What's your guys opinion on creating a business in Singapore and/or living in Singapore in general? It would be great if any of you ever lived there, are know how the life there is


I thought about registering my company in the US (because it's much easier to expand, create business relations there) and have a resident in singapore.

What do you think?

I personally want to move to a place like that in the near future, seems to be much more beneficial than places like USA or the UK.

Singapore is a country with no soul.

Originally Posted by TheWhiteGroup

I personally want to move to a place like that in the near future, seems to be much more beneficial than places like USA or the UK.

Well tax-wise Singapore is a heaven and saves you a damn lot of money.

But imo it's quite hard to establish your company there as I'm not sure if it will be easy to find quality employees there or not. That's why I need an opinion of someone that has been there.

Lived there for a few months 20 years ago. If you like to party its happening round the clock... not the cheapest place to live though so you would want to be earning

well I lived there in total for 6-7 months .. loved it - basically what I did was : work / go to the gym / go out for drinks / dinner / nightclubs
that type of thing.

I think depends how old you are and what you like to do.

Originally Posted by Danny1111

well I lived there in total for 6-7 months .. loved it - basically what I did was : work / go to the gym / go out for drinks / dinner / nightclubs
that type of thing.

I think depends how old you are and what you like to do.

Originally Posted by Duffers5000

Lived there for a few months 20 years ago. If you like to party its happening round the clock... not the cheapest place to live though so you would want to be earning

How are the girls there?

And I sure like to partayyy!!

Well where I was working had 99% expats : and you have to pay up for those type of workers plus their travel expenses - so you would need significant capital I'd think to support a business employing expats.

Orchard road......four floors of whores !! (lots of nice girls in other parts of town !!)

Women were fine : they were from all over Asia -- trying to hook up with expats : you just need the cash to support that type of habit - because Singapore is expensive.

It's really a boring city with no uniqueness, all you see is skyscrapers everywhere and no real life in it. Yes, good place for partying with lots of nightclubs and stuff, but it will be boring after few days for sure...

I have studied with several Singaporean friends in the university, and in deed I think that country is one of the most stable. What they have personally told me, is that the country is extremely clean (if you spit your chewing gum to the street, you can get a fine), and the laws are strict. Singaporean people are highly educated (my friends studied in SMU, Singapore Management University), very ambitious and responsible. The economy of the country is strong.

The only difficulty I found with them was, that their English has quite a thick accent, and they speak very fast. I have studied and worked in English for years, and I found it difficult to understand their conversation on several occasions.

Downsides of the country is the heat and traffic (which is organized, but there is a lot of it anyways).

If I had the change, I would definitely do business and move to Singapore, at least for a while.

Singapore is very expensive and has city regions has higher crime rate compared to any other asian regions. I have one friend there who is working for one startup over there.

Besides, to all mentioned above it's so clear that you have an impression that you are in some clinic or healthcare facility.

Originally Posted by Cystomatic

Well tax-wise Singapore is a heaven and saves you a damn lot of money.

But imo it's quite hard to establish your company there as I'm not sure if it will be easy to find quality employees there or not. That's why I need an opinion of someone that has been there.

I haven´t lived there, but as far as I have heard/experienced, Singaporeans are good employees (organized, hard-working...), and ambitious, because there´s also competition.

To me GDP (PPP) tells something of the country, and that´s US$59k in Singapore.

Originally Posted by worldelite

Besides, to all mentioned above it's so clear that you have an impression that you are in some clinic or healthcare facility.

I agree this is a slight downside of the country. It can serve you well, but if you are not used to that... But they do have one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.

Tax haven, great life, a short flight away from some other party places... Def a place to consider in the not-too-distant future... About the crime rate, well it depends where you're from but in general lol.

Its a TOP PLACE and has it all.

Good competent government, THE BEST BANKING SYSTEM in the world and FUN city and the crime rates are actually VERY LOW compared to anywhere in world.

It also has a great immigration policy and you can easily import labor from places like India or Pakistan.

I live in Singapore. Well, it depends on your status and such.

