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Showing posts from May, 2018

This Year No Need to Pay Income and Property Tax

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After the Parenthood Tax Rebate this year no need to pay any income tax. Then my house is 2-room which we stay so also no need to pay property tax. I guess the only way I'm contributing to nation is via the GST.
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Cough One Month Finally Getting Better

During my last holiday , my daughter passed her illness to me then I end up coughing for more than 3 weeks. I tried robitussin red, woods all no use, keep coughing all the time. They only gave very short relief but after a while the cough come back. So recently I tried the Huiji Herbalmint Cough Syrup now I feel so much better. Last time the robitussin works but now not effective anymore. I think if kena cough, good to buy different types of cough syrup, if one don't work try another one.
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Apply BTO Before MOP

I have colleague, family and even some comments from this blog suggesting a possibility of applying for Build-To-Order (BTO) flat before fulfilling the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of 5 years, but based on what I interpreted from the HDB website some time back this doesn't seem to be the case, but I don't think so many people are suggesting it for no reason, so I decided to drop HDB an email to clarify. The following is their response: " Eligibility to buy an HDB flat Dear Sir   Thank you for your email of 19 May 2018. 2  You may wish to know that if you are living in the current resale flat bought on the open market (without CPF Housing Grant) you can submit a flat application for a project which has a Delivery Possession Date (DPD) on or after the 5 year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) for your resale flat. For example, if the MOP for your resale flat ends in Mar 2022, you can apply for flat with a DPD on or after Mar 2022. 3  However, if your current resale flat boug
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My HDB Flat Left with 48 Years Lease

Recently I read an online article about the lease of older HDB flats, the current minister for national development Mr. Lawrence Wong mentioned the following: He said the oldest Housing Board flat today is around 50 years , and that the majority have more than 60 years remaining on their leases. He stressed that lease extension is not an immediate issue and "we still have time to do this work". Then I decided to check the remaining lease on my HDB flat, the lease started in 1967, so 2018 - 1967 is 51 years old, ok this number is around what he mentioned, then 99 - 51 is 48 years remaining, this second number is quite far from what he mentioned. So if he can get the first number so close, how come second number so far apart? I don't know man, 60 - 48 is like 12 years, maybe he didn't think 12 is a very big number, but when one factor in the 99 years lease, 12 is actually 12.12% of 99, so it's not a very small number to neglect. Anyway obviously resale price
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Next Year Must Use Cash to Service Housing Loan

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Just received this letter today, it says that after Mar 2019 I have to use cash to pay for my housing loan. This is one bad thing about buying house with less than 60 years lease but still ok la since the monthly payment is $721 so not that bad. Good thing is less money come out from CPF, why it is good is because CPF interest is the best and guaranteed, there is no other place you can realistically get what CPF is paying out. Anyway just nice next year May my current flat will meet the MOP so I can apply for a new one, still thinking apply where, BTO or balance flat, thinking of getting a big one, location sucks never mind, I see places like CCK 5-room so cheap so quite tempting. In SG really no such thing as location good or bad, it's so small that getting anywhere is not far at all plus delivery services are so convenient nowadays you can just order anything online, even groceries also can send to home.
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List of Baby's Potential Allergies and Reactions

Potential Allergies - Reactions Foban Cream (contains Fusidic Acid) - Causes redness and mild swelling at applied area. Stinging pain upon contact. Augmentin (combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium) - Watery diarrhea causing sensitivity at private area with dark red brownish stains.
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Baby Urine Have Blood?

Yesterday after we started her antibiotics (augmentin 70ml bottle 2x/day) she started to have diarrhea, today wife noticed that there is a dark red brownish patch in her diapers, it led us to think that baby might have blood in her urine. So I quickly called the GP and we went straight down. After GP explained it could be due to the diarrhea causing the skin to be sensitive and not due to internal bleeding we were relieved. He also explained that for her weight of 23KG, 7ml twice a day is fine but she probably cannot tolerate due to her age, so he advised to lower down to 5ml twice a day. He also prescribed some probiotics to counter the effect of the antibiotics and also a cream to apply to the sensitive area. And he only charged for the medication never charge for consultation, nice doctor right.
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Baby Went to See Doctor

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Baby has been coughing for a few weeks ever since wife brought her to Thailand last month , think she got infected from playing in the inflatable pool, not sure where the water is coming from but I guess it's not very clean, it could also be other source of infection, maybe also the drinking water but wife fed her only bottled water though, not sure what else baby put in her mouth, she has this habit licking things or placing objects into her mouth but good thing she doesn't swallow it or else she could end up suffocating. So this morning when I woke up she was still coughing so I got a bit worried and brought her to the Queenstown polyclinic, end up no slot, nowadays they go by slot in the system if full then must wait until afternoon, earliest slot was 2:30 PM so we decided to visit a GP instead. I googled and found this Chong Family Clinic , it has this unusual full 5 stars rating so of course no need to think too much, I made a call, got a slot and went there straigh
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Dirty Mop Water Drip On Baby Clothes

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According to wife this is not the first time but today I see for myself wah these people really horrible man, I thought the sensible way is to wash the mop clean before taking out to dry, this family is take out the dirty mop to dry, look at all that black/brown stains, don't they ever wash that mop at all? Anyway I went upstairs with the dirty clothes, knocked on the door several times and called out but nobody answered, I think someone at home but don't want to answer, never mind, I complain to HDB.
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Some Thoughts About Thailand

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Overall rural area still the best i.e. wife's hometown at Udon Thani, air is super fresh, people are super nice, food is super fresh although most of the time looks weird to city people like me but if you try it it's actually very nice. The only problem is getting to places, for example getting to the town from wife's home is around 30 mins ride, or getting to some well-known temple is 3-4 hours drive, so without a car it is very difficult or impossible. And because of the distance, that's why you see people from rural area are more relaxed no rush type. Then come to Bangkok, the transport is terrible, the jam is terrible, the culture is terrible, taxi and tuk tuk drivers always try to overcharge if you are not local, Grab is not as easily available as in Singapore, and the worse is the pollution, if you take tuk tuk and get driven across a busy street you will know what I'm talking about, it is just horrendous. And most Thais in Bangkok are not as friendly as tho
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Back from Thailand

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Still alright trip but everyone fall sick, me and wife kena cough and fever from daughter, I think the Bangkok pollution made it worse, the air quality really sibei jia lat unlike wife's kampong house air much more fresh. By the way end up still have 14831 Baht, hardly spend much, wife also have some left, think next trip can use. Some photos.
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Long-Term Visit Pass - Plus (LTVP-PLUS)

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How to Marry a Thai in Singapore

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