Five Months in Singapore...Advice

[thailen]

My filipina GF is a student at a Thai university and has a chance to study for a semester at a Singapore university this fall. I want to join her and assume we'd be living off campus. What will the cost of off-campus housing be(I know it won't be cheap)? Food? Expat clubs, get-togethers etc.?

[sundaymorningstaple]

How are you going to join her? On what type of visa? Where are you from?

[ecureilx]

How are you going to join her? On what type of visa? Where are you from?

And what will the guy do here for 5 months ... (assuming it's a guy ... )

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've got a feeling he's an expat who's 20~40 years older than his gf.

[thailen]

Answering your questions - she'll have a student visa, so I assume you're asking about me. I'm an American and yes, I'm considerably older than her. I'm a guy and like to talk about politics, the internet, TED.com, I drink an occasional beer, like to meet other expats, eat out occasionally and like trying new foods(not spicy) as well as enjoy nature and limited hiking, play street tennis(not seriously)...

[ecureilx]

Answering your questions - she'll have a student visa, so I assume you're asking about me. I'm an American and yes, I'm considerably older than her. I'm a guy and like to talk about politics, the internet, TED.com, I drink an occasional beer, like to meet other expats, eat out occasionally and like trying new foods(not spicy) as well as enjoy nature and limited hiking, play street tennis(not seriously)...

Yes, wonderful.

There's no visa as dependant of a student, and more so, not for lovers.

You could get 90 days stay on your first arrival - and stay put for 90 days, and then visa runs may work or get you out for a while.

That's what you need to worry about.

Cost ? Since you have a cook, rental = estimate 3,000 $ and above, food and all, another 3,000 $ or so. Roughly.

Get togethers ? I have no idea what that means.

Not many landlords can or will rent out for 5 months and especially not for those on student visa.

So you gotta look for Serviced Apartments.

What is your residency in Thailand ?

SMS, I may hazard a guess how big the age gap maybe ... 30 years ?

[thailen]

I have a non-immigrant(O) visa good for one year and renewable forever(so far)What's the difference about the age gap? Who cares? I'll check on Serviced Apartments, so thanks. I responded to "what will the guy do for 5 months" hoping there may be groups like expat orgs(we have two here in Pattaya,Thailand) that I can wire into. If not, so be it....

[BBCWatcher]

Wow, harsh crowd! [Is somebody romantically frustrated? ]

Thailen, I think you've got at least a couple viable options:

1. The better option would be to secure your own, separate immigration permission if possible -- your own Student's Pass to attend an executive business management program that coincides with your girlfriend's semester, to pick an example. That'd give you straight up permission to stay for approximately or exactly the same duration, and you wouldn't have any awkward housing restrictions. (Landlords of longer term housing in Singapore cannot legally rent to foreign tourists or allow them to de facto reside in their properties. Which is not to say you can't be an overnight guest of a legal resident, even for several overnights, but at some point a landlord has to draw the line. Of course if your girlfriend is staying in temporary, foreign tourist-legal housing, this isn't a problem.)

A Student's Pass does not allow you to work in Singapore, and there would be tuition costs. Of course the educational experience itself presumably would have professional value, although that's not actually a requirement. Satisfactory academic progress and regular attendance is.

2. Another option is an ordinary Short Term Visit Pass, i.e. to just show up as a foreign tourist. U.S. citizens are routinely granted 90 day stay permission. Even though the arrival checks are typically cursory for Americans, you'll still require the usual stuff on arrival: proof of return or onward travel, adequate funds, and arrangements for adequate accommodation, notably. Do not overstay. This a country that has caned at least one American overstayer. OK, yes, 89 days is not 5 months. So you've got a couple options. One option is to pick your 89 days within those 5 months as you both wish, probably beginning after your girlfriend gets settled and starts to get lonely. Another option is to attempt to re-enter Singapore as a foreign tourist after your first visit, after a reasonably long period outside Singapore (a couple weeks or more, I'd recommend). That's what I'd call a one-time "visa stroll." If your visa stroll happens to overlap a mid-semester break, even better. Take the slow train up the Malaysian Peninsula, and spend a couple days each at several stops along the way. Check out Siem Riep. Whatever you like. Then see if you can get a new 90 day stamp. If you do, great, you're all set for the duration. Otherwise you might get a 30 day stamp for your second visit, in which case you're still in pretty good shape but may not be able to help your girlfriend pack her suitcase at the end of her semester.

Your Thai (I presume) O visa doesn't mean anything in Singapore, I'm afraid.

Good luck!

[ecureilx]

I have a non-immigrant(O) visa good for one year and renewable forever(so far)What's the difference about the age gap? Who cares? I'll check on Serviced Apartments, so thanks. I responded to "what will the guy do for 5 months" hoping there may be groups like expat orgs(we have two here in Pattaya,Thailand) that I can wire into. If not, so be it....

