Malaysia....too Good To Be True?!

[Big A]

^^^^

[darkstar1943]

Hi,

300,000 ringget is no small piece of change; it's well over $80,000 U.S.

Retirement visa in Thailand is about $22,000 U.S. in combined pension/savings!

In addition a larger Tiger beer is $4 in a 7/11. Large Chang is about $1.

And Malaysia is hot has hel_l all year round with no respite.

<<post cleaned - samran>>

I'll take Thailand any day.

Dan

[Big A]

300,000 ringget is no small piece of change; it's well over $80,000 U.S.

Retirement visa in Thailand is about $22,000 U.S. in combined pension/savings!

YES, BUT DON'T FORGET...IN THAILAND YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE B400,000 (MARRIAGE VISA) OR B800,000 (RETIREMENT VISA) EVERY YEAR AND YOU CAN'T SPEND IT (OR IF YOU DO YOU HAVE TO RETURN IT NEAR EXTENSION TIME). IN MALAYSIA, YOU CAN SPEND MOST OF IT AS LONG AS IT'S ON SENSIBLE THINGS (CAR, HOUSE, EDUCATION, HOSPITAL ETC)

And Malaysia is hot has hel_l all year round with no respite.

AND THAILAND ISN'T!!!

post cleaned <<samran>>

Edited March 18, 2007 by samran

[samran]

keep the racist inuendo out of this.

Also, don't feed the trolls.

[samran]

Forum rule:

3) Religious or racial slurs, rude and degrading comments towards women, or extremely negative views of Thailand will not be tolerated.

Posts breaking this rule have been deleted. Poster warned.

[craigt3365]

Wow...such nice people...in 2 months of traveling from Sabah to Penang I never saw a burka. And in Sabah and Sarawak I saw many, many, many beautiful young girls. Mini skirts, shorts, no head scarves. True beauties. Even around KL most women did not wear head scarves. If you do see a burka or a heavily islamist woman, they are probably tourists from the middle east. Sure, many wear head scarves, but so what.

I went to Malaysia to see if it was a good alternative to Thailand. In many ways I liked it better, in others I did not. the infrastructure seems to be better. Sidewalks are better, etc. Kuching is a really neat city.

I did find it to be a little more expensive. But they speak great English and treated me fantastic. Probably better than I get treated here in Thailand. The level of "sanuk" seems to be a little lower, in general. But I LOVED seeing young men sitting around drinking tea rather than getting falling down drunk and then getting into fights. That just gets old after a while....

[Big A]

.........or a heavily islamist woman.............

One requiring the services of a dietician!!!

[robint]

isnt it strange

people with the most negative sentiments about living in a muslim country seem to be those who know least about it. I have spent half my working life in the middle east and adapted to the varying requirements of strictness according to the country

Compare for example Dubai/Sharjah/RAK/Oman/Abudhabi/Bahrain/Qatar with the much feared KSA and worse Kuwait

and you would come up with some surpring opinions about living and working there. For me it was a pleasure up till 9/11. It all went pear shaped after that.

I am seriously considering Malaysia and have already done a lot of homework.

thanks to those posters who donated their personal experience - pretty much reinforced my own opinions

I have resided in LOS for 20 years and have seen the situation deteriorate dramatically over the last 5 years (with last year being particularly offensive to the much despised flang)

Were I alone in the world I would probably be too lazy to move after all this time, but I have a family and young daughter to consider

we are all aware of how parlous the education system is and would present a serious handicap to an intelligent childs development. so i must seriously consider malaysia for its far superior work and study ethic. The country has a decent international reputation when all's said and done

so reluctantly what used to be seen as charming sanuk is now just plain foolishness

[MCM001]

With regards to the Thai government rolling towards xenophobia and all the 'supposed' people leaving in droves because of police checks, fingerprinting, immigration raids, incompetent and corrupt officials with upturned palms,, has anyone tried out the www.mm2h.com' 10 year visa?

Apparently, you need 300,000 ringgit (B3 million) in the bank which can be spent as long as it is on reasonable things (house, hospital, education, car....) and you are given a 10 yr visa with tax free incentives.

Is this too good to be true, or is Thailand too bad to be true!!!

[MCM001]

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Not too good to be true...Just true

Have been living in Malaysia for 2 years under MM2H...and it works.

But the money cannot be withdrawn immediately.

Suggest you go to Google and type Malaysia My Second Home .. Then chose the site of the Malaysian Government Ministry of Tourism. Everything is there, with all details. They speak (almost ) perfect English, and know what they are talking about.

Cheers MCM

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[Khun Bob]

HI

I'm a woman, 45 and can still turn heads with minimal preparation.

I'm living in Thailand where I haven't had a date in over a year because all the foreign men are here for.. well you know. Can't and don't want to compete with that.

As for Thai men, they seem to be totally sexist and /or chronic alcoholics.

Question:. Is Malaysia any different? I've read the local women whom are mainly muslim are strictly off- limits to foreigners . So would I have an easier time finding suitable men?

