Phuket Vs Penang

[Noah07]

I have spend many beutiful days/weeks/months in Thailand. Love the weather, the people, food and the general life style. Recently have thought of relocating with the whole family to Phuket. Why Phuket? - intn'l schools, nice beaches, considerably safe, western amenities , good hospitals + international airport. I am not a Patong fun, prefer Nai Harn, Rawai. But finally decided not to, for several reasons: prohibitive costs of international schools +questionable quality, outrageously overpriced real estate + ownership issue/?/, recent tightnining of immigration rules +all the crap involved /still have few years bfr hit 50/ .

Being set on relocating to SEAsia am at the moment researching Penang. In Malaysia have been only to KL and Singapore..

Pls kindly let me know how do you feel about Penang. I am reading some nice things about this place - english widely spoken, houses are supposed to be much less expensive than in Phuket and you can actually own it, there are few international schools there for less than half the tuition, same weather, some people say that food is even better and no visa bull shit. What do you think? Considering money is an issue is Penang an option?

Awaiting your comments. Dont get me wrong - I like Phuket a lot but believe it is way overpriced, apart from visa problems and ownership issues.

[ercorn]

I just spent a couple of weeks in Malaysia with my wife and we loved Penang,friendly people,great food though the beaches can`t compare with Puket.I found it cheaper than Thailand and nearly everyone we met could speak english.It was a great change not being hassled all the time for Tuk Tuks and taxi`s.

All in all it was our first time to Penang and we stayed longer than we planned and will return again.

[Benesan]

without a doubt, penang is a more better place to live. and whenever u fancy the beaut beaches of phuket, take the ferry or cheap planes available

[Goldenbead]

I live in Phuket and have a good life. BUT, if I had it all to do again, with hindsight, I would probably choose Penang. Good luck with your decision.

[BKKDUDE]

This post is an eye opener. I went for visa run to penang once for a day. Because of all those high Rises I thought Penang should becoming somwhere expensive like Dubai.

It's nice to know such high standard bordering city with thailand is actully cheaper to live than phuket.

[eek]

I recall a thread on comparing Penang to Chiang Mai for retirement. ..hmm...

..ok, here it is: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1379847

Not sure how useful to you per say, but well i already did the search, so posting it anyway

(If you are relocating with family ..and if that includes daughters..it may be worth noting my impressions on Penang. BUT, my impressions were based only on a few days spent there and it is most likely just that i am just not used to the Malay way of things. Please do read other female perspectives on being there to gain a more rounded impression. Most of all i suggest going for a family holiday first before making such a big decision. )

[cloudhopper]

I've been just about everywhere in MY and LOS. Penang has very interesting beach, mountain and architectural scenery. Good food and shopping without being too touristy. Relatively close to the beautiful Langkawi and Pangkor Is. as well. The MY gov't is far more enlightened than LOS in int'l affairs. Health care and education IMO superior and more honestly delivered.

I lived in Phuket for a couple of years and IMO it has become another Pattaya (read - overdeveloped increasingly violent shithole). That said, there's just something about the ambience of Thailand that makes it nicer for me here. Better places than Puke-et tho...

[geriatrickid]

Penang has many of the same problems Phuket now has, chiefly overdevelopment. In the past decade, Batu Ferringhi has gone from being Karon Beach like to Patong like although not as filthy or as polluted with lager louts or hookers. Without doubt Penang is cleaner, better managed and offers better social services. Georgetown is modern and Phuket town is downright dull.

Penang owes much of its success to the beleagured persecuted Chinese populace that have invested in the area. