How much can i afford to spend on a home

SINGAPORE - Quality pre-school education will be made more accessible, so that children in Singapore can have a good start in life. Annual spending by the Government on the early childhood sector is set to double to more than $2 billion per year within the next few years, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Tuesday (Feb 18). This is up from the $1 billion spent in 2018. "Good education provides a strong foundation for children to grow, realise their aspirations, and continue a journey of lifelong learning," he said. "We are determined to give every child, regardless of circumstances, a good start in life." The move is among a raft of measures announced to make quality education across all levels more accessible and affordable. Many of the measures are focused on helping students from lower-income families, putting them on a more equal footing with others. Mr Heng said: "This substantial investment is how we maximise every child's potential, regardless of family ... » Learn More about Singapore Budget 2020: More help to ensure every Singaporean student can reach potential, regardless of family income

Since she joined property developer Sena Development Plc 17 years ago, 2020 turned out to be one of the most memorable years for Kessara Thanyalakpark. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, her company still managed to achieve record revenue, record pre-sales and a high net profit. She was also promoted to managing director. Last year was the best year for the company despite the virus crisis. The company's strong performance was derived from the foundations she had spent five years previously laying down, initiatives she had worked hard to push before the pandemic struck. "Frankly speaking, if I had not spent 100% of my full time working with the company five years ago, joint ventures such as the one with Japanese partner Hankyu Hanshin Properties and the new initiatives like the solar homes and Made From Her campaign would not have happened," she said. In 2004, while working as a full-time lecturer in banking and finance at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Commerce and ... » Learn More about The woman behind solar residential properties

Finding a condo for rent in Ekkamai allows you entry into the upscale world and fun lifestyle of Bangkok. The Ekkamai neighbourhood of Bangkok has long enjoyed an upscale reputation. Close to some of the best restaurants and nightspots in Bangkok, this neighbourhood is right next to the Thonglorneighbourhood. Together these two neighbourhoods are trend-setting areas of the city has the envy of everyone. The thing is, you don’t have to be wealthy to afford a luxury condo in Ekkamai. The real estate development boom of the last ten years or so has removed wealth from any consideration of a luxury lifestyle and residence in Ekkamai. The sheer amount of competition between developers has meant there is a large number of condos for rent in Ekkamai that are perfectly affordable for the average wage-earner. Excellent Facilities and Amenities These luxury condos all feature community swimming pools surrounded by lush gardens and children’s play areas. They also feature ... » Learn More about Find a Condo for Rent in Ekkamai to Enjoy an Upscale Lifestyle

Human traffickers in Thailand have ignored court orders to compensate victims in more than 99% of cases in recent years. Fueling fears that many survivors could be re-trafficked. Thai courts have ordered traffickers to pay their victims more than $4.3 million for damages caused in about 1,335 cases since 2014, according to the latest available statistics from the Office of the Attorney General. But the money was only paid in five cases, with survivors receiving a total of 5.6 million baht. Excluding cases settled out of court – found data from the government’s anti-trafficking department, obtained via Thailand’s freedom of information law, Reuters reports. Although Thailand has rescued a record-breaking 1,000-plus trafficking victims this year. Campaigners are concerned that the failure to pay compensation will leave them in fresh danger. “It’s an important issue that is unfortunately being neglected,” said Chonticha Tangworamongkon. Chonticha is a program director at the ... » Learn More about Convicted Human Traffickers Flout 99% of Court Orders

In a survey of 24 countries conducted by YouGov, it was found that Thai Food is one of the world’s top five foodie favorites. – In this article we offer tips on where to Find the Best Thai Restaurants Thailand became a popular holiday destination in the 1980s, and the country’s fare, along with its stunning nature and fascinating culture, is one of the primary reasons people travel there. According to the survey, Thailand had more entries in the World’s 50 Best Foods than any other country. Luckily, these dishes aren’t only found in Thailand and are readily available in other locations across the globe. Here are the three destinations around the world with the best Thai restaurants, and where to stay to make sure you can access them easily. Bangkok Thai Food While Chiang Mai may be considered the culinary capital of Thailand, Bangkok is much larger and is home to many more restaurants. Indeed, one of the most famous Thai restaurants on the planet is located in the ... » Learn More about How Thai Food Conquered the World, Where to Find the Best Thai Restaurants

