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If you have been dreaming of driving in Japan during your travel and want to start planning your vacation, you are lucky enough to chance upon this thread, and we hope by the end of this recommendation, you are equipped with tips and information about you Japan holidays! And we are currently selecting 50 participants that would like to attend! Join This Event! MCF HangOut proudly presents you with an all-new alternative of renting an almost brand new car in Japan. And to make the scenario more real, we narrowed down to Ishikawa Prefecture, 500km away from Tokyo, surrounded on three sides by the Sea of Japan, and on the fourth by Mt. Hakusan, allowing it to enjoy the best of both mountain and sea. Date: July 13, 2019, Saturday Time: 1pm – 4.30pm Venue: Singapore Recreation Club, B Connaught Drive, Singapore 179682 Registration Fee: $10 per registrant (Free goodie bag worth $50 for every registrant) Parking in available. Join This Event! About renting a car in Japan. You need to visit Ishikawa during the Autumn. Here's why. *Limited to 40 participants. Successful registrants will be contacted via phone or e-mail. Payment will be processed only if your registration is successful (payment must be made via Visa or Mastercard). Terms and Conditions There will be a registration fee of $10 once you have confirmed your attendance. The participating party agrees to pay the registration fee when they confirm their participation for the event. The Management of MCF will remunerate the registration fee in the form of $15 shopping voucher or grocery voucher during the event. Registration closes on 11 July 2019.

We all missed being able to travel during the dark and uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Vaccinated Travel Lanes were introduced, few of us were interested. After all, undergoing numerous PCR tests is uncomfortable and being subject to quarantines, especially if you catch COVID, is hardly how anyone wants to spend their holiday. So, a lot of folks became 'tourists in their own country'. And staycations, or staycays for short, became popular. Being cooped up in one's home for too long does that to people. But now that we can freely travel without needing PCR tests and quarantines (and face masks for that matter), some have opined that staycays are no longer relevant. I, however, think otherwise. Here are five reasons why. Photo: Paolo Nicolello, Unsplash 1. It's less of a hassle compared to going overseas. Planning an overseas holiday is complicated. You need to book flights, consider where you'll be staying and figure out an itinerary. That means you'll have to do research (Google and YouTube) to come up with a list of places and activities to do at your destination. This also results in having to figure out the logistics and transportation that go along with said activities. How difficult this will be is subjective. But some form of planning is required. In comparison, a staycay only requires me to plan when to take leave and check out the room rates for the hotel my wife and I wish to stay in. Then, we just pack light. There is no need to wake up early or stay up late to catch a flight. Flying off to another country is fun, but it requires planning, time and effort 2. Forgot something? No worries. One of the advantages of staycationing is convenience - you don't have to go or look far to find say, toiletries or swimwear. There's also no need to exchange currency (or worry about exchange rates and which money changer to go to). I don't have to subscribe to a roaming service either. One thing that worries me before my wife and I fly overseas is whether we've left anything charging. If we're on a staycation, we wouldn't be concerned because hey, if needed, we can return home to check. Not having to worry about such things is why staycations can be more stress-free compared to a holiday overseas. You can still eat well in Singapore - just go to your usual haunts while on a staycation 3. There might be food issues. Trying new food is one of the biggest reasons for exploring other countries. You can really get to know another country's culture by keeping an open mind and sampling their local fare. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to have travel companions with the same mindset. If your family members are the type who 'can only eat local food' or worse, only want to patronise restaurants from global F&B chains, holidaying overseas is probably inconvenient for you. But if you're on a staycation, then your less adventurous family members should have less to complain about, which might result in less stress for you as well. Hotels like Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore can make you feel like you're in an overseas resort, even if you haven't left the country 4. Consider medical concerns. Not everyone is blessed with good health, even for those who work out regularly and watch their diet. Sometimes, genetics just gets the better of you. If you have family members that can't travel due to underlying medical concerns, a staycation is a good alternative. Frankly, being able to find a hotel that gives you the feeling that you're not in Singapore is not easy. But perhaps a getaway to Sentosa (which is not on the 'mainland') might suffice. Although you'd still be in Singapore, staying at a hotel means not having to clean your room or worry about running the air-con 24/7. Not having to think about chores is a stress-reliever, which is what holidays are about. 5. Staycations generally cost less. A three-night stay at a local hotel (provided you haven't booked the Presidential Suite and aren't eating all your meals there) can be cheaper than a six-day holiday overseas, so when I feel like I need a quick break from work, a staycation really does the trick. Well-meaning colleagues always mention that part of the hotel budget could have been used for air tickets. Or that we should have redeemed our miles instead. But these suggestions overlook the fact that going overseas entails other costs as well. These include currency exchange, your hotel, food, and pocket money for shopping. When we're overseas, there's a tendency to want to eat more food and buy more stuff because you might not find the same things back home.

