Commuting from Thailand

[Loiter1]

Hi

In the interests of the life expectancy of myself and my family we made the decision some time ago to not stay in Hong Kong. Been thinking of a few options over the last year and we have decided that commuting from Thailand seems like a good one. Any advice regarding commuting/living in Thailand, most probably the Phuket area, would be much appreciated. I have lived in and around Asia for a long time, mostly in Indonesia, so I am fairly happy that I can handle the cultural issues that such a move entails. I am mostly concerned about visas and how easy it is for foreigners to live there. Once again, thanks in advance.

[sanook]

Life expectancy will reduce if you move to Thailand. Acceptable if you plan to stay and give them all your dosh but be warned not to try to initiate any business as you will find that they don't tend to like that! Watch out, money has power over law !! As for Phuket, probably as expensive as HKG. Malaysia maybe ??

[Loiter1]

Sanook
I actually lived in Indonesia for awhile, so am pretty aware of the corruption that occurs in third world countries like Thailand. I actually never had much of a problem with it, except at the petty scale, with the likes of traffic cops etc.

Not ruling Malaysia out either, but we have dogs and the Malaysian muslims don't seem to treat them too well. Mrs Loiter doesn't like that. I would go back to Indo, probably Bali as the crime seems to be getting a little out of control in Jakarta, but we want to keep our options open as most of my Indo friends advise me to stay away until at least after the election in 2012.

[AD POSSE AD ESSE]

Loiter1,

Many pilots who commute are using w-patterns (super compact rosters) as that gives them at least 8 days off after an ULH pattern.

At the moment these "W" requests are given priority, but this also means that people who don't commute are then left with all the ****ty patterns, especially on the freighter.

This is about to come to an abdrupt end with new AFTLs to be introduced soon, furthermore, all "life-style" requests will be in strict seniority order.

Will commuting still be attractive? I think not.:=

[ZFT]

Visas for your family will be a potentially massive hurdle to overcome and unless you are prepared for monthly visa runs (via air borders) or fortnightly visa runs (via land borders) it is very much a non starter.

Living here without either a work permit or some form of non tourist visa (retirement etc) is a nightmare.

[an3_bolt]

Not ruling Malaysia out either, but we have dogs and the Malaysian muslims don't seem to treat them too well.

Always a lateral way around it - go live somewhere like Petaling Jaya KL and pick an area predominantly Chinese (generally slightly upmarket....). Easiest way is to look for streets that have mostly Hondas, Toyotas, Mercs, etc parked there.

In any case - I have never found the Malay muslins to be anything other than courteous and respectful. But my "opinion only" is most people in Malaysia are very scared of dogs - especially ones that have a good bark and jump at the driveway gate when someone walks past. When we visit KL, myself and my young kids (I must be a very bad role model) love winding up the dogs when we go out for a breakfast roti.......drives my Mrs up the wall!!

Food.......

Good luck.

[Loiter1]

Thanks all,

Ad Posse Ad Esse,
I guess I am assuming compact rosters will continue as they have been. Maybe I am not understanding the new system, but didn't we start using this new FRMS in Sept and that is the reason compact rosters may stop, or is it still running in the background?

ZFT,
Visas sound very much like Indo where it can be a royal pain in the bum.

An3_bolt,
Do you have any specific info concerning visas in Malaysia or are you there on a work permit?

[an3_bolt]

Solly laaaaaa - can not laaaa - I only come and go on tourist visa visiting the Mrs inlaws, with family in tow. Have no knowledge of residency procedures etc.

Been a long time - memory not so good -didn't Phil? commute from Phuket? He might give you some ideas....

[CodyBlade]

Thailand a little 'wild' consider Png.Very un Bumi, cosmopolitian,high standard of living and good school,mainly chinese,Gragos. so dogs no Beer,prob.Mal got ,Silver Hair fst trk migration scheme.Ringgt ex good.

