Job Discussion Forums

[zootalaws]

Before we take the plunge and move to Brunei, I wondered if any residents, expat or local, could answer some basic, maybe silly, questions?

What are medical and dental services like? I need a replacement crown - is it better to get it done in the UK, or wait till I get there?
Are medical services the same in all the main towns, or do expats tend to go to the city or even overseas (Singapore, etc.)? - Sorry to Bruneians, I am not intimating you have a sub-standard service, it is just about impossible to find out this stuff from the UK.

Cars seem pretty expensive for what you get - the prices that are reasonable are for older (1980s!) toyota's, etc. - or am I getting the wrong idea? It is likely that we will need two cars and the prices are worrying...

Motorcycles are one option - for me at least. I have found a few motorcycle resources from Brunei, but they are all of the Harley/Big sportsbike variety. I have heard that traffic can be dangerous - I am an experienced biker of more than 35 years, but have always ridden in countries with good road manners. Anyone ride a bike, that can offer any advice?

Another option is to import one of our bikes - trying to get an answer from Brunei customs is an exercise in patience. I have read that you can import a vehicle for your personal use with only a 5% duty, but elsewhere they say 20% - if the former, it may be a viable option, if the latter, it won't be.

How is the variety of clothing for the - ahem - fuller figured male? Am I better off buying in the UK or waiting till we get there?

I read from a previous poster that things like sheets, etc. are a good thing to bring, what about towels, pillows, etc?

I am resigned to having to give up my total addiction to the internet - from what I can see broadband/adsl is expensive and low-powered. Any recommendations or tips from in-country residents?

My wife is the one with the job and hence the work permit - how possible is it to get some form of work for myself? It doesn't need to be professional-level, but from what I see, Brunei could do with a wrench into the 21st century when it comes to web design, journalism, tourist information, etc. I am experienced in copy-writing and technical writing, as well as web technologies and if there is any chance to work I would like to take it.

Does anyone have working spouses not in the teaching field?

I understand that we may not be working in or around Bandar Seri Begawan, but nearly all the information about living in Brunei is predicated on the city, or expat info from the Shell enclave. What is it like in rural/town Brunei? I understand it is a relatively compact place and getting about won't be too hard, but knowing what sort of facilities to expect outside of the main centre would be nice.

We are very open minded and easy mixers and are not expecting too much in the way of similarities with UK/Aussie/NZ/France and are actively looking forward to an 'immersive' experience, how realistic is this? Or are we likely to be restricted to socialising with expats?

I am sure I have many, many more questions but that lot is a start, at least. Any helpful hints or advice will be gratefully accepted.

[zootalaws]

I remembered!

TVs, DVD players, home audio, etc? Better to bring or buy?

We will be bringing our computers - a mac laptop and mac mini, so I can carry them in my hand luggage. I have recently bought a couple of external hard disks for duplication, just in case we have a problem with travelling. I didn't want to bring a screen though - how reasonable is computer stuff? The second hand market seems to be selling stuff I would have consigned to the tip - P4s for $250-500??? Laptops seem particularly expensive compared to here, or are the ads I am seeing from chancers?

[jsteventon]

Hi

Did you check the long thread here called 'Thumbs Up for Brunei?'
I think you will find lots of answers there, but get back to me if not...

Happy reading!
JS

[zootalaws]

[zootalaws]

JS, that post you pointed me to did answer a lot, however ...

Dentist? Better in Brunei than UK?

Clothing? Especially for larger Euro-males?

Shoes for same (size 46/11)?

Thanks so much.

[celtica]

Size 46 is the largest shoe sold here in Brunei - or so several shops have told me. So they are available, but I would bring enough for a year or two to start.

Larger clothes? If not available there are hundreds of tailors who can make anything... all reasonable cheaply.

Prices of 2nd hand technology ... dreamers! There is so much new stuff available for close to the prices some people are advertising old stuff. Dell LCD monitor 23" around $150 Brunei. There are lots cheaper, lots more expensive. That's just a guide.

Unless you have particularly excellent stuff you really want to bring ... buy it here.

As for cars, there are a couple of expats here selling 2nd hand cars to new arrivals - you can easily get hold of two reasonable cars for under $10,000BND and depending on when you are arriving there are often expats leaving and selling theirs. Most car prices advertised online here get dropped by 20% to sell.

As a motorbike rider myself, I would never do it here - drivers are unpredictable and completely scary at times. I would not want to be seriously injured and have to recuperate in the local hospital. The private one is good, but in emergencies that is not where you are taken. As for bringing in your own...is the red tape worth it. It can be truly horrendous and require truckloads of patience for all the form filling.....

Internet connection is not that bad ... but it does vary according to area. ADSL may be more expensive, but telephone is $13 a month, power $100, water $1. (no typo! ) on average. Swings and roundabouts....

[zootalaws]

Wonderful - thanks. I guess I will have to sublimate my motorcycle jungle tours dream for another time

Dentist? Better to get stuff done here before I leave?

[celtica]

Well motocross bikes in the jungle are another thing altogether ... sounds like fun. (might find yourself bogged down regularly, but maybe that's half the fun?) Just the main road jungle I wouldn't do.

Many people have crowns done here - around $5-600BND I believe. Dentists trained in the UK for the main part..... only had fillings done myself - very up-to-date and OK so far.

[lacsap]

Some misinformation on this thread I think. First of all cars are not particularly expensive. Definitely MUCH cheaper than Malaysia and Singapore. Also cheap to run. Obviously, cheap petrol, (53 cents a litre) but also cheap road tax, (less than $50 a year) insurance (about $150 for 3rd Party for an average car) and repairs, if you avoid the main dealers. New cars cost more or less the same as UK. I paid 17000 for a new car, fairly basic saloon, a year or two ago. You can pick up reasonable Japanese cars for around 5000, for 7 or 8 year old, if you look and bargain hard. Korean cars cheaper. Don't buy European. That's a rule you ignore at your peril. Motorbikes can also be bought reasonably cheaply here, but it is not really safe. There aren't many around so drivers are not aware of them.
Dentists, if you can get in the queue for government dentists, then it's cheap but you might wait a while, maybe too long. Private ones are ok, I had root canal treatment and a crown for about $1000. If you go down to Miri in Sarawak, it can be a lot cheaper, but unless you are posted in Kuala Belait it's a bit of a trek, (about 2 and a half hours drive from BSB) if you have to go regularly. It is worth it for your kids' braces though. Good orthodontist down there.
Internet is fine. $68 a month for broadband, which is not superfast, but perfectly adequate for the average surfer. You can also add a widget thing which you plug in and gives you internet anywhere, through the mobile phone network for an extra $20 a month. You can also buy cards for broadband at various prices if you only want it occasionally. Computers etc definitely buy here. Much better choice and service than in the uk, and most software is now original. Some places will give you pirate stuff if you ask, but mostly its legit. To give you an idea, Acer Aspire 10.1 inch netbook is about $600, including external DVD writer. Good Acer/Dell laptops with 13 inch screen about 1000/1200. Things have begun to look a little more expensive than before, to people coming from overseas, largely because of the (favourable to us) exchange rate. 2 years ago, it was $2.7 to the pound, now it's $2.1, but of course the prices here have not changed much.
Food in the shops is relatively expensive, fresh milk for example is $7 for 2 litres, but you can get long life for about half that. Cheese about $20 a kilo. Veggies, local stuff quite cheap, imported from Australia, expensive.
Shoes, clothes. If you have big feet (44+) buy some before you come. Very hard to get big shoes. I speak from experience. Trainers ok, school shoes not. Clothes not so bad, depends more on your girth! Most sizes catered for. 40 inch waist is ok. Men can buy off the peg, women have stuff made.
DVD players, buy here, cheap as chips. Same for TV's, HD big screen, no probs.
Socialising: entirely up to you, either just with expats, or with locals. many people mix perfectly well with locals. Depends on the kind of person you are.
Regarding work for the non-teaching spouse, dodgy issue at the moment, immigration have been cracking down on people working without a work permit. Situation is fluid but as I say, bit iffy.
Outside the capital, life is slower. In the enclave of Temburong, it's sloooooooooow. Kuala Belait is full of Shell people with stacks more money than us, but it's a pleasant lifestyle. No one with kids is posted to either Temburong or KB, as there is no suitable schooling there. Few people live in Tutong, most who work there tend to commute from that side of the capital, such as Jerudong, and then do a 35-40 mins easy drive down a 4 lane highway.
Like anywhere else, the place is what you make of it. Everyone's experience is different, some people have difficulties which others don't. Some love it, some tolerate it, some hate it. PM me if you need any more specifics.