What do I mean by status?
Wealth, Connection, and Education.

They used to say corruption is legal here. I do not know what that used to mean in the past.
But when you are skeptical and when you start digging up truths (not from the controlled media), you will find out more and realize how dirty the truth can be.
There isn't as much freedom as you think there is. I believe they are logging what I'm typing right now... lol.

If you have the money or connection, then you're blessed. Education simply lessens the stress, but it's still there if you don't have the other 2. If not, be prepared for a stressful lifestyle... in fact, a very-very stressful lifestyle. Imagine working from morning to night with no minimum wage, and you have to fight your way in the corporate ladder... suddenly you realize your understudy or colleagues get promoted faster than you because they have connection with the chief or something and you don't. Then came taxes and the high cost of living. I've seen poor old ladies and old men (some age 70 and above) working as cleaners, and struggling to live a life with no retirement funds (or pensions). Their pay is only around S$500 (USD$350+).
Factory workers are around S$800-$1200. Blue-collar workers holds the terrible salary threshold.
White-collar workers would hold around SG$2.500-10,000.
Politicians get about $100,000-$2,000,000 (real).

Healthcare is whoopingly expensive till the poor have a saying, "rather to die than to fall sick".


Then the rich side the ruling party in politics. The rich have the easy way. They can buy their way.
The ruling party in politics have stayed in power for a long time. They do NOT support welfare. The media is controlled. Against them and the ISD will lock you up discreetly and without trial. Say or criticise the few prominent figures of politics and you will be sued till you're bankrupt with no more hope.

Women here are choosy and terrible. They want to live the easy life. They want to marry the rich. So they start hanging out with those god damn foreigners or the rich. Fuck them. Despicable kinds.

Most people here are kind of hypocrites. Politics are questionable.
Most Singaporeans said that the government favours foreigners more than the locals.
Still, the government of course did a good job for making an excellent economy with low crime rate.
From a small fishing village to the independence of Singapore with little resources, it is truly remarkable that it became what it is today.

I know it sounds very negative of me in other segments of this post, well... if you ever born poor or middle-class, got on the wrong track of education, not having the connection, you will know why.

Those who said Singapore is beautiful and such, that is because they are the FOREIGNERS. god-damn foreigners.
If you're never a citizen or just a migrated/permanent resident, you will never know the real truth.
Blow away the fog and see the truth hidden behind it.

But if you choose to ignore them, then it's fine. I used to ponder about them alot and that gave me a lot of stress. Seriously.
Until I simply gave up and just live with it.
Do I have the will to change them? Let's keep it discreet. But yes, I am getting out of this lock and shackles.

P.S: I do NOT against my own government or people. Although I know it may be contradictory, especially with all the points I brought up.

Originally Posted by BlackSeng

I live in Singapore. Well, it depends on your status and such.

What do I mean by status?
Wealth, Connection, and Education.

They used to say corruption is legal here. I do not know what that used to mean in the past.
But when you are skeptical and when you start digging up truths (not from the controlled media), you will find out more and realize how dirty the truth can be.
There isn't as much freedom as you think there is. I believe they are logging what I'm typing right now... lol.

If you have the money or connection, then you're blessed. Education simply lessens the stress, but it's still there if you don't have the other 2. If not, be prepared for a stressful lifestyle... in fact, a very-very stressful lifestyle. Imagine working from morning to night with no minimum wage, and you have to fight your way in the corporate ladder... suddenly you realize your understudy or colleagues get promoted faster than you because they have connection with the chief or something and you don't. Then came taxes and the high cost of living. I've seen poor old ladies and old men (some age 70 and above) working as cleaners, and struggling to live a life with no retirement funds (or pensions). Their pay is only around S$500 (USD$350+).
Factory workers are around S$800-$1200. Blue-collar workers holds the terrible salary threshold.
White-collar workers would hold around SG$2.500-10,000.
Politicians get about $100,000-$2,000,000 (real).

Healthcare is whoopingly expensive till the poor have a saying, "rather to die than to fall sick".