I'm thinking of Penang as I like to be near the sea

You may find an interesting similarity between Thai men and Malaysian men - except a Muslim malay man probably wont be a drunk - some asian men see western women in the same way some western men see asian women. Yet there alwats exceptions. Ask Thai women what they think of Thai men ? Then understand why they go with western men. Doesnt add up, but it happens.

Having the same priviledges and status as you may expect in the western world, in asia, is probably not to be expected.

The malay women arent off limits to foreigners - most westerners marry the chinese, then the indians - but there are a few that marry the malays (bumiputera). All is possible and it is not difficult at all - in fct more straigtforward than Thailand and it is easier to take a malaysian woman back to the west than a Thai woman.

Edited March 18, 2007 by Khun Bob

[Khun Bob]

Thailand and malaysia are different - having a western way of life at a low price is possible in Thailand - however in malaysia you have to be more careful and some things are taxed more. But the quality of life is much better - I have spent quite a bit of time in several places in malaysia and the honesty of the malys is very refreshing after thailand. There is no resentment toward foreigners - I am british and dont have a problem saying so - No Malays have ever said anythig about this. I have not had any problems with the indians. However the chinese will attempt to scam you - some will. There is not racial harmony in malaysia. The malays typically dont like the chinese and the chinese are similar to the chinese in thailand. The indians are quite easy going. There are foreigners doing very well in malaysia. And there are not many foreigners in rural malaysia - the ones that are there are not crooks or appear to be so. Many of the foregners I have met in Thailand I would not want to be associated with.

Having said that some thngs are getting worse in malaysia - the sort of crimes britain has become renowed for - burglary, mugging, rape, car crime are on a significant increase in malaysia. There is a bad, mischeviuos, threatening energy in 20-30 yr old men, who have cars or motorbikes that I dont like and is similar to Thailand. On the backroads and in the small towns and villages it uis similar to Thailand. Except that alchohol is usually not involved.

Also because the engligh ability is better the questioning can be better - sometimes talking to a 30yr + male malaysian can be like being in a police station having exery aspect of your life questioned.

However, the malay girls are very sweet and innocent. And just because they wear the veil doesnt mean they dont think or say wayward things. Some of the malay girls are very clever, educated and well achieved but dont leave their local area. A good source of untapped and honest, trustworthy potential.

If any body would like to know more, would like to relocate to Malaysia or set up a presence there, please PM me.

[markokang]

I have lived in Malaysia (Segamat) for 6 months and found it quite pleasant, everyone was friendly and never had a problem. I lived with Chinese but regularly interacted with Malays. All was good.

Food: personally I think the best in the world!

Don't know much about rentals, standards of living etc.

Defiantely the normal corruption but pretty standard stuff.

I did notice that written in Malay law that Chinese "can" and are taxed at higher rates (or the other way around... Malay businessmen or small business have tax relief... again... not sure how deep that kind of thing goes. Chinese still are very successful and seem happy.

I really enjoyed my time there

[Khun Bob]

Not to mention the potentially islamically based stealth taxes on alchohol and pork !

I beleive that there were even issues surrounding interest on savings, however this is now halal as it is described as profit - problem solved !

As always it is the chinese that want to work hard and make money, where as the malays just want to take it easy and have a happy, conflict free life (and who can blame them) - but the chinese give the malays a hard time - and dont always expect your pay packet and if if they dont pay their is little you can do unless you are very well connected...

The chinese look down on the malays and this has been very evident to me in Penang. Where as the indians and the malays, usually have less conflicts. It is also the chinese that are less likely to mix out of their groups.

Being British I have not encountered 1 malay reticent of the British in Malaysia. However, were I Japanese, then amongst the older people of malaysia, who remember and survived the occupation during the seconnd world war, there would be hatred.

There are still many artificacts of the british in malaysia and it is somewhat amazing to see british museaum pieces in daily usage - ie post boxes from 60-100 years ago - still working fine.

But what shocked me most is the price of land in malaysia compared to thailand. Rubber tree plantation in kelantan is 7000 RM upwards per acre. But gee whiz there is so much land for sale. 10000 acres no problem. Hotels, industrial land for 200+MillionRM, it super big money. I know how to get some places cheaop there and about 25% more than thailand, but I'm surprised at land. Still I have to work on some of my contacts and see what will come up. Like Thailand it is the land that doesnt get advertised in the english language and the connections that can get the real price and the best value...

I anyone has any websites of good value Malaysian land, please PM me and I will return with the sites I have found...

I have lived in Malaysia (Segamat) for 6 months and found it quite pleasant, everyone was friendly and never had a problem. I lived with Chinese but regularly interacted with Malays. All was good.

Food: personally I think the best in the world!

Don't know much about rentals, standards of living etc.

Defiantely the normal corruption but pretty standard stuff.

I did notice that written in Malay law that Chinese "can" and are taxed at higher rates (or the other way around... Malay businessmen or small business have tax relief... again... not sure how deep that kind of thing goes. Chinese still are very successful and seem happy.

I really enjoyed my time there