[an3_bolt]

arbinoon - one talk. You know you have been in PNG tooooo long when you on Pixie balus to freedom and already looking forward to getting back.......I think that was rock bottom for me.:{

[Traffic]

Think PNG is Penang. I would vouch for the place. Schools and medical good.

Apply for a retirees visa even if still working.

You only need to deposit Ringitt 500K which you can use and wind down anyway.

Much better than Phuket by any measure.

[NoseGear]

Hi Loiter, I have friends, not involved in aviation who have very recently moved to Phuket, and they love it. Big house at a fraction of here, clean air etc etc, I'm not going to try sell you on it. However, this may interest you, their kids are 6 and 4, and are going to the International school there in Phuket. They, the parents, are on the back of the kids schooling visa....something to look into perhaps.

Good luck mate

Nosey

[spleener]

ZFT: BS.

NG,
Visa Thailand: you're correct with education + guardian visa = 12mths renewable. 500k THB on bank deposit I think.
If over 50yrs [after the kids leave skool] can do retirement visa - same same but different! [800K THBish]
Go to thaivisa.com or teakdoor.com for better "qualified" answers than you can get here.
Dogs: some areas of Phuket are inhabited by Muslims, a few of whom may not take too kindly to your K9's...

A.P.A.E. : Rosters; maybe, then again, maybe not

Spleener

[711]

Vietnam or Philipines anyone??

[HKJunkie]

Wasn't there a South Asia base?

[Kurtis Chukle Willis]

Here is a genius idea; if you dislike Hong Kong so very much why don't you just go back home. That way you can stop degrading everybody else's conditions for you own selfish gain. Hard to argue for housing allowance when guys don't even live in Hong Kong huh? Same goes for roster/fatigue issues when you are falling over yourselves to do W patterns.

[Rook]

I'm not sure this really degrades our contracts. You could then argue that anyone on a base degrades our contracts.

[smiley41]

Singapore?

First world infrastructure, convenient, decent air, larger apartments

[The Messiah]

Kurtis do tell how are commuters degrading everyone elses conditions? I'm all ears.

[CodyBlade]

Singapore?

Cons:
1.Getting V expensive [sch 30K/child,car 100K Honda Civic,Apt 800 Sq ft East Coast Rent 3.5K, buy 2mil,Big Mac $3.55c]

2.Weather crazy hot and humid will get to you eventually.

3.Over-crowded [1 million new PRC,Pinoys,Russians,Burmese,Indians all types]

4.Singaporeans angry fustrated lot,always complaining hence replaced by PRC,etc.

5.Food crap cooked by PRC cheap labour.

6.Traffic crazy jammed

7.Durians


Pros:
1.Cheap PRC girls. i.e they jump into your car at traffic lights -I kid you not..

2.Durians

[Kurtis Chukle Willis]

errr ! read the post. Enough said. :ugh:

[Roxy_Chick_1989]

What is the deal with deciding to move away from HK, especially to a place like SIN, is it as simple as renting a house and thats it, or is there visa requirements etc for HKID holders?

[The Messiah]

errr ! read the post
I did that's why I asked the question. Your point on housing makes no sense and not all commuters ask for W patterns.:)

[freightdoggiedog]

Amazing how any more than a few CX pilots posting on PPrune inevitably means the thread deteriorating into A-scale vs B-scale bash, Freight vs Pax, DEFO vs DESO, and now based vs HKG... :ugh:

Sure, the world would be wonderful if everyone else saw things exactly your way, but that's not the way it works. A based guy could easily argue that thanks to a superior lifestyle back home, proximity to kids/family etc, or already having a house prior to joining CX etc etc, there is no need to come to HKG and make one's loved ones breathe the poisonous air. A lot of them pay a lot less tax than you might think.

The point here is that (as always) our COS are under attack, not by based guys, but BY THE COMPANY. Even if based, I would vote to protect your HKG-expat conditions (and to ensure the same conditions for future joiners in HK); would you vote to protect/improve conditions for based guys?