Then the rich side the ruling party in politics. The rich have the easy way. They can buy their way.
The ruling party in politics have stayed in power for a long time. They do NOT support welfare. The media is controlled. Against them and the ISD will lock you up discreetly and without trial. Say or criticise the few prominent figures of politics and you will be sued till you're bankrupt with no more hope.

Women here are choosy and terrible. They want to live the easy life. They want to marry the rich. So they start hanging out with those god damn foreigners or the rich. Fuck them. Despicable kinds.

Most people here are kind of hypocrites. Politics are questionable.
Most Singaporeans said that the government favours foreigners more than the locals.
Still, the government of course did a good job for making an excellent economy with low crime rate.
From a small fishing village to the independence of Singapore with little resources, it is truly remarkable that it became what it is today.

I know it sounds very negative of me in other segments of this post, well... if you ever born poor or middle-class, got on the wrong track of education, not having the connection, you will know why.

Those who said Singapore is beautiful and such, that is because they are the FOREIGNERS. god-damn foreigners.
If you're never a citizen or just a migrated/permanent resident, you will never know the real truth.
Blow away the fog and see the truth hidden behind it.

But if you choose to ignore them, then it's fine. I used to ponder about them alot and that gave me a lot of stress. Seriously.
Until I simply gave up and just live with it.
Do I have the will to change them? Let's keep it discreet. But yes, I am getting out of this lock and shackles.

P.S: I do NOT against my own government or people. Although I know it may be contradictory, especially with all the points I brought up.

This is a very interesting insight. As I posted in the post above, I know a few Singaporeans, and I have heard a few things about the country, but never anything like this. Basically the only thing in this post, of which I knew, was the "fight" to get your career forward, but I didn´t realize it would be that fierce. One friend (or rather somebody I studied with), had excellent grades in the university, nevertheless for the summer this person had to settle for a boring job in a library, just like this poster said, with (or without) minimum wage, because perhaps this person did not have sufficient connections (so grades mean nothing) or perhaps because there was too much competition and no available positions.

I know that several international known companies do want to establish (or have already established) a presence in Singapore, so at least, like you mentioned, for these "rich foreigners" there is a market.

You don´t mention anything about the education, but this, I have understood, is of high quality in Singapore? Although very expensive at the same time.

Originally Posted by dkh1978

This is a very interesting insight. As I posted in the post above, I know a few Singaporeans, and I have heard a few things about the country, but never anything like this. Basically the only thing in this post, of which I knew, was the "fight" to get your career forward, but I didn´t realize it would be that fierce. One friend (or rather somebody I studied with), had excellent grades in the university, nevertheless for the summer this person had to settle for a boring job in a library, just like this poster said, with (or without) minimum wage, because perhaps this person did not have sufficient connections (so grades mean nothing) or perhaps because there was too much competition and no available positions.

I know that several international known companies do want to establish (or have already established) a presence in Singapore, so at least, like you mentioned, for these "rich foreigners" there is a market.

You don´t mention anything about the education, but this, I have understood, is of high quality in Singapore? Although very expensive at the same time.

High quality, yes, but it separates the "dumb" and the "smart" very biasedly.
During Primary School period (or Elementary School), at Primary 4 (or fifth grade in the U.S.), you have to sit for an exam called "streaming". During my time, there were 3 categories: EM1, EM2, and EM3.

EM1 is usually the top students; EM2 are the average students; EM3 is what most people label as "Dumb, hopeless" students.
Sad to say, I ended up in EM3 during my time because I was damn playful when I was young. My childhood died at that very day. I was looked down by society and the people around me. My cousins would even joked in front of me saying that my future would be working as a cleaner in Macdonalds. My life changed miserably during that time and to be frank, I never had a happy childhood then.

Then after Primary 6 (or Grade 6) before we enrol into secondary schools (or high school), we would further be categorized again.
Express (top students), Normal Academic (Average again), and Normal Technical (usually labelled as hopeless again).
Usually EM1 students would go to Express; EM2 students do have a chance to do Express, but most usually end up at Normal Academic. And of course, the EM3 students would go to the Normal Technical category.

