings.

Britmal

How is this relevant to expats? Do you have any information on the average income for expats living and working in Malaysia?

If you are prepared to live in a 200 square foot box of an apartment, and if you are prepared to eat 'Maggi Mee' instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then two people might just get by on 8.5k per month in KL, they may even save a little cash!

Most of the local people who work in KL actually live outside the city because of prohibitive living costs; witness the traffic on the highways on any given weekday...

People take work overseas in order to improve their situation and not to live 'hand to mouth' in a foreign country.

I would never accept any overseas contract which did not provide me with local accommodation and transportation, or with realistic allowances to cover the same.

bakedbean

Probably not of interest to the OP but, just out of interest, how much is the Amah salary and the Driver salary? Just wondering how big a chunk of the 40K that is.

Gunnar45

Britmal,
I think it depends on the personality of the individual and his/her preferences.
Some may see an overseas assignment as a chance to experience different cultures and ways of life and may therefore accept a more for the relevant country normal salary.
Plus that an overseas assignment may provide a boost for a later home country career.
I also believe that conditions have changed so that with exception of some very specialized jobs the days for the highly paid overseas expat are gone.
This because of an incresed availaability of locally trained staff and the competition from very skilled manpower from Asia and Eastern Europe.
An employer can for example get a skilled engineer from such countries for a third or so of the cost of a Western European one with all their retirement and health etc benefits.

As it involves considerable savings plus other benefits, companies are working very hard with training their local staff and potential talents.

And last but not least, the legal obstacles to hiring foreign staff in the various countries.

So, OK, even if you never would accept an overseas assignmet without your (high) requirements accepted, I am sure that there are many others who settle for less.
Some maye even go overseas because they have difficulties finding a job at home.

bakedbean

Britmal

Gunnard45,

I most strongly disagree. Companies employ expats because they want to ensure that their quality standards are achieved, maintained and improved, either within their overseas offices or at their overseas contractors / manufacturers workshops.

If these companies had confidence that they could achieve this by utilising their local staff, there would be no requirement for any expat involvement and therefore no need to employ any expats.

So by definition, a working expat must be a specialist in their field and as such he/she is entitled to a salary package which reflects this. These companies have budgets which allow for expat contracts, if you accept local contract rates you are a fool.

No one in my industry would even consider any overseas package which did not include costs for local accommodation and transportation.

An offer of RM15k pm to work in Malaysia and pay for your own accommodation, transport etc, should not be acceptable to any self respecting expat.

InVinoVeritas

+1

Haggis68

Britmal,

thanks again for your insight, the salary that we will be getting is £33,000 pa in the UK, this is a respectable salary in these times in the UK and so should seem more in Ipoh (not KL) because of the lower in general cost of living.

the exact same role to a local in Malaysia in Ipoh doing the same job as her would get about 5000MR so she is being paid 3x's the local poy rate for the job, essentially she is being paid a British salary in lower cost living environment. so we dont feel that we can grumble....we are happy with the offer an dit was more than we expected.

to carry on with your rant you are going to have to reveal your industry as we all know that investment banking, banking in general and the oil industries can offer up more salaries money and fair enough. But thenwe would never live like those people, we dont have those lofty deisres we just want to be able to have good quality basics be mobile be online and be safe with some spare cash. from our calculations we will have 7000 a month free cash to play with after all responsibilities are paid for - we dont have that spare in rip off England at present so our situation is actually going to improve, and to think we will be sunbathing when free in or on Langawi or Pangkor instead of ferking Skegness is another reason why we shouldn't be questioning the offer poor though it is to yourself.

regards as always.

Haggis68

Gunnar,

Thanks, we are looking to experience another culture, i dont hang out in the shitty starbucks here why would i there, English people who go abroad (i have lived abroad just not in Malaysia) and try to be British are a bit simple and missing the point of it all, comparing all of the time with home, we will embracing all of the culture even if some of it is not to our normal liking because we have to obtain an authentic and true experience of it all, even its carp (which i doubt) it will still be a positive experience one to be embraced, remembered and recalled upon in later years.

i will travel by train maybe even lower class just for the hell of it i will go by bus lower class just for the hell of it, i will be the weird white guy talking to the locals, why not...why not...money my friend does not make you happy, secure and safe maybe but not happy...people make people happy, by sharing and communicating not judging. Money is not required for these pleasures.

I intend to take a chess roll mat out with me and some pieces sit in poor looking cafe and lay out the chess set see who will play, you dont need to speak the language just smile. Yes i will have more money that the locals i will buy them a drink or two why not...its going to be about people not ownership of belongings we've tried that here in the UK, keeping up with the joneses and its nearly crippled us financially and certainly spiritually, dont get wrong were not total hippies...but our ideals are shifting from the love of things to the love of people and friendships that cannot be owned a corporation.

our mortgage at home is so low that we will be in profit each month after the rent is paid so no probs there, in a sense that increase our salary as well.

im on a rant...

sigh...

its enough money....easy, anyway im on a diet.

regards

Twixy

I agree with this, it sounds like the poster in general is trying to draw a cartel-like dividing line between expats and locals. Sorry but it's possible to be spendthrift and happy at the same time.

kingoflostfools

Demarcation brother - as the union shop steward at my first workplace would have said. Equal work for equal pay comrade.

Glad Maggie ditched that nonsense, sad to hear it reflected here though.