Singapore has been traditionally looking carefully at long term residents here who don't have a valid reason to be here unless you have a family here or work or is an investor here, hence the concern that your visa runs may come to a screeching halt. That's what you need to worry about. Being here with a girl friend won't fly with suspicious immigration officers.

And claiming to enrich the economy through your generous spending too doesn't work.

Anyway since you have some residency in Thailand, things may be easier if ICA starts wondering what is going on. At least you can do a dash back to Thailand and return to get another 90 day stay.

Again, since Singapore isn't an exotic and "fun" destination like Thailand or Philippines where folks just go to spend long time and the expats find ways entertain themselves, unlikely for you to find a group like that, unless you join a drinking group in town ... or the north of Orchard.

Or the American club and such.

Anyway I guess you are well off enough to budget ~ 10k $ a month, so good luck.

You been in Singapore before, I presume.

[ecureilx]

I just did some checking with some Serviced Apartment rentals folks.

Put aside upwards of 7k or more for 1 bedroom suites, more for larger suites .

You may be able to negotiate down to 6k or so but unlikely to get it lower unless you don't mind being around places away from bars and restaurants.

Romantically frustrated ? No comments .... it's just ... ah, never mind ...

[x9200]

I recall some discussions where hotel rooms were mentioned for ca S$30 a day, providing it's a longer term stay (a month or more).
There are also some student hostels around and I think they are substantially cheaper, but somehow I think this is not the case where the love will conquer some critical cohabitational restrictions.

Cost of food is negligible. Cost of any alcohol based entertainment is not. A pint of beer is ca $5 in a store, triple to quintuple this in a pub, 0.7l of booze of Absolut class is S$50-75. Thai whisky is available, but only slightly cheaper than the more mainstream liquids. For social life just visit expat/tourist frequented venues. There are many of them and these will be your least concern.

[ecureilx]

I recall some discussions where hotel rooms were mentioned for ca S$30 a day, providing it's a longer term stay (a month or more).
There are also some student hostels around and I think they are substantially cheaper, but somehow I think this is not the case where the love will conquer some critical cohabitational restrictions.

Cost of food is negligible. Cost of any alcohol based entertainment is not. A pint of beer is ca $5 in a store, triple to quintuple this in a pub, 0.7l of booze of Absolut class is S$50-75. Thai whisky is available, but only slightly cheaper than the more mainstream liquids. For social life just visit expat/tourist frequented venues. There are many of them and these will be your least concern.

Well, there are hotels / rooms at 30 $ or so, but they are more or less pretty small in size, and the toilet has space for only one person to enter / exit.

Put a couple of luggage bags, and when you enter, you gotta jump into the bed straight. And .. Hotels will give out cheap (mostly in the Red Light District) but when events like the Air Show or F1 coincide, they will increase the price for that season, in line with STBs' requests.

And alcohol - to OP.

In a bar, A mug of beer or A pint can start from 12 $ to 15 $

A bottle of Absolut (damn, what about a Wyborowa? ) in bars start from 150 $ upwards, and can reach 300 $ or so.

[Strong Eagle]

And alcohol - to OP.

In a bar, A mug of beer or A pint can start from 12 $ to 15 $

A bottle of Absolut (damn, what about a Wyborowa? ) in bars start from 150 $ upwards, and can reach 300 $ or so.

And... a big bottle of Tiger is $5 to $6 at a hawker center. 75 cl bottles of liquor available from S$32 and up at Chandna Mart on Serangoon... my biz partner used to buy McAllan 18 for $95 per bottle there. JW Red for $32.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.3096397, ... 312!8i6656

[ecureilx]

And alcohol - to OP.

In a bar, A mug of beer or A pint can start from 12 $ to 15 $

A bottle of Absolut (damn, what about a Wyborowa? ) in bars start from 150 $ upwards, and can reach 300 $ or so.

And... a big bottle of Tiger is $5 to $6 at a hawker center. 75 cl bottles of liquor available from S$32 and up at Chandna Mart on Serangoon... my biz partner used to buy McAllan 18 for $95 per bottle there. JW Red for $32.

https://www.google.com/maps/@1.3096397, ... 312!8i6656

Not funny Mod, you just plugged an ad for the 'akka' shop (as an acquaintance used to call that shop)

Yep, that place is one of the cheapest in town.

[JR8]

Wish I'd have discovered it earlier, the prices are cheaper than in Scotland!

https://www.masterofmalt.com/
Mac-18 at circa S$250
JW-Red circa S$40

Does it publish a price-list, sell beer, do home delivery? Google doesn't bring up a website. Could be a useful source for others...