SOS really need help!

1POSTS

13 years ago

HI,

i need to ask for advices, Pls help me? This is my case..I have credit cards debt in singapore approximately 20k with 3 different banks (loan and credit cards) singapore dollars,

I left singapore 1 year ago in 2011 since then i stop paying my debts.
Im in Thailand right now. What happened if I will go back to Spore for holiday? will the police or immigration stop me or even bring me to jail? Its really emmbarassing if it happen.

I was a permanent resident last time but now no more so ill be using passport to go in.

And lastly will my loan records will go through thailand banks too if im going to apply for credit card here or house loan?

Pls i need info so badly.

Thanks lots for your time.

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ruddy24 Active member

70POSTS

13 years ago

20K across three banks is not a huge amount and most big banks wouldn't even take matter to courts for such amount, so I doubt they have obtained judgments against you, hence don't think you'd be arrested the moment you enter.

Credit rating agencies usually work on a local basis (local banks affiliated with the local bureau can look up your credit record - I don't think foreign banks are registered/authorised to get such information from the local bureau), meaning with such debts you'd have a hard time getting anything at all in Singapore. For Thailand, they will look at your record with Thailand Credit Bureau or agency (which will include only Thai banks). not sure whether credit records are shared with banks on a transnational basis. Anyway you can only know for sure by just applying, doesn't cost anything

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

13 years ago

Contrary to the above poster, Singapore banks are quite strict and pursue even small debts of a few thousand dollars.
If the matter already went to court, they will have issued an arrest warrant to ensure your appearance.
You can check with the Singapore Police Force if there is an arrest warrant against you, and with the Magistrates Court whether cases are filed against you.
You can also be arrested during transit in Changi, and having another passport does not help, as the Singapore authorities can (and will) trace you with your name, birth date and place.
Credit rating data is usually available for all banks (incl. foreign). I don't know if a Thai bank would bother to ask for your history in Singapore, though they could.
I recommend you work with the creditor banks to resolve the issue, as it would otherwise haunt you forever. Honesty is generally the best way forward in life!

Captain_Cash Member

1POSTS

13 years ago

That's completely untrue. Having unsecured debt is not a criminal offence so no arrest warrant will be issued. The person can come and go through Singapore as a tourist and no Singapore bank will be notified. The debts will be passed to local debt collectors who obviously have not located the person.

Unsecured debt in Singapore is subject to a 6 year statute of limitations. This means that if the debt is not acknowledged and no payment is made for a 6 year continuous period the banks lose their right to legally recover the money. The debt is still there but the banks or debt collection agencies have no legal means to pursue it.

If the person is overseas and has no property in Singapore the courts will not grant a bankrupcy hearing as due to the almost impossible task of recovering any money and would only waste the official assignee's time and resources.

Codyfam88 Active member

38POSTS

12 years ago

@Kidrock
since there are some uncertainties, why not repay your debts before you return to Singapore? You can structure a repayment plan with the banks. I am sure it wasn't your intention to evade your debt responsibilities, isn't it?

swagger Member

1POSTS

11 years ago

@Kidrock Did you go back to Singapore? I am in the similar situation as you and want to visit them for a holiday.

I want to check if you found any answers

kenjee ViP

19610POSTS

11 years ago

Hello swagger! Welcome to Expat.com

Just for info, the initial post by kidrock is now aged 2 years old !

Hope you get the response you are looking for.

If not, maybe creating a new thread might help?!

Regards

Kenjee

rupa maitra Member

1POSTS

11 years ago

hi.
i want to go back to singapore again and work there. But i came to india from singapore 3years back. My debt of around 30k with the city bank. I couldnot repay because i got sick in singapore for 6months and went with number of operations in NUH hospital. But now i want to gpo there and work. But i have received number of threats from the bank like warrant. So please let me know if i go there will the police catch me. What will i do?

stumpy Laos Expert

18028POSTS

11 years ago

rupa maitra wrote:
hi.
i want to go back to singapore again and work there. But i came to india from singapore 3years back. My debt of around 30k with the city bank. I couldnot repay because i got sick in singapore for 6months and went with number of operations in NUH hospital. But now i want to gpo there and work. But i have received number of threats from the bank like warrant. So please let me know if i go there will the police catch me. What will i do?