Was recommended AIRSIM a few years ago and did not take it up then as we had Covid shortly thereafter. Now revisiting travel data options and thought of AIRSIM again. Appreciate feedback from existing AIRSIM users. Thanks. 🙏

Overseas

All Overseas Calls To Start With “+” From 15 Apr, So You’ll Know When Overseas Scammers Are Calling source: https://mustsharenews.com/prevent-scam-calls/ All Overseas Calls Will Start With “+” From 15 Apr To Help Prevent Phone Scams & Spoof Calls If you own a phone, chances are you’ve received a spoof scam call before. Whether it’s a ‘package from DHL’ or someone claiming that you owe them money, you’ve definitely picked up at least one of these pesky calls. If you’re lucky, you probably wouldn’t have fallen for them. Unfortunately, it seems like not all Singaporeans have such great discerning abilities. According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the number of crimes reported saw a 6.3% increase in 2019. It would have fallen by 4.6% if scam cases were excluded. In an effort to tackle the increasing number of scams in Singapore, the government is collaborating with local telcos to help phone users identify spoof calls more easily. Government removes “+” prefix so Singaporeans can differentiate overseas calls from local ones From 15 Apr, all international calls will start with a “+” prefix. On the other hand, all local calls will no longer start with Singapore’s international dialing code, “+65”. A “+” prefix indicates an overseas call Image by MS News The government hopes this will reduce the number of Singaporeans who fall victim to international phone scams as they’ll be able to immediately differentiate spoof calls from legitimate ones. Only overseas calls will start with “+” from 15 April The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is currently working with local telcos to implement this measure. From 15 Apr, only calls from overseas will start with a “+” prefix, so all local calls will consist of just numbers. Since our country’s dialing code is “+65”, it’s easy for international spoof callers to make their calls look like local ones. With the removal of the “+” prefix, it’ll be much clearer to tell if the calls are made locally or from overseas. For instance, a local call will now read “67236474” while an international call would read “+67236474”. A local call: An international call: IMDA hopes this will help Singaporeans distinguish international calls from local ones more easily, and thus be less susceptible to spoof calls. In addition to this, Singtel, StarHub, M1, and TPG Telecom will all be required to block commonly-spoofed numbers like 999 and 995. Singaporeans lost S$21 million to scams in 2019 The removal of the “+” prefix from local calls is just one of the measures being rolled out this year to prevent Singaporeans from falling for such scams, reports The Straits Times (ST). As society grows more reliant on technology and digital transactions, spoof calls and scams are becoming more common. In 2019, the number of victims of impersonation scams reportedly increased by 50%. They collectively lost a total of $21 million. Scams pose a serious risk to Singaporeans’ personal privacy ST also reported that the Government is stepping up efforts to protect Singaporeans’ personal information by reviewing and adapting the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), said Dr Janil Putucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information. He said, Given the increased frequency of scams, it’s clear that they’re not a matter to be taken lightly. Scams often involve victims giving out their personal information like their banking details or personal particulars. With such information, scammers can impersonate victims, drain their bank accounts, and carry out other unscrupulous acts. We hope the new measures will prove successful and that the number of reported scams will fall this year. If you’re not sure about the legitimacy of a caller, it’s always best to avoid giving out any sensitive personal information, lest you fall for a scam.

I wonder if any PI or knowledgable person(s) know how to export a car from SG to AU for personal use? Lets say I am moving the entire family from SG over, and I rather not sell the car in SG... could I export it to AU ? any process on SG end I need to do or people I probably need to speak to? Please advise. Thanks.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...ct-gst-20121121 Win liao loh..