SENATORS Ana Theresia Hontiveros and Francis Pangilinan on Sunday recognized the invaluable contributions of Filipino women in the country’s fight against the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 70 percent of the health and social workforce is made up of women. In a 2019 study, WHO stressed that investments in the health workforce could lead to women’s economic empowerment. For instance, while the majority of healthcare workers are women, they earn, on average, 28 percent less than men. For this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day, Hontiveros stressed that women and the Filipino spirit of bayanihan (communal unity) are key factors in the country’s recovery. “The pandemic only exacerbated the multiple burdens women already carry. If we want to wholly recover from this crisis, we need to band together to better support our women,” she said in a statement. “The past year is unlike any other, and as we commemorate International Women’s Day, we ... » Learn More about Senators laud women’s role in pandemic fight

SINGAPORE - Parliament's annual debate on the spending plans of the Government and various ministries ended on Monday (March 8). Here are 11 key themes which emerged. 1. Cushioning petrol duty hikes As part of measures to shift towards a greener and sustainable Singapore for all generations, petrol duty rates will be raised by 15 cents per litre for premium petrol and 10 cents per litre for intermediate petrol. The Government will set aside $113 million to provide rebates for petrol and petrol-hybrid vehicles, to ease the transition following the hike. There will be a 15 per cent road tax rebate for owners of private cars for one year, and a 60 per cent rebate for those owning motorcycles. Owners of commercial vehicles will get a 100 per cent tax rebate for a year. Additional petrol duty rebates for motorcycles, taxis and private-hire cars will be introduced by the middle of this year, with more details to be released next month. Taken together, these measures ... » Learn More about Budget debate at a glance: Transforming Singapore for a post-Covid-19 future

SINGAPORE - All Singaporeans aged 21 and older this year will get a one-off cash payout of between $100 and $300, depending on their income. Parents with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 and younger this year will each receive an additional $100 in cash. The cash payout scheme is part of a $1.6 billion Care and Support package to help families defray some of their household expenses amid the downturn. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 18) afternoon: "This year, with the economic slowdown and the uncertainities of the Covid-19 outbreak, we are mindful that many families are facing greater pressures. "During my fellow MPs' and my own walkabouts, people often tell us that they are worried about job security and rising expenditures." Those with an assessable income of up to $28,000 for the 2019 year of assessment will get $300. Those who earn between $28,001 and $100,000 get $200 and those earning over $100,000 or who own more than one ... » Learn More about Singapore Budget 2020: All adult Singaporeans to get one-off cash payout ranging from $100 to $300

Thailand’s economy in 2020 performed at its lowest levels in over two decades, just-released, full-year data shows. The year’s 6.1% contraction falls short of the devastating 7.6% decline that occurred in 1997 during the Asian Financial Crisis. Officials blamed the demise on Thailand’s economy from the gutted tourism industry ; due to travel and border restrictions, and ongoing political upheaval within the Kingdom. They also made it clear that they now expect the economic rebound of 2021 to be much slower than initially predicted. This news is another blow to the millions of struggling business owners and workers who are suffering since travel stopped and the tourism industry collapsed. Secretary general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Danucha Pichayanan, explained the government’s stimulus package is the reason the shocking economic decline slowed in the last quarter of the year. A long term effect of stimulus loans is ... » Learn More about Stimulus, Local Demand Helping Thailand’s Economy Slowly Recover

DAILY RIDE. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua arrives at the Neda on a bicycle. PHOTO FROM CHUA INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT MANILA, Philippines—As he now bikes to work from his Ortigas home to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) office in Pasig City, acting Neda chief and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua is urging more bicycle lanes and other measures to encourage workers to bike to work to beat the lack of public transportation. Chua told the Inquirer on Monday (March 8) that the last time he regularly rode a bike was back in his high school years, “then my bike got old and I never got to do it again.” But since he was designated by President Rodrigo Duterte to head Neda in 2020, Chua said he resumed biking “partly for health reasons, to make me exercise more.” Chua got for himself a beginner, folding Tern bike, noting that bikes in general are less expensive than cars—one can buy them for as low as P4,000, to as high as ... » Learn More about Neda chief speaks from experience, urges more, safer bicycle lanes