The deal based guys take obviously works for them... instead of whinging about them, why not all pull together in the same direction? Oh yeah that's right, because we're a bunch of moaning CX pilots, and it's always the next guy's fault... :ugh:

[Loiter1]

Wow, it only took 16 posts to degenerate into a mudslinging match about one pilot group undermining the others conditions, or maybe I should be impressed that we got that far?

Anyway....thanks for the useful info to those that provided it, especially to spleener for that website. It is far easier to traverse than the Thai immigration one.

[The Messiah]

As far as I can tell this thread only refers to ONE pilot group ie. Hong Kong based officers placing their families in another country while they still work out of Hong Kong with full benefits. So as I said how is this group "degrading everybody else's conditions"?:confused:

What have based pilots got to do with it? Maybe start your own thread.:sad:

[Rook]

I still dont get how commuting degrades anything. I would still be taking advantage of the housing in HK. It would just sit empty, minus days I needed to be there. Your comment makes no sense Kurtis.

[HEALY]

Considering CX make money out of staff travel I would say that commuters are doing everyone a favour:}

[hongkongfooey]

Roxy, are you serious ????? Were you not on another thread saying you were coming to HKG as a cadet ? seriously, you will be struggling to survive here in HKG let alone commuting.
To answer your question I am pretty sure you cant just live in SIN full time as an expat if you are not employed there, could be, and probably am, wrong.
BTW, Capt Parker is still on the hunt I believe

[CodyBlade]

Yah why does it always desend into a school playground fight? and it's usualy btween a couple of regular guys/girls.

Well Sin is throwing their PR status at anybody as they decided they want 6 million ppl on the little red dot.Be warned quality of living for all the trappings not that good.Very congested as the infastructure not ready for that many.

How about Bali ? only 4 hrs and the ultimate chill dest.

I know of a few colleagues having a ball there.

Ps Cx counter staff there extremenly professional helpful...

[flightleader]

Loiter 1,

I'm sure you are feeling as sad as I do. A sincere question to explore better lifestyle turned into mud slinging by some idiots especially Kurtis! I hope someone earning half his pay could derail him from his job,soon!:sad:

Here is an option for you. Try explore Kota Kinabalu,Sabah, in Malaysia.(WBKK or BKI). It is 3hours fly to the south from HKG. Dragon Air,MAS,Transasia(TPE/KHH)etc serves once daily if I'm not wrong. There are like 20 flights to Kuala Lumpur a day, 2~3 times to Singapore.

Town by the sea, 30mins boat ride to 4 islands for the beaches and looking back at the town with Mt.Kinabalu sitting at 13000ft at the back.Sunset by the beach is something money can't buy. A drive up to the 5500ft mountain national park is 2hrs. Climbing the peak is a bit of an effort though.

Food is reasonably cheap if you learn to avoid Scandinavian tourist come all the way to eat Canadian lobster! Many expates family live here. Some hubby work in Singapore,Brunei....I knew an American golf course consultant work in China and put the family there. Family never want to go back to te States! There are also some locals girls working as CX cabin crew shuttle up to HKG.

There are some very good privite schools. Security wise,it is safe foreigners. Have a walk in the town at 2am, no bad guy dare to rob the 'whiteman'. := Plenty of drinking places as the Sabahans drink like Aussies! Yes, this part of Malaysia is very much like Phuket. It is a favourite place for Korean to have their honey moon.Some times, 400+ Korean couples would arrive in 2 chartered B744s 10mins apart, bong for a week (Wife or golf)then head back.:}

It is also current being propel into a regional (BIMP EGA?-Brunei-Idonesia-Malaysia-Phillipies Economic Growth Area?)shopping hub by the Malaysia Government. Many hotels,golf courses,etcs are coming up. As it is, there are enough golf courses to keep you happy.

PM me if you want to know more.

Flightleader