I would like to share my Car Rental Experience overseas here so you guys will manage the situation better than me when you go for your holiday. Earlier this month, i hired a car with a reputable international car rental company for my Gold Coast holiday for 7 days. I picked up the vehicle from brisbane airport and returned it 7 days later after filling up at the airport back to full, when i returned the keys to the airport counter, i was told their system was down and they couldnt print a receipt for me. I asked if they needed the petrol receipt and they also mentioned it was not required as, if the petrol was not full they will billed it my credit card. I was abit late for my flight because i was stuck in the dreadful M1 highway along with the city bound brisbane traffic on a weekday morning despite leaving my hotel 4 hrs earlier, i decided to practice some trust and just leave it as such. As with our common practice of returning the hotel or rental car via keydrop. Guess you would have guessed by now my credit bill now came with some funny charges, the Singapore office told me the extra charges were due to 1) The car was returned 3 days earlier, so they would charge me more because i only used the cars for 4 days instead of the 7 days. My actual usage aside, this really takes the cake, coming from the business standpoint, if i booked the car for 7 days and PAID for 7 days, by returning on the 4th day, it is to the car rental company advantage because they could have made extra money by leasing out for the 3 days already paid by me. Effectively they are telling me, a 4 days rental will cost MORE than a 7 day rental (not daily rate hor) but the total bill. 2) The car was not returned with a full tank of petrol. i scrutinized the receipt and found another shocking fact, i signed out the car at 18k mileage and returned at 19k mileage. The invoice generated shows i signed out the car at 19k mileage and returned it at 28k mileage. I wrote back n highlighted all the irregularity challenging them what kind of penalty is being imposed on returning the car 3days earlier when it was paid in FULL. 2ndly, i emailed in my petrol receipt showing it was refilled at the airport. 3rd, the mileage in their record was grossly wrong as it was nearly impossible i would have travelled 9700km in 7 days or by right as they claimed 4 days which will worked out to 1300km per day or 2400km per day respectively. While i am sure some of you folks will be able to do that on a GOR, i merely took day trips out as i have my folks with me. My hotel should have my records and my car being parked overnight in the garage as i have a private parking lot accessible by key card only in the hotel. i received a call later from the singapore manager asking me to confirm whether did i actually use the car for 4 days or 7 days because the petrol receipt showed me pumping on the 7th day (DUH). I will not name the company now because its still being investigated, but if they are really behaving in such way, the name will be big big in the coming days to come. Some references for you folks next. 1) Please do a proper handover when you return the car, try not to use the key drop service. Have a personnel inspect the car and the petrol and generate you a proper receipt with the proper mileage ESPECIALLY if your rental has mileage limitations. It was fortunate mine was unlimited mileage. 2) If you are in my case, late for flight, system down and all the bollocks or if die die need to use a keydrop because ur flight is red eye, take a picture of the petrol receipt beside the odometer/ petrol gauge showing the mileage with date/time if possible with the airport in the background. i was lucky i kept the petrol receipt. Let me know what you guys think and if you guys know the consumer authority in Queensland, it would be helpful as well. Have a good friday ahead.

Must obtain a document of identity from Singapore embassy in order to return to Singapore?

As a single man (below age 35) in Singapore, basically i cannot do anything with local property. Not rich enough for Condo XD I am hoping to get a decent HDB once I get married later, so as to get some government grants... Hence I am wondering are there brothers here who have participated in overseas property purchases? I have went through the numerous adverts in Straits Times of property purchases in overseas in countries as diverse as Australia, UK, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia etc.. (I wonder why not much of USA property), and is a little skeptical. Someone wrote to the Straits Times forum last week mentioning how many of these property companies tend to "collapse" with many investors burnt with money owed to banks, or even better, the land in mind does not even get developed at all... Are there proper ways to look for properties to buy in overseas market? I am actually thinking of Cambodia, then again..... I do not mind learning and doing research, but with so much scams and "big canon fairies" around, hard to know which knowledge is decent.... Any bros or sisters here with advice or experience to share? =D I was thinking of Capitaland's The Ascott Limited - Somerset Norodom in Phnom Penh Price start from $1xxk which is cheap but i wonder how reliable is the rental guarantee they are offering though. Anyone has experience ? Location any good? From http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/ascott-to-manage-1st-international-serviced-residence-in-cambodia According to the news "Somerset Norodom Phnom Penh is part of a 28-storey mixed-use development located in an exclusive district surrounded by Norodom and Monivong boulevards. Embassies, foreign banks, multinational corporations and government agencies are within the vicinity, along with many F&B outlets. The property offers a range of studio to two-bedroom apartments, with facilities including a playroom, gymnasium, sauna and residents’ lounge." Somerset Norodom Sales page ; http://conversion-page.com/cambodiapropertyinvestment/

