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Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

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jp0822
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Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by jp0822 » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 3:13 pm

Hi there, need advice:
My job will be relocated from HK to Singapore in Q1 2016.
I am Malaysian and been working and living in Hong Kong the last 6 years. My husband is Spanish. We both live comfortably as local contract (not expat term) and enjoy the variety and dynamic of Hong Kong could offers.
I am still considering whether to stay in HK or move to Singapore, cause the term given to us is also a local contract.
We have a baby and a small dog here as well.
Would appreciate if the members here could advice the following questions:
1. The living cost compare to HK and Singapore - especially medical, International School ( if we are not PR)
2. What is the average % of total household income people will spend for rental?
3. Which residential location (HDB/Condo) are dog friendly and close to MTR (without changing of transport preferred) ? My office is close to City Hall station.
4. Can dog travel between Singapore and Malaysia (with car) ? Does dog need a passport , if yes, where to get?
5. How do most people -Singaporean and expat spend their weekend ?
6. In general, your opinion, is Singapore a kid and dog friendly place? Do dogs allow in some of the outdoor café/bar/ restuarent? park ? resident common area? Is residential common area allow walking dog ?
Appreciate advice and opinion, that would help to evaluate my move , thanks in advance

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JR8
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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 4:55 pm

You'll get a volume of feedback directly proportional to the effort you demonstrate you have made yourself in answering these questions. That's just IME, but something for you to keep in mind. But I'll suggest a few starting points, and some tips.

1. http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp
2. I'm unaware of such a figure being mentioned before, and if such a thing existed I'm not sure what value it might have. Better to identify a couple of suitable 'target' neighbourhoods via the 'Where should I/We live?' FAQ in the Moving/Relo section of this forum. Then use Numbeo to help fill out the rest of your total budget.
3. You can't live in an HDB and own a dog: Unless it is an official guide-dog.
4. www.ica.gov.sg
5. Sniping at each other. [/jk]. Locals spend it discussing and consuming food. Expats spend it drinking so that they can forget what made them move to SG [/jk2]. In reality (just IME) locals tend more towards eating and shopping, and expats towards an ongoing pursuit of trying to understand what SG *actually* is. It being so multi-cultural and fast changing, makes the latter a task seemingly without end.
6. Child, yes, 100%. Dogs? Far less, since to Muslims they are haram ['unclean'], and to many other locals they are a luxury as they can be expensive to keep. So I think it fair to say most SGns are unfamiliar with dogs, and hence not at ease around then. Same reason, for example, most taxi drivers (of any race) won't take them. Same reason many landlords (even condo) wouldn't want a tenant with a dog, or might ask for an additional deposit against potential caused by it.
Most cafe's tolerate well behaved dogs that are kept on short leashed tied to your chair, that's IF you sit outdoors. IME most would not want you to bring them indoors. Some places are perfectly happy with dogs and bill themselves as such. I have a dog-owning friend and have been with her to places where the staff have specifically provided a bowl of water for her dog. Restaurants are probably similar but rarer, since food and dogs don't go together well in most cultures.
Bars and dogs, perhaps rarer still, since dogs and consuming alcohol don't naturally go together. Bars are rare enough, and mostly downtown, and few people who venture downtown go to the trouble of taking their dog with them.
For dog-friendly parks etc, refer back to 2 above.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 5:27 pm

3. You can't live in an HDB and own a dog: Unless it is an official guide-dog.
Not true. You can own a wide assortment of small dogs up to certain weights/sizes.

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf ... enDocument
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 5:33 pm

Hmmmm that's interesting, thanks for the correction. I'd thought the rules were much stricter.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 9:57 pm

You cannot own cats. That's why so many wild in the HDB estates.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Tue, 08 Sep 2015 10:57 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:You cannot own cats. That's why so many wild in the HDB estates.
Ohhhh.... that explains it. I knew someone who lived in an HDB with a cat. IIRC it was all a bit hush hush, and the cat was never allowed out. From that I inferred dogs were not allowed either (added to with the haram element), esp considering I have seen many cats around HDB estates, incl ones with snipped ears and collars/tags, but never a dog.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

jp0822
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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by jp0822 » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:24 am

Thanks for the advice.
I am bit shock on that the dogs are not so welcome. I think I would have quite some big issues to think about then. In HK, dogs are allowed in taxi and they charge 5 HKD, about 0.9 SGD per dog per trip, its really cheap huh. ;) Some ferries allow as well and for bus, if you are having a small dog and keep them in the bag, that's fine.



JR8 wrote:You'll get a volume of feedback directly proportional to the effort you demonstrate you have made yourself in answering these questions. That's just IME, but something for you to keep in mind. But I'll suggest a few starting points, and some tips.