The debt has to be paid.
You may not be able to get a work permit if you have this debt.

Perhaps contact the bank and ask them for guidance, tell them you wish to work back in Singapore and wish to repay the debt.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

11 years ago

#10

As Stumpy said, you need to clear the debt with the bank first. Then, if you already received an arrest warrant or similar (your post seems to indicate such), you need to clear the matter with the authorities and pay any outstanding fine. Do not try to enter Singapore before this is completed!

NIcoRobin13 Member

1POSTS

10 years ago

#11

i have a credit debt in singapore almost 17k.. can i still re enter in singapore to visit my friends?

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

10 years ago

#12

If the debt is recent and courts are not yet involved, you can enter Singapore as per normal.
But if the debtor already went to court (which is likely given the high amount), you could be arrested on arrival.
I recommend you first engage a Singapore lawyer to find out the status of your debt, and then find a mutually agreeable solution (e.g. partial repayment and the rest in installments) with the debtor before you visit.

bebang_29 Member

1POSTS

10 years ago

#13

i have a debts in Singapore but mine is on 1.5k and its just recent, my employer retrenched me that is why i was not able to pay it. Now i found job recently in other country and would like to go back SG to get some of my old stuff. Am i still to enter SG btw the debts just last October

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

10 years ago

#14

If the creditor (i.e. the person/business you owe the money to) has taken legal steps and an arrest warrant ws issued against you because you didn't appear in court, then you will be arrested on entry into the country.
It is best you contact the creditor to find out. It is also advisable to find a mutually ageed solution with them (e.g. payment in installments or similar).

Monty007 New member

4POSTS

9 years ago

#15

Moderated by Priscilla 9 years ago
Reason : illegal acts

surya2k VIP Member

2892POSTS

9 years ago

#16

When you said he is not feeling guilty and don't care the f.. about it, it shows how ignorant and arrogant person he is. Before pointing others including about banks or big creditors, start correct himself (your Friend or it's you - can find in your conscience). When a S$65k is peanut? If you think in SG law or government won't do anything after landed here, then ask your Friend that just try once and visit Singapore.. the myth of your ignorance will burst like a bubble.

Monty007 New member

4POSTS

9 years ago

#17

Right now he is working in Canada and likely to get PR and citizenship eventually. Shall update you if he travels back to SG on his Canadian passport. I guess he is smarter not ignorant. When I say peanuts it's true in case of big banks like DBS, ANZ and SC and their unsecured loans are backed by insurance. Well informed people suggested that 65k is too little even to forward to ICA, but sure will let you know if he visits SG as there are more than 190 countries in the world to work, live and default...

Monty007 New member

4POSTS

9 years ago

#18

To add he even got COC (certificate of clearance) from SPF online to apply for PR in Canada. Please don't misuse my information unless someone who really dont feel like repaying like my friend. If someone is unable to pay the loan (un)intentionally please do spend 250 dollars on sg lawyer to plan future course of action than relying on previous online reviews you will realize what i said is true. Loan default is not a big deal but immoral in a way depending on how you look at it.

Regards
Law abiding citizen.

Monty007 New member

4POSTS

9 years ago

#19

Moderated by Priscilla 9 years ago
Reason : illegal acts

surya2k VIP Member

2892POSTS

9 years ago

#20

You answered to your question itself. No matter whether he got Canadian PR or became an Indian PM, but the fact remains there that he cheated the bank who provided loan during his need. A wrong act is always wrong no matter how far try to establish the other way round. That's why I said ask his conscience, that amount may be small in terms of bank's overall defaulted amount but it's not a small amount for an individual's loan prospects.

He may get away of it by holding a different country passport (if in future he adopts another country as citizen) but his conscience make him guilty whenever he visits Singapore. So getting a PR from Canada is nothing to do with it as I'm cent percent sure that he never declared them as a defaulter in Singapore when he was working here.

Yes, there are 212 countries in the world but where ever your friend will do this, it will be considered as an offense. No where your friend will get appreciation for doing this act. I don't need further justification, as my conscience never allow to do so irrespective of any situation I may go through. Wishing him good luck though.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

9 years ago

#21

Borrowing money with the pretense of re-paying it and then defaulting on that promise is illegal - and rightly so!
Since it is not allowed to encourage or even discuss illegal activities on this forum (as per forum rules, which you agreed to when signing up), I asked the moderators to remove Monty007's posts above, in which he did so.

astroboy123 Member

3POSTS

9 years ago

#22

Hello mates!

I have the same case and I want to visit my friends in Singapore.
Will there be a problem with immigration?
Has anyone tried to go back and any problem encountered?

tnx.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

9 years ago

#23

astroboy123 wrote:
I have the same case and I want to visit my friends in Singapore.
Will there be a problem with immigration?
Has anyone tried to go back and any problem encountered?

"Same case" means you also borrowed money in Singapore and left the country without paying back your debt?
In that case, you won't find anyone here who "encountered a problem", because they're all in prison or deported without the possibility to return to Singapore.
I seriously recommend you contact the creditor and arrange for a mutually agreeable solution BEFORE you attempt to enter Singapore again. Then you are clear and won't have to fear any more consequences.

SGCC Member

2POSTS

9 years ago

#24

Hi, I need advise, thanks in advance

I am a foreigner and I no longer in Singapore due to retranchment.
I have credit card debt of 30k with 1 bank and I already have 2 defaults. I called the bank to ask for installment plan and will start paying on May or June once I get job as currently I am waiting for my working permitt, the bank officer said its cannot and they said I can arrange installment plan only after I they cancelled my card.

Once the card cancelled a legal office call me and I explain the same to them however they have sent a letter which demand me to pay within 3 days and a week later they have sent me another letter demand me to pay 3k and the rest of the outsanding to be paid 3k a month until its done else they will take legal action or made me bankcrupt.

I am looking for your advise and help as I currently waiting for Employment Pass approval and I will start paying when I get my first month salary.
- Will I be able to enter and able to work in Singapore again if they do take legal action or made me bankcrupt ?
- Will I go to jail if I enter Singapore again in future ?

Thank you and best regards,

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

9 years ago

#25

SGCC wrote:
- Will I be able to enter and able to work in Singapore again if they do take legal action or made me bankcrupt ?

No! With a negative legal record you will not get a work (or other) visa.

SGCC wrote:
- Will I go to jail if I enter Singapore again in future ?

This depends on what kind of legal action the bank takes and if an arrest warrant was issued (e.g. to ensure your appearance in court).

You only have yourself to blame: You took up a loan with the promise (implicitly given under the credit card rules) to pay it back when due. You broke that promise.
Now you are asking the bank to accept pay-back in installments, which de facto is asking for a later and more flexible due date. The bank is under no obligations to accept that - and since you already cheated them once, why should they? (It would be much different if you had asked for a solution BEFORE the loan was due - I know that banks are more flexible in this case.)
So now you have two choices:
- Not paying back as the bank demands, and spending the rest of your life outside of Singapore.
- Borrowing money elsewhere (maybe another bank that you didn't cheat yet) and paying them back.

And maybe you learn from this that it is better to spend only money you have.

SGCC Member

2POSTS

9 years ago

#26

Dear Beppi,

Thank you for your answer, yes I did make mistake.

However I still wanna pay the all the debt, is it possible for the foreigner like me to get assitance from CCS or join debt repayment scheme, coz I heard for singaporean they could help.

How long it takes for the banks to issue arrest warrant to made me not able to enter Singapore again as I just need few months to secure job and to start paying

, lets say 3 months or 6 months.

Thank you in advance for your kind help,

Best regards,

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

9 years ago

#27

I have no idea how long it takes to issue an arrest warrant, but I doubt that it takes several months.
You probably have no choice but to come to a mutually acceptable agreement with the bank (and the longer you let them wait, the less likely this is!) , or forget about coming to Singapore again.
Why don't you just borrow money elsewhere to re-pay your debt? The bank already said that nothing else than immediate re-payment is acceptable to them - and,honestly, I can understand that they don't want to extend the loan with you under ANY circumstances!

