Lifestyle - Thailand v Malaysia

[ArranP]

Anybody have experience of living in both these countries?

 

I have lived Thailand ( Phuket / Koh Lanta ) since 2012 and am considering re-locating to Langkawi Malaysia.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[StreetCowboy]

Can’t comment on Langkawi or Phuket.  I lived in Bangkok and now Kuala Lumpur

[madmen]

Langkawi is underwhelming , just didn't have any vibe to it. I find Muslim countries boring

[Alainpm]

14 minutes ago, madmen said:

Langkawi is underwhelming , just didn't have any vibe to it. I find Muslim countries boring

I skip anything muslim

[Sujo]

I did not ‘live’ in thailand but went with the intention of living there. Stayed for 3 months on visa runs.

 

Then checked out KL.

 

Decided Malaysia was a better option. Been here over 6 years and still think I made a good choice.

 

Langkawi is ok for a short holiday but I couldnt live there. Just not enough happening there for my liking.

 

Penang is good. That would be my 2nd choice over KL.

 

Pay no attention to posters going on about muslims, there is no issue here.

[Tayaout]

I like Langkawi a lot and would not mind living there. 

Edited September 13, 2019 by Tayaout

[ThomasThBKK]

My friends brother ended up in jail in Langkawi for a 1 day overstay.

he went to the police to get an extension on the last day, they told him to just come back tomorrow, he did... they arrested him, had to bribe him out, he went to thailand afterwards.

 

I only went to KL myself, but don't fancy it over BKK

Edited September 13, 2019 by ThomasThBKK

[legend49]

4 hours ago, Alainpm said:

I skip anything muslim

Why you live here then? South Thailand has a high percentage of Muslims!

[ylmiri]

In Malaysia you will be bored stiff , stiff like a rod. That's a joke, not really. It depends on your age, your personality and character to fit in the Malaysian society.

 If you are not married and you like to visit bars and chat up ladies of the bars then it would be a problem for you in Langkawi.

 But say if you are single and lucky to meet Malaysian lady (educated ones) then you probably have a pleasant trip in this life. Malaysian ladies who are educated speak good english (I mean graduated ones). They will help you to save money not spend your money. I mean most Malaysian ladies do that not all of course.

   An Irish bloke in Penang married an educated chinese lady and she taught him to speak a chinese dialect (called Hokkien) This Irish bloke is really good he learned the dialect even wrote the first Hokkien-English dictionary.

  Life is changing all the time, small little changes that you don't notice and you are really a number. When your number is up, that's it.

[daveAustin]

Both decent holiday destinations.

[Lacessit]

13 hours ago, legend49 said:

Why you live here then? South Thailand has a high percentage of Muslims!

Yes, they slip over the border every weekend for the drinking and screwing they can't get in Malaysia.

The few times I've been in a Muslim country, it's (a) boring (b) annoying to be woken up at 4 am by the loudspeakers of the local mosque.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Lacessit

[lagavulin1]

19 hours ago, madmen said:

Langkawi is underwhelming , just didn't have any vibe to it. I find Muslim countries boring

I concur. Was a yawnathon. My kids tried to eat themselves to death. 

[tifino]

Lived on Penang for 5 years... two of them as a single buck 

 

every second weekend was a quick flit up to Hatyai/Sonkla/Cowboytown, then back for work on the Monday... quite a few times on the pushbike... a short 10 hour ride each way. 

 

I'd go back Penang tomorrow!! but from the last time there, the Khalwat Squad probably still have me on their Records 

 

... those last 2 years shacked up with a malay beauty, after the Ex-wife Filo thief ran back to Manila. 

 

but really, having malaysia and thailand as neighbours; means you can get to experience the best (and the scariest) of both worlds!!  

 

averaging 26 return pairs of Border crossings per year... can't do THAT these days eh!! 

 

Often boated (hydafoil) it up to Langkawi, from Penang. 

It is the closest Malaysia has to offer, as a psudo Phuket (the Island, not the bars)

 

 

 

[StevieAus]

15 hours ago, legend49 said:

Why you live here then? South Thailand has a high percentage of Muslims!

But the Provinces where they have a high percentage of Muslims are not places the average expat would choose to live.

