Emigrating to LOS


    Chapter #31

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    U-Need

    GHB is relatively a bank that pro Thais, Kbank is rather reserve if that project is not under their scope, UOB aka BOA and Bangkok Bank forget it. You can try Siam Commercial Bank and KTB. They are more willing to lend.

    ok, bro, thanks for the lobang. I go try SCB and KTB. will keep everyone updated.

    will also go check out these bank-managed property shows.

    as for car loan, dunno leh, I couldn’t get any credible guarantor becoz my wife’s relatives all very poor people, so Toyota Mahanakorn asked for about 35% downpayment

    Post #52
    2 comments
    Chapter #32

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    bkkguy

    Congratulation !!

    Thanks!

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    bkkguy

    1)) If it a baby boy, he needs to serve national service when he reaches age 16.

    1. Will be force by sg law to give up his Thai citizenship at age 21, if he/she decide to choose to be sg citizen. (Boy/girl the same)

    2. Must place a S$75,000 CASH deposits with SIRS for male citizen if you intend to take him overseas after age 11(renewal sg passport)

    3. Become like yourself: In future when come back to Thailand,he needs to apply for tourist visa and cannot buy any landed property like thai ppl.

    4. Go back to sg to work as FT with higher pay.

    5. Can withdraw all his cpf money if one day he decided to go back to Thailand to retire.

    #1-4 are what I’m worried about. my baby will be a boy, so must do NS if I register him as S’pore citizen. But my wife said do NS in S’pore better than strike the Thai NS lottery and kena do NS in LOS.

    #3 is damn jialat. that means I must put him in school in S’pore until he finish NS if I don’t want to pay the bond! #4 means he cannot inherit any land I buy under my wife’s name. #6 kekeke, go back SG and become what FT, GL OKT or agent to import TG into S’pore?? #7 is assuming he works in S’pore and got CPF money.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    bkkguy

    Advantage for reporting:

    1. Travel can around the world using sg passport. (for a child is useless)

    2. Can contribute to cpf when he starts working.

    3. Can get future ERS shares from govt.

    4. Can get subsides HDB flat from govt.

    5. Can work in Ma Donald to clear tables during old age.

    #2-5 hahaha. I’m only thinking that #1 is the main advantage. But 1 more to add: 6) Can earn more money in LOS as FT in LOS!

    Post #55
    2 comments
    Chapter #33

    For a S’porean, or American or European or generally ppl from so-called 1st world countries, working in LOS can be frustrating.

    Things don’t work efficiently because ppl in LOS don’t take work so seriously. They are more concerned with work being social and sanuk. If you think S’poreans cannot think, wait till you come to LOS. There is a serious lack of critical thinking and planning ability in even the most educated and high-ranking people. I often want to pull my hair out or vomit blood. I think it’s their education system. My colleagues tell me that in the uni (I’m talking about the best unis in BKK), the professors just spoon feed and you are not allowed to challenge their views. How sad. That’s why I worry that I may have no choice but to spend the money and send my son to international schools and overseas uni for education. Or send him back to S’pore - which at least produces ppl with intelligence such as many of the brudders here. Come to LOS and stay for a while, and you will feel proud to be S’porean and be grateful for what Old Man Lee has done for all of us.

    As for the standard of living, if you go and live outside bangkok, it can be cheap. But if you live in bangkok and want first world standard of living, then the cost of living is not so low at all. Food, whether from hawker or restaurant, is generally about 50% of S’pore price. Good condo also about half the price of equivalent standard condo in S’pore. Car got no COE, and if buy made in Thailand like Toyota, will be cheaper. Pick-up trucks are cheaper than saloon car because import tax is lower.

    But aside from this, if you want to buy consumer goods like PDA, flat screen TV, notebook computer, English books, non-pirated DVD/VCD/CD, handphone, stereo system, branded make-up stuffs for your wife/gf, branded clothes & accessories etc. the cost will be same if not higher than Singapore.

