Relocating - 6th Jan

[steturner123]

Hi,

I am relocating to Singapore from the UK in the new year.

These questions have probably already been asked hundreds of times but…

1) Can anybody recommend a bank account - seems like a mine field when i search online. I want to be able to use as a normal current account and send money back to the UK easily with minimal charges.

2) Mobile phone sim only plans… do these exist in Singapore and again any suggestions? I will be bringing my trusty iPhone and iPad along so i could do with decent amount of internet so i can use on both devices - i would rather not get into a contract.

3) I am being put up in a studio for my 1st month to settle but then i will be looking for a flat share… anybody need a new room mate???

Thanks

Steve

[JR8]

Hi,

I am relocating to Singapore from the UK in the new year.


Hey Ste, and welcome aboard

These questions have probably already been asked hundreds of times but…

1) Can anybody recommend a bank account - seems like a mine field when i search online. I want to be able to use as a normal current account and send money back to the UK easily with minimal charges.

First time I used local bank DBS. 2nd time StanChart. Others also like Citibank. Cheapest way to send £ to UK is take your S$ cash to 'Change Alley', convert to £ cash, and fly it home in Sterling cash and bank it. I.e. the alt of wiring S$ to a UK (or US!) bank to convert is like financial rape in comparison. Just remember to declare it if you have a real £Donkey-choker of 50s if you're going back into HRW.You're perfectly entitled to of course, but customs will want a little chat about it, and it's source and destination. If it's legit there is nothing to worry about (been there done that)


2) Mobile phone sim only plans… do these exist in Singapore and again any suggestions? I will be bringing my trusty iPhone and iPad along so i could do with decent amount of internet so i can use on both devices - i would rather not get into a contract.

Yes can. Others are better able to advise than me, so I'll leave it to them. For Day#1 though worst case any 7-11 can sort you out.

3) I am being put up in a studio for my 1st month to settle but then i will be looking for a flat share… anybody need a new room mate???

Try a board-search on 'flat-share, flat share, room-mate, room mate', etc.... you'll find prior info on people's plans/searches/results.


Best of luck, and let us know how it goes ok?

Thanks

Steve

[taxico]

2) Mobile phone sim only plans… do these exist in Singapore and again any suggestions? I will be bringing my trusty iPhone and iPad along so i could do with decent amount of internet so i can use on both devices - i would rather not get into a contract.

if you knew they'd been asked often, why not search and get the answers?

there are sim only plans, but the minimum contractual period is 3 months (as opposed to 24 months with a cell). you do get free caller id for that 3 months though.

what some people do is get one sim with a suitable internet plan, and get another sim attached to that first one for internet use only on their tablet. i believe the cost of the second "attached" sim is $5.

[steturner123]

Thanks for the responses some helpful advice.

With regards to banking I have applied for a DBS expat esavings plus account.. Does anybody have experience with this account and what are the charges like in comparison to others?

[synack]

Hi Staturner123,

I got the same account. Not too sure how it compares to others. The only thing that is worthwhile noting I think is the charges if your monthly average daily balance goes below 5k.

http://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/deposit/ ... fault.page?