When I was in EM3 during my primary school, I became serious and studied real hard. Unfortunately, my mother tongue language obstructed me from the opportunity to go Normal Academic. So I ended up going to Normal Technical. Yeap, despised further for this. But I still studied real hard and learnt everything outside (investments, computers, .etc).

During the secondary school or high-school period, Express students would usually just study for 4 years. At the end of the 4 years, they would take their O' levels examination. If their results is excellent, they would go to Junior College. If results are just good or average, they would go to polytechnic. And of course, if their results are bad, they would have to retain another year to do their exmainations again or go to an institute called ITE (more about this later).

For the normal academic students in high- or secondary- school, their study period is 5 years. On the end of the 4th year, they would take the N' level examinations. And if they do good, they would proceed to the 5th year to take their O' levels examination. If they did bad, retain or simply just go to ITE (more about this later).

Then for Normal Technical students, 4 years of study. After 4 years, they would take their N' levels examination (simplified). After this, they would immediately go to ITE or just start working as an adult.

Here's a picture to show the education journey in Singapore:
http://www.singaporeedu.gov.sg/image...on_journey.gif

Now about the ITE institution. Most Singaporeans label the institution as a "gangster school". Sometimes they even joked saying that ITE stands for It's The End. Yes, gangsters is a common sight in this school. And unfortunately for me, despite I did well in my N' levels examination, I still couldn't be qualified to take my O' levels. I appealed my Principal to give me a chance, but fearing for the school's overall score, he rejected me and told me "do not waste time." So I reluctantly entered into this instuition. Well, it isn't as bad as what most people usually criticize and badmouth the school. In fact, the teachers are awesome and very inspiring. I did well and got full points. I even took private O' levels at this point.

It took about 2 years to get the basic certificate from ITE. I got it and because my grades were good (and my private O' level scores were average), I was given a chance to enter polytechnic which took about 3 years to complete to get my Diploma.

Yes, polytechnic is where we get our Diploma. It usually takes about 3 years.
By the time I completed and got my Diploma, I have to serve national service or serve the army as it's compulsory.
And by the time I finish serving the army, I would be 23 going 24 by then.

The girl whom I once had a crush on (who was from the Express stream in secondary school), went to polytechnic early and even went to university to get her Degree. As I'm typing now, she's already working in the corporate world. Whereas for me, because of one fuck up path I took which was irreversible, I only hold a Diploma. And yes, by the time I got my Diploma (before serving the army), she was already on her 2nd year in University pursuing her Degree.

See how fuck up it is? So many segregation and biases.


Now here's the more fuck up issue. If you're poor at this point, without a doubt, you can't afford to go to the university because of its high cost. University fees is about 20,000-30,000++ per year (not sure what's the rate now). So the poor have to work and study part-time. But wait, that's not it. As you know, the Asian culture, most people would still live with their parents until they get married and buy their own home. So now you have to work, study part-time, and have to support your current family. It's an endless financial issue here. Women at your age would have just got married to some rich ass or fucking foreigners; while you're still working your way up at the beginning.

Also, we have a huge influx of "foreign talents". They are simply foreign workers.

In the U.S. workforce, 15% of the workforce comprised of foreigners.
In Singapore, it is 1/3 (or 33.3%). And yes, it is increasing. Few years back it was just 25% or 30% (forgot the exact percentage). Now it's 33.3%.

To BlackSengs long post:

Like I said, I had no idea of something like this regarding the education.

EM1 is usually the top students; EM2 are the average students; EM3 is what most people label as "Dumb, hopeless" students.
Sad to say, I ended up in EM3 during my time because I was damn playful when I was young. My childhood died at that very day. I was looked down by society and the people around me. My cousins would even joked in front of me saying that my future would be working as a cleaner in Macdonalds. My life changed miserably during that time and to be frank, I never had a happy childhood then.

This was not very nice to read. I have no personal experience, but I think the "treatment" is a bit similar in Japan, where students have even committed suicides because of their "unacceptable" performance.