    If you are salaried employee, income tax will work out to be higher than S’pore because your expat salary is considered damn high in LOS and you will kena the higher tax brackets. Also, in Singapore we can save on taxes because a big percent of our salary goes into tax-free CPF. In LOS, your company may have some pension fund scheme, but the employee contribution is only a few percent, maybe 5-6% of your pay, so you don’t save so much in taxes from this.

    It may look like a good idea to retire to the countryside in LOS, but the countryside people are peasants - after farming they mainly spend their time drinking or gambling, and their wavelength is so different from your educated way of thinking that you will not be able to clique with them. You will feel very lonely and end up on-line all the time just to have some intellectual company.

    If you retire in BKK, then you better have some money to fuel your retirement. But I will never think of retiring in BKK because of the air pollution, traffic chaos, noise, concrete jungle, etc. Whenever I come back to S’pore, I feel so happy to see all the big trees along the road and smell the clean air.

    Just some perspective from an SG expat in BKK.

    Post #58
    8 comments
    Chapter #34

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    free

    Check it out -

    Home Loans for non-residents (Realize your dream home in Thailand with Bangkok Bank)

    .

    Thanks for the lead. Dunno why the BBL staff told me they cannot loan foreigners. More of the typical “mai roo reung”? Just like when I called GHB, the employee who took the call said, “can, no problem, just bring your work permit and passport”, then when I actually went to the branch, different story

    Maybe I print out the web-page and go to BBL again

    Post #67
    7 comments
    Chapter #35

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    danls79

    after hearing so much for you all can someone tell mi how much does a condo in bangkok cost in sing dollar . cause i have been thinking for buying a condo in bangkok but i dont know how much will the cost add up to.

    Condo where in BKK? Can be next to Central Chidlom, like the new one coming up there, then THB 90-100K psm. Sathorn, Wireless Road, early Sukhumvit sois, all closer to the THB 100K psm range. But there are also some rare bargains to be found in 2nd hand market in these areas that can be around THB 50K psm range. Also, how luxurious? There are basic condo and high end condo. Luxury condo overlooking Chao Phraya River obviously expensive.

    Post #75
    0 comments
    Chapter #36

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    lestat_666

    Whoa so glad there is such a thread for everyone to share info on emigrating to LOS. Thanks Catman!

    Does anyone here have some basic knowledge on the procedures to apply for Thai fiance visa?

    And does anyone know if Thai authorities have severe penalties for foreigners if caught for scam marriages?

    You’re welcome.

    For questions regarding visa procedures, I suggest you go to

    www.thaivisa.com

    forum or

    www.thaiimmigration.com

    (a very good forum answered by people working with the immigration authorities, but unfortunately closed now). Anyways, I don’t think you can get a fiance visa. You must be legally married to a Thai to get a “O” visa for foreign husband supporting Thai wife.

    Scam marriage means what? You pay the girl to register marriage with you? I dunno whether there will be “severe” penalties, but believe me, you don’t want to end up in a Thai jail even for a few days!

    Post #76
    0 comments
    Chapter #37

    After reading about buying condo, percentage of foreigners n other issues makes me blur.

    I was in BKK last mth to check out n view a showunit in Wireless. The whole project will be ready only by Oct 2006. This is a freehold property.

    I was refered to Bangkok bank for the finance.

    Condition,

    Singaporean can loan up to 70% of the sales price

    Foreigner, 50%

    Max loan amount is SGD 1mil

    Min loan amount is SGD 100k

    Max loan Tenure is 15 yrs.

    Interest Rate, 6%

    Please note approval of loan is subject to applicant’s financials standing.

    1 thing to take note is the total number of units for the project, the max number of foreigners can buy is 49%. This means if the whole building has 100 apartments, the developer of the condo can only sell 49 units to foreigners n the rest to local. BTW Thai PR is considered as foreigners.