[Javaggall]

Hope you are in the process of coming to Brunei as we have been here nearly a year and love it! I would say though that everyone's experiences differ and I would add my thoughts on the car situation. You CAN get 2 cars for B$10000 but they will be old (reg around 1992 - 1995 is the norm) and they will need regular work done on them. We have bought two cars for $9000 and they run well, air con in both is new, etc - but we could have bought the same cars in the UK for $900 for both! Second hand cars are EXPENSIVE. You can certainly find a bargain when ex-pats are leaving but they won't be great buys as the leaver will want to get at least what they paid for the car! And they can afford to hold out at times as someone will buy it. Second hand cars are readily available but I think some of the dealers take ex-pats for a ride - the price is higher than you would expect and you can rarely knock them down more than $500.
Computers can be bought here with legit software - I just bought an ACER laptop for about $1000. The same laptop is cheaper in the UK but you would need to think about warranties and after sales care.
One thing I have struggled with buying is shoes - I will be stocking up when I head to UK in December! Everything is small here - even an XXL is not the same as an XXL in the UK. I use the tailors and find them to be generally very good although expect to wait a while during busy times.
Dentistry varies - a crown will cost $800 if the root remains intact, $2500 if no root - friend in the process of getting this done now. Government dentists are MUCH cheaper but you take your chances that you pick a good one as they vary. The clinics can be run down and my friend has had an infection every since having a tooth out! I cannot fault the doctors/hospital here though - they are knowledgeable, efficient and quick. And you are referred to see a specialist in a day - in the UK you can expect to wait 6 weeks! Although the private hospital (JPMC) is rated here, they do charge a lot for basic procedures - CfBT medical insurance covers this but you will pay the first $150 (dentist not included). What is worth remembering is that RIPAS (the local government run hospital) employs many of the same doctors as JPMC and will charge between $3 and $20 depending on what you need. The local clinics for GP services are crowded and a bit of a hassle but the doctors are excellent and it costs $3 - this included a consultation, 5 lots of medication and an x-ray! Something worth thinking about!
My husband is a stay at home dad and we manage fairly well on one salary. He enjoys a lot of sport with other stay at home dads and it is a huge bonus that he is always there for the children. He could get work - many ex-pats request his services as a joiner and general all round handy man but he chooses to do very little (mainly because it is too hot!) Other husbands have found work - one does IT freelance consultancy, two have got little jobs helping out at various places, and one recently joined Shell. They are opportunities available but I would echo previous comments about work permits - get one! Don't take the risk of being caught working without one as you have one day to leave the country - not worth it!
Social life in Brunei is as busy as you want it to be - we have found it TOO busy and are starting to turn down invites! We mostly socialise with ex-pats as there is always the alcohol issue and parties in private residences seem to overcome this problem. There is a vibrant party scene both in BSB and KB.
Hope this helps!

[zootalaws]

Thanks Javaggall - very helpful.

I am not looking to work 'under the counter' - I would like a real job

lacsap (Pascal?) thanks for your info - we are very flexible, food wise and could probably do without cheese and milk Local fruit and veg sounds about right - I grew up in Malaysia and am happy cooking and eating 'native'. The rest of your post has answered a lot of my other concerns.

[rumpledstiltskin]

[zootalaws]

Thanks for that!

Don't know where we will be living yet, but it doesn't look like anywhere is very far from anywhere else...

[lacsap]

I'm still harping on about cars. You can get good second hard cars cheaply. I was recently offered a very good condition 2005 Suzuki Ignis for $5500. Just your average runabout I know, but a perfectly good car. You have to look around but they are there if you look. New ones are also reasonable, In the Mall today. on display was a very nice new Suzuki Alto (no, I'm not on the payroll of the Suzuki dealer!) $15000 for the manual, $17000 for the automatic. Not a lot to add to your CFBT loan if you want to go down that route. Hyundai i10 about the same price. You do not have to get ripped off into paying a fortune for an old banger.

[zootalaws]

I might have to hit you up for some tips Pretty much everything I have seen in the classifieds is old and clapped out, but they are still asking $5-6000

Ideally we would like a 4WD - like a Vitara - to allow us to explore more off the beaten track. Most of the ones in the paper look like they are being gotten rid of, rather than being traded up from - if you get my drift.

I have given up any thoughts of bringing a bike in - apart from the fact that the Land Transport website is just plain broken, the High Commission in London don't seem to know much about the country they represent, or the staff that work there... after 4 or so tries and a succession of being passed from person to person with ever-diminishing return, I have seen the writing on the wall.

I have heard of people having to turn their cars around and send them back home - I won't have a 'home' to send it back to... so it is easier to just go with the bureaucratically idiosyncratic flow and just buy something overpriced in Brunei.

I do have one question - probably rhetorical - why does a country with almost no taxes, with no motor vehicle industry, charge its residents 200% tax on cars? It just doesn't seem to make sense...