Hong Kong Ocean Terminal carpark Tokyo

Hi all, anyone have experiences with overseas ICT? Got one scheduled to go TW this year.

Hi guys, Some of you have responded to my previous post of asking what what is the allowed number of stays in Taiwan and Japan with no visa. As it turn out now, the other company prefer that I quit and join them full time in Japan. So I'm now contemplating if I should join them for a couple of reasons - I liked the job there - Pay wise is not too bad, about 20% more than my current salary, inclusive of employer portion of CPF contribution. Apartment is provided. - I don't like my work here. Being in IT professional, I find myself stagnating here.... On the other hand, - I will need to be stationed in Japan. They proposed to allow me to go back for 2 weeks every 10 weeks but I am requesting to allow me to come back for 2 weeks every 6 weeks. I still have kids in primary school. - Not young anymore. Coming to 40. I had been through such experience 5 years ago but that time, the company just allowed me to go back a week every 4 months and relationship with wife really strained. After a year, I had to quit and come back to look for another job. This time round, it was my wife who suggested why don't I go back to Japan to work since I like the work there and I wasn't happy here.... She was happy to see the improved arrangement on the better salary structure and more time allowed to come back to SG as I started discuss with the Japan counterpart.... So guys who had experience in going oversea to work without family. How do you guys cope?

4 out of 5?? i think base on the selected group in the survey, they shouldn't conclude such as misleading information. Nevertheless, would you consider sending your kids overseas if you have the mean?

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http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/man-sentenced-jail-caning-possession-air-pistol-unexecuted-bank-ro According to this article: The court heard that Ng had received the air pistol from his 27-year-old brother, a regular serviceman in the Singapore Navy. His brother had brought it back from Taiwan in May 2013. Does this mean that navy personnel training overseas are smuggling all sorts of contraband into Singapore? I wonder why there is no mention of whether any action has been taken against his brother for importing the gun.

hi everyone. can someone advise if we can listen to home radio channels from overseas? through internet?

Besides shopping, eating, sightseeing, etc, what other interesting things you have discovered on your trips? Some friends do cars-spotting, it can be spotting exotic, supercars, or rare models. Or pick another tourist and guess his or her nationality before you hear he speaks. Sometimes when wife or gf is busy shopping, we men have to kill time while waiting outside the shops I tried pickpockets-spotting in busy train stations, market places in Europe where the cities are notorious for these pickpockets. So far have spotted a few suspects, but no luck seeing them in actual actions. Maybe they are so good, my eyes were too slow to catch their actions!!?

Need some advice from forumers of MCF who travel frequently, what is the best credit card to use overseas? ... particularly for USA, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bali and Malaysia. I mean in terms of credit card rewards, bank rates, discounts and such. Thanks!

If forgot how ah? Think this is my second time forgot liao. Anybody encounter before?

Hi all, Time to rejoice at the news of Channel 5 showing the Confederation Cup Live on Channel 5!!! Afterall, it's been a while since we are treated to such football action on free-to-air channels.. Cheers.........

They have opened a branch at Shaw Tower. I know and have sampled its famed KL main branch so the perennial question is are they as good here in Singapore? As gay as it sounds, the cha siew is to die for Any FRs welcome and appreciated.

they reject insurance claim for my fren car for such silly stuffs. all the items are street legal. 100% screw up.

as above comments?

Is it possible to listen to overseas radio just like on the computer in the car's HU? Advise?