Elsewhere the bulk of the people are Buddhists and the Muslims are not a problem.

[RoadWarrior371]

Malaysia is boring, but modern and abundant English.  Retire there, if I had other choices?  Not a chance. 

[Selatan]

8 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Yes, they slip over the border every weekend for the drinking and screwing they can't get in Malaysia.

The few times I've been in a Muslim country, it's (a) boring (b) annoying to be woken up at 4 am by the loudspeakers of the local mosque.

If you are talking about the Malay Malaysians, then yes, they do go across the border for the screwing and drinking because the religious authorities cannot touch them over there. But for the non-Malay Malaysians, like the ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians, drinking and screwing are available, especially in the cities and larger towns. Most prostitutes in Malaysia are foreigners.

The first azan starts at 5.53am, not 4am, and if you have been here long enough, your brain automatically filters them. Some people even rely on it as an alarm clock.

[Scott3000]

Great thread! Alternatives to Thailand... which may include shorter stays in Thailand as well.

 

How is the cost of living, esp. rent, in Langkawi compared to Chiang Mai, Malacca, and Penang?

 

Does Malaysia have a handle on things like mold/mildew? 

 

How loud is morning ceremonial noise, and can one escape it by choice of living location? Where I am now is just fine; if I moved 100-200 meters, it might be a bit noisy for me.

 

It looks like the rainy season begins to stop in Langkawi in November & then it's dry... this option is looking better by the minute!

 

I'm in a boring part of Bali... doing my thing and that's more than enough for me. Eating boring tropical fruits. Don't drink, don't smoke. Not traveling around all over Bali. Just staying put & living my life one day at a time.

 

But for immigration & breathing reasons, I will leave Bali before the rain begins. I've already booked my flight from DPS to KUL in November & not sure where I will live... this thread is interesting to me!

 

Boring place... where stuff works... I can handle that!

 

Edited September 15, 2019 by Scott3000
syntax

[Selatan]

7 hours ago, Scott3000 said:

Great thread! Alternatives to Thailand... which may include shorter stays in Thailand as well.

 

How is the cost of living, esp. rent, in Langkawi compared to Chiang Mai, Malacca, and Penang?

 

Does Malaysia have a handle on things like mold/mildew? 

 

How loud is morning ceremonial noise, and can one escape it by choice of living location? Where I am now is just fine; if I moved 100-200 meters, it might be a bit noisy for me.

 

It looks like the rainy season begins to stop in Langkawi in November & then it's dry... this option is looking better by the minute!

 

I'm in a boring part of Bali... doing my thing and that's more than enough for me. Eating boring tropical fruits. Don't drink, don't smoke. Not traveling around all over Bali. Just staying put & living my life one day at a time.

 

But for immigration & breathing reasons, I will leave Bali before the rain begins. I've already booked my flight from DPS to KUL in November & not sure where I will live... this thread is interesting to me!

 

Boring place... where stuff works... I can handle that!

 

The cost of living in Langkawi is low, but it lacks things like a vibrant night life and big malls that big cities have. Beer and cigarettes are cheap in Langkawi because it is a duty-free island but that may not interest you since you said you don't drink or smoke.

There are smaller cities and towns in Malaysia, such as Ipoh and Kuantan that are larger than Chiang Mai but with a cost of living comparable or even lower than Chiang Mai. Development in Malaysia is better spread-out than in Thailand where Bangkok is a giant city with many other Thai cities small in comparison. If you live in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, there are many smaller towns that you can choose from such as Taiping and Sungai Petani that are around the size of Chiang Mai. The good thing about these smaller northern towns is that they are connected with the North South Highway and the KTM railway network, so you can go on a weekend holiday at Kuala Lumpur, Penang or even Hat Yai, easily and cheaply.

There are 2 options to escape the heat - Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands. Cameron Highlands is two hours away from Ipoh by car and it has a few small farming towns. Genting Highlands is one hour away from Kuala Lumpur by car and it is a big entertainment city with one small town called Gohtong Jaya which has some condos. It's possible to retire cheaply to Cameron Highlands but Genting Highlands is not cheap.

WIth high humidity whole year around, mold and mildew should, in theory, be a problem in Malaysia but so far it doesn't seem to be the case, at least inside homes, although exterior walls may be affected by rain.