JujuDouceur Member

2POSTS

9 years ago

#28

Hi there,

I have a similar problem but in way smaller proportion.
I do not have any problems with banks or anything like that, however, I worked in SG for about 1 year and a half (back in 2011 and 2012). My salary was pretty low, 2,800 SGD per month so about 33kSGD per year.

I left the country without paying the IRAS. I am looking at a few hundreds SGD taxes unpaid. It's not much really but I failed to pay it.

Will I be in trouble if I transit there going to Indonesia ?

Thanks in advance

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

9 years ago

#29

Yes, you will be in trouble if your identity is checked (in transit, this is not routinely done, but there might be spot checks).
Better contact IRAS and pay your debt before you travel!

JujuDouceur Member

2POSTS

9 years ago

#30

Thanks Beppi,

I just did, waiting for their reply and the outstanding amount

Cheers

surya2k VIP Member

2892POSTS

9 years ago

#31

Chances are very rare to rare case where they will check your passport details into their system and flag back to pending IRAS payment which was a 5yrs old case and the amount was pretty less. But, you never know when your bad luck starts.

But now you are checking with IRAS, the probability of checking at transit point will be gone up. But, hope they response back to your mail soon with a solution to clear that pending amount before you arrive at Changi Airport. Good luck.

escadakoh Member

3POSTS

8 years ago

#32

Ensure to settle all your debts before re-entering Singapore since the banks most likely reported the bad debts!!

Trident81 Member

1POSTS

8 years ago

#33

Hi Guys,

Is there any debt consolidation scheme for foreigners holding ep in Singapore.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

8 years ago

#34

Trident81 wrote:
Is there any debt consolidation scheme for foreigners holding ep in Singapore.

I have never heard of one.
Maybe you can ask the bank or other institution where you have your debt - they should have an interest in enabling you to pay as much as possible, which often requires such schemes.

surya2k VIP Member

2892POSTS

8 years ago

#35

You should check with the lender (likely a financial institution), they give alternate plans to the borrower in order to clear the debt (one option is, by allowing to pay the minimum amount over a period of time).

Zion_cepheroe Member

3POSTS

8 years ago

#36

If im foreigner working in SG, Got Debt in credit card company. Since i want to clear my name i called them to check outstanding bills. Without knowing interests file up so high. If i cant manage to pay it on their terms, can they file bankruptcy on me as foreigner?

surya2k VIP Member

2892POSTS

8 years ago

#37

If you discussed with the lender (must be an authorised financial institution) and worked out for repayment over period of time or onetime, then why the lender will have an issue?

Secondly, lender doesn’t file bankruptcy, it’s the borrower who is unable to repay the loan amount declared himself bankrupt (like how in USA, someone files Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a court).

Zion_cepheroe Member

3POSTS

8 years ago

#38

Thanks for reply

In case you can only pay certain amount. And credit card company doesnt agree. Can they file bankruptcy to a foreigner? Or sue foreigner to court? Whats the worst they can do? Searching for answer on the internet but cant find.

Read some article that no one gets jailed regarding cc isaues. Is it true?

just want to know regarding law in singapore regarding debt credit card if foreigner cant settle the amount they asking what will be the consequence.

Ive read also creditor can file bankruptcy to debtor. Is it true. Bankruptcy stated cannot leave country or will be put in jailed 2 years. Didnt know if this apply to foreigners working abroad.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15635POSTS

8 years ago

#39

You cannot be arrested for not paying your debts.
If you owe and don't pay, the debtor can sue you.
If you don't appear in court (e.g. because you're out of the country), an arrest warrant can be issued.
The debtor cannot declare you bancrupt, but the court can - and will if the debt is big and you don't cooperate (e.g. because you're out of the country).
Debt collection and arrest warrant can also be pursued internationally, although that is not likely unless the amount is very big.

Zion_cepheroe Member

3POSTS

8 years ago

#40

Thanks beppi,

In my case, i lost my job and faced financial difficulties reason why i didnt pay. Way back 2010 And now im ready ive contacted them 6k amount becomes 80k (interest) is there a way to remove interest and settle principal amount?( Credit card issue.)
Is there any instances or history that banks did this? Like in other countries they waive offf interest and let u settle actual amount used?