Hey guys, Singaporean here, i'm at the age where you do your national service (basically conscript army),18~23, i've read Blackseng's post and definitely agree with many of his points. I would just like to share my generation's viewpoint about the country and such.

Basically Singapore is all about the education system, whereby getting a degree is expected of you. The standard of living is very high and i think to live a comfortable life for a single person(not extravagant at all) you would have to earn about upwards of 5k SGD a month. From young we are taught to study really hard and have a holistic education, many parents spend a large part of the familial income on a child's tuition and other classes (violin,foreign languages,sports,etc) that are deemed beneficial for the child's development and image. You probably would have come across this if you have read
about the Tiger mum, Singapore is somewhat like that, only to varying extents.

About the women, many of them are ambitious and are willing to work hard to climb the corporate ladder, many of the "despicable kinds" are not usually singaporeans but foreigners that come from vietnam, china, etc that prowl the streets for expats and rich locals alike (thailand anyone?). I assure you they are hardly from my generation as many of these SPGs ( sarong party girls) colloquial term for local girls who go for Caucasian men are usually older and nearing their thirties. I believe the local girls here still prefer an Asian partner due to the similar values and mindsets.

If you aren't yet established i implore you not to come here and compete as the Asian culture of hard work and overkill is deeply rooted here.

I'm proud to be Singaporean.

I am a Singapore resident too. I have been living in this country from the past 1 year now and I can give you a perspective from a foreign guy.Although I must say whatever Blackseng has told is true and I agree with him .

If I were you I wouldnt choose this country to live/settle and do business elsewhere. reason being the extremely high cost of living. Day by day it is becoming more and more expensive to live here. Medical expenses are simply outrageous here, one of my friends simply had to go get an emergency contraceptive pill and she ended up shelling out $100, for a fucking emergency contraceptive pill. Food is pretty cheap though if you have it in the hawker centres. Since the singapore dollar is becoming extremely strong , it is becoming more and more expensive. I must tell you, after a while you will feel that your life is very mechanized and monotonous, but if you manage to break out of it it will be great.

Now for the good part. I am actually falling in love with this country. Everything here is so convenient, although its expensve but whatever you get its worth the money. I really enjoy the party scene and the night life here which is really good with a lot of nice places to go, although alcohol can prove to be a little expensive but you can always pre drink and go inside. There are a lot of foreigners here and you can find women from almost anywhere in the world. This is one thing I really like about this place. I have met a lot of people here from a lot of countries which is kinda awesome.

Having said that , make sure what your priorities are and the decide why you would want to move here. Overall I like this place and its a beautiful city .

As a past "foreigner" working in Singapore, I totally understand your frustration with the treatment they get in Singapore. As a Canadian citizen, I have to tell you that I disagree with your concept of a successful life being one with a University degree. I would say Canada is probably the perfect opposite of Singapore in terms of education. Here in Canada, more than 50% !!! of the adult population has a college degree. Education is very accessible and most of the people can go to university easily. The problem then is obvious... University degrees here are useless. Totally useless. Even worse than that, they are a huge liability (student debts). Canada has the most educated population in the world, yet the economy is based on natural resources. Most of the best paying jobs only require a high school degree (trades such as welders, electricians, etc) and there is a huge shortage of employees because nobody is interested in trades. The average salary of a MBA or MSc in engineering degree (Master degree level) is around 70,000 per year whereas the average salary of some one working in a trade such as welding, plumbing, etc. is 150,000 per year. Moreover, our amazing Canadian government is enslaving the population with extremely high income tax rates (around 40-50%) and sale taxes of 12-15% on top of it. So you end up keeping less than 40% of your 70,000 (28,000) salary to pay for all the stuff + your STUDENT DEBT... Canadian people are poor and seem to enjoy it.

I don't pity you guys in Singapore because the Canadian society is much more fucked up than yours. I would definitely move to Singapore tomorrow if I could with my many degrees, but it's quite hard to do so because the Canadian govt will do everything they can to stop its citizens moving to tax heavens such as Singapore, Hong Kong and the Caribbeans.