Living in an area with a big Chinese population would suffer less from the azan noise. Even living nearby a mosque may not be that bad if the loudspeakers are not pointed in the direction of your house. You have to go to the site during the azans to gauge how noisy they are for a particular location.

If you want to live in a state with less muslims, you may consider Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, Sarawak's Christian population is bigger than its Muslim population. Sabah, the state north of Sarawak, has nice beaches with turquoise blue water but it has a muslim majority. The cost of living in these 2 states are not low because transportation costs are higher than those on the peninsula.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Selatan

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, Selatan said:

There are smaller cities and towns in Malaysia, such as Ipoh and Kuantan that are larger than Chiang Mai but with a cost of living comparable or even lower than Chiang Mai.

I like Ipoh, quite Chinese and very laid back, with plenty of options for food and nightlife. 

[StreetCowboy]

I’ve never cycled in Phuket. Langkawi is nice for cycling; on the Saturday I did most of my riding, traffic was sparse, calm and polite. There are some hilly roads and some gentle roads.

It seems to be a Friday -Saturday weekend.

I was staying in the town part of town, and there’s not a lot of bevvying  going on outside our little arcade around here

[Selatan]

4 hours ago, Stocky said:

I like Ipoh, quite Chinese and very laid back, with plenty of options for food and nightlife. 

10 reasons to retire in Ipoh

[Sujo]

On 9/14/2019 at 9:00 AM, Lacessit said:

Yes, they slip over the border every weekend for the drinking and screwing they can't get in Malaysia.

The few times I've been in a Muslim country, it's (a) boring (b) annoying to be woken up at 4 am by the loudspeakers of the local mosque.

Cant drink and screw in malaysia? You dont know many malaysians.

 

I dont hear any loudspeakers and Im in KL. Though I did hear them in Krabi a few times.

 

I wouldnt call malaysia or indonesia boring. Crazy yes.

[Sujo]

17 hours ago, Selatan said:

The cost of living in Langkawi is low, but it lacks things like a vibrant night life and big malls that big cities have. Beer and cigarettes are cheap in Langkawi because it is a duty-free island but that may not interest you since you said you don't drink or smoke.

There are smaller cities and towns in Malaysia, such as Ipoh and Kuantan that are larger than Chiang Mai but with a cost of living comparable or even lower than Chiang Mai. Development in Malaysia is better spread-out than in Thailand where Bangkok is a giant city with many other Thai cities small in comparison. If you live in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, there are many smaller towns that you can choose from such as Taiping and Sungai Petani that are around the size of Chiang Mai. The good thing about these smaller northern towns is that they are connected with the North South Highway and the KTM railway network, so you can go on a weekend holiday at Kuala Lumpur, Penang or even Hat Yai, easily and cheaply.

There are 2 options to escape the heat - Cameron Highlands and Genting Highlands. Cameron Highlands is two hours away from Ipoh by car and it has a few small farming towns. Genting Highlands is one hour away from Kuala Lumpur by car and it is a big entertainment city with one small town called Gohtong Jaya which has some condos. It's possible to retire cheaply to Cameron Highlands but Genting Highlands is not cheap.

WIth high humidity whole year around, mold and mildew should, in theory, be a problem in Malaysia but so far it doesn't seem to be the case, at least inside homes, although exterior walls may be affected by rain.

Living in an area with a big Chinese population would suffer less from the azan noise. Even living nearby a mosque may not be that bad if the loudspeakers are not pointed in the direction of your house. You have to go to the site during the azans to gauge how noisy they are for a particular location.

If you want to live in a state with less muslims, you may consider Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, Sarawak's Christian population is bigger than its Muslim population. Sabah, the state north of Sarawak, has nice beaches with turquoise blue water but it has a muslim majority. The cost of living in these 2 states are not low because transportation costs are higher than those on the peninsula.

OP, this post is spot on.

 

For sarawak, kuching or even the smaller Miri may be ok if you dont need large city life. In sabah, kota kinabalu is a very nice place.

 

other places you may look at is Labuan, smallish place, not too lively but pretty cheap.

 

Malacca a couple of hours south of KL is quite nice in the old part of town.

 

But at the moment we have a bad haze problem here. Hope it goes away soon.