1. http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp
2. I'm unaware of such a figure being mentioned before, and if such a thing existed I'm not sure what value it might have. Better to identify a couple of suitable 'target' neighbourhoods via the 'Where should I/We live?' FAQ in the Moving/Relo section of this forum. Then use Numbeo to help fill out the rest of your total budget.
3. You can't live in an HDB and own a dog: Unless it is an official guide-dog.
4. http://www.ica.gov.sg
5. Sniping at each other. [/jk]. Locals spend it discussing and consuming food. Expats spend it drinking so that they can forget what made them move to SG [/jk2]. In reality (just IME) locals tend more towards eating and shopping, and expats towards an ongoing pursuit of trying to understand what SG *actually* is. It being so multi-cultural and fast changing, makes the latter a task seemingly without end.
6. Child, yes, 100%. Dogs? Far less, since to Muslims they are haram ['unclean'], and to many other locals they are a luxury as they can be expensive to keep. So I think it fair to say most SGns are unfamiliar with dogs, and hence not at ease around then. Same reason, for example, most taxi drivers (of any race) won't take them. Same reason many landlords (even condo) wouldn't want a tenant with a dog, or might ask for an additional deposit against potential caused by it.
Most cafe's tolerate well behaved dogs that are kept on short leashed tied to your chair, that's IF you sit outdoors. IME most would not want you to bring them indoors. Some places are perfectly happy with dogs and bill themselves as such. I have a dog-owning friend and have been with her to places where the staff have specifically provided a bowl of water for her dog. Restaurants are probably similar but rarer, since food and dogs don't go together well in most cultures.
Bars and dogs, perhaps rarer still, since dogs and consuming alcohol don't naturally go together. Bars are rare enough, and mostly downtown, and few people who venture downtown go to the trouble of taking their dog with them.
For dog-friendly parks etc, refer back to 2 above.

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by jp0822 » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:26 am

Thanks , the link helps a lot.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
3. You can't live in an HDB and own a dog: Unless it is an official guide-dog.
Not true. You can own a wide assortment of small dogs up to certain weights/sizes.

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf ... enDocument

jp0822
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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by jp0822 » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 11:28 am

I hope the HDB or condo management also allow the residents who own the dog/s to walk their at the common ground area

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 1:24 pm

Not a problem, but can gets fined if one is not responsible with their dogs, e.g., keeping them leashed unless in a dog park (a couple here on the island) and the owners/walkers must pick up their droppings and can be fined for unleashed animals and fined for littering (dog crap) if they do not clean up behind their dogs.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by JR8 » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 2:36 pm

Yep, as above.

You'll have a lot of fun when you get to introduce your dog to locals who are unfamiliar with them. 'See, he doesn't want to attack you [your preconceptions are wrong]'. Children are particularly open to this, as is their way. I've seen children who have never touched a dog, and for whom they are essentially rather taboo, get a new best friend, and fall asleep snuggled up with one on a sofa, all in the space of a lazy lunchtime :)
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

jp0822
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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by jp0822 » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 3:52 pm

of course, pick up the poop after he finished. This is the commom practice :)
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Not a problem, but can gets fined if one is not responsible with their dogs, e.g., keeping them leashed unless in a dog park (a couple here on the island) and the owners/walkers must pick up their droppings and can be fined for unleashed animals and fined for littering (dog crap) if they do not clean up behind their dogs.

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 09 Sep 2015 4:43 pm

Yeah, in most civilized countries. This is Singapore.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by charlietaylor » Thu, 10 Sep 2015 8:10 pm

From what i know, dogs are not allowed to travel in and out of Malaysian border, and would need to be quarantined, as with all animals/pets arriving into SIngapore. I tried to bring in my Corgi but was faced with many restrictions, and decided against it. Perhaps this website will help you more

http://www.ava.gov.sg/explore-by-sectio ... -dogs-cats

The general rule for dogs in housing estates is not so strictly enforced. I have a Singaporen friend who owns a German Shepard in his HDB! It important that your dog does is not a nuisance to your neighbours, and you, a responsible owner.

Is Singapore kid friendly? Definitely. Good schools and facilities for child development (IMO). Dog friendly? Not so much. Although most Singaporeans are fine with dogs, most establishments i know of (malls cafes etc) do not allow dogs or pets. Also, pets are not allowed on public transport, unless it's a tiny Chiwawa hidden in your bag.

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Re: Moving from Hong Kong to Singapore

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 10 Sep 2015 9:44 pm

NEX mall being the exception. However, dogs are not allowed into the mall but they have pet friendly park and restaurant and doggie restaurant on the roof of the mall. There is a separate elevator for animal roof access to prevent a dog being in the lift with a Malay person.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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