Kooky.

Duh, just realised you said construction industry. I have friends in it and they are members of The Lighthouse Club:

http://www.lighthouseclub.org/default.asp

they look after their own and also do a lot for charity. I've been involved in one of the charity things. There is also a tiny Scottish Pub in a shopping mall, The Sportsman, which is an absolute legend amongst the construction and oil industries. Man do they know how to party and that's only the women...

katongkaren

Definitely stock up on bras. UK size 14 you should be fine (just). I am size 14 and do OK buying size XL - it's a little depressing to start with but you get used to it.

Hairdressers - I tend to go to the Singaporean 25 dollar ones as I've unfortunately got fine (not thick) hair and, in this humidity, it just looks cr*p most of the time - roll on Thailand. I think a short haircut probably helps. Seasider you're lucky having thick hair.

RedSquirrel

Hi Claire,

I agree with all of the above! They also don't sell spray anti-perspirant here (except Dove), only roll-on so if you're into your Sure, bring a supply with you. Decent knickers are really expensive too, and you can't buy washing-up sponges for non-stick pans for love nor money. The kitchen sinks are all rectangular or square, but trying to find anything other than a round washing-up bowl is like pulling hens' teeth, so pack yours!

I've been here 2.5 years with husband's work, also no kids yet, also just moved into the city area, lost a load of friends who went back to their respective countries, and haven't made new friends yet. Look me out when you come over?

All the best!

Kooky.

You're kidding, right?

Washing up sponges for non-stick pans - any supermarket or heartland mom and pop store. Washing up bowls - I have 3 I use for handwashing in, all square or rectangular. IIRC they came from Robinsons or Isetan.

RedSquirrel

Maybe I'm looking for the white sponges by mistake, rather than the green brillo-pads

Thx for the heads up!

cosmoclaire

hey girls!
the answer is clear....we should all get dishwashers!!!
Oh god,i hate roll-ons!I will definately be having a trip down to Boots before I come out! Its looking very hopeful at the moment that we will be coming in January.Im getting excited now.I cant wait to get out of here, and red squirrel, when I arrive I will look you up...im going to need all the friends I can get!!!

Woowoo

I would concur with Desert Dweller having spent a few years in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It's a well known fact that Dubai is like a building site at present and traffic is hurrendous. Abu Dhabi is fast becoming the same way. I jumped at the chance to come back here to Singapore last year as I felt I had more to do 'outside work' and live a comfortable sort of life.

Erka

This thread surely helps those wanna stay in Singapore including me

Thanks much for those contributed in this thread.

mission_australia

Best part of singapore is LESS TAXATION

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Singapore

S$40,000 - S$80,000 Income ->>> 8.5% tax

But, salaries are also according to that meaning salaries are not high. In normal food courts one can eat lunch arnd 5$.

Visit Sentosa must.

Rentals are very very high now days.

Hope it helps.

PS: I haven't read complete thread, i am in Singapore, so just wanted to provide some info to OP.

jakarta lad

and singapore is one of the safest places in the world. no chavs on street corners acting the twat.

i m in jakarta now but fancy the place for my next move

Kooky.

Yes, the low income tax is wonderful! My husband's comes out at just under 11% - we're not-very-seriously looking around at other options and it's going to be tough to move on after that.

However, you pay for it in other ways. As mission_australia says, rents are high (doubled in the last year), the cheapest car (a Kia something, toy car) costs about S$40k and no such thing as cheap healthcare. Prices are going up generally, and GST has increased recently. Now 7% so still pretty low but if you are local hire, like wot we are, it can be an expensive place to live.

No chavs, jakarta lad, but around where I live there are a lot of Ah Bengs (chav equivalent) and gangsters controlling the girls, drugs, etc. A slogan written by a friend of mine for a Crime Prevention Campaign: “Low Crime Doesn’t Mean No Crime”.

After Jakarta, I'm sure you'd be in Heaven here. It's not called Beginner's Asia for nothing.

Dago

What a fantastic set of replies - you have been programmed!! They are all quite right Spore is much better than AD and will probably remain so - so take it as the preferred choice!

Suggest you give up smoking and chewing gum before you go if you have those inclinations!

Good luck.

Kooky.

You can chew gum, just not sell it - unless you run a pharmacy.

Geelong Gent

[QUOTE=mission_australia;5594331]Best part of singapore is LESS TAXATION

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Singapore

S$40,000 - S$80,000 Income ->>> 8.5% tax
[QUOTE]

What about CPD?

Kooky.

OK, cosmoclaire's gone quiet but just in case anybody else finds this useful:

Income Tax (2007 rates)

First S$20,000 = 0%
Next 10,000 = 3.5%
Next 10,000 = 5.5%
Next 40,000 = 8.5%
Next 80,000 = 14.0%
Next 160,000 = 17%
Thereafter = 20%

So on a salary of S$160,000 you would average out at paying 9.7% tax; on S$320,000 it would be 13.3%. Incidentally it is up to the employee to pay the tax. Some employers will made deductions every month, but it may be better to keep the money in an interest account until it becomes payable.

see http://www.iras.gov.sg/ESVPortal/iit...ndividuals.asp



If Geelong Gent (I drove throught there last month ) means CPF, i.e., Central Provident Fund - that's a form of enforced savings. If you are in the scheme, the employer and employee both contribute to it. Interest is earned on the contributions.

HOWEVER, if you are on an Employment Pass (which a lot of Expats are) you do not contribute to CPF.

If you take Permanent Residency (which is not Permanent, but that's another story) you do. It steps up over the first 3 years, and changes with your age, plus other factors, so I won't go into great detail here.

If you leave Singapore you can take out the contributions, but you have to pay them back if you return.

Just as an example, we are into our 3rd year of PR and the employer contributes 14.5% whilst my husband pays 20%, i.e., the norm.

Disclaimer: Most of this is off the top of my head, which has not yet been fed coffee so, if you're interested, check out this:

http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/Members/Gen-...s/ContriRa.htm