    Assume, I’m buying, a 2 rooms apartment, 146.6 sqm and net price is 17 mil THB.

    1. A deposit of 250k.

    2. 20% Contract signing 3.1mil (payable after 7 days of deposit)

    3. 10% down payment 1.69mil (payable after signing the contract)

    4. 70% Transfer from oversea of the balance 11.8mil (payable upon the title deed transfer date).

    So I need to go to Bangkok Bank in S’pore, get the loan approve n transfer this 70% loan to BKK.

    Post #77
    0 comments
    Chapter #38

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    danls79

    after hearing so much for you all can someone tell mi how much does a condo in bangkok cost in sing dollar . cause i have been thinking for buying a condo in bangkok but i dont know how much will the cost add up to.

    Presently, The areas that are good for investment are:

    Rama 3

    It is said to be the new business area. It is also link to the new mega structure project and the first to get BRT. There are many new condo erected there now.

    For a normal condo with 2 bed room, around 65-70 sqm, it could cost you around 3 - 5 mil depends on the property developer

    Important to be aware is as it is located near the river, some areas are probe to flood. Take note of that.

    Bangna / Bangna-trad / Srinakarin / Sukumvit 77 & Udom-Suk

    It is the in-thing to buy for obvious reasons - the new airport, the connected motor-way (Mega-Structure Project) as well as the new infrastructure planned for that area.

    If there is no traffic jam, it takes roughly 20 minutes to reach town if it is located at the Bangkok side. 30 minutes, if it is located at the Samut Prakan side.

    For a normal condo with 2 bed room, around 65-70 sqm, it could cost you around 2.5 - 4.5 mil depends on the property developer

    This is one of the developer :

    http://www.bestbuycondo.com

    Post #78
    0 comments
    Chapter #39

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    naemlo

    After reading about buying condo, percentage of foreigners n other issues makes me blur.

    I was in BKK last mth to check out n view a showunit in Wireless.

    The whole project will be ready only by Oct 2006.

    This is a freehold property.

    I was refered to Bangkok bank for the finance.

    Condition,

    Singaporean can loan up to 70% of the sales price

    Foreigner, 50%

    Max loan amount is SGD 1mil

    Min loan amount is SGD 100k

    Max loan Tenure is 15 yrs.

    Interest Rate, 6%

    Please note approval of loan is subject to applicant’s financials standing.

    Assume, I’m buying, a 2 rooms apartment, 146.6 sqm and net price is 17 mil THB.

    1. A deposit of 250k.

    2. 20% Contract signing 3.1mil (payable after 7 days of deposit)

    3. 10% down payment 1.69mil (payable after signing the contract)

    4. 70% Transfer from oversea of the balance 11.8mil (payable upon the title deed transfer date).

    So I need to go to Bangkok Bank in S’pore, get the loan approve n transfer this 70% loan to BKK.

    Few things to take note

    1. The reputation of the developer n its sub-contractors as the project will only be ready in year 2006 Oct. Few years back the economy bubble that burst in thailand still have many properties left built half-way there as many contractors went bust.

    2. If the condo at Wireless is being rented out, what would be the market rate for rentals around that area?

    SC

    Post #79
    0 comments
    Chapter #40

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by

    siamcutey

    Few things to take note

    1. The reputation of the developer n its sub-contractors as the project will only be ready in year 2006 Oct. Few years back the economy bubble that burst in thailand still have many properties left built half-way there as many contractors went bust.

    2. If the condo at Wireless is being rented out, what would be the market rate for rentals around that area?

    SC

    Agreed with SC completely!!! In 1997 & 1998, when the bubble burst, even some the most established property firm went bankrupt.

    Hence presently the expected rising Minimum Lending rate (MLR), Minimum Overdraft Rate (MOR) and Minimum Retail Rate (MRR), there could be concerned over the repayment and the good will of the property developer

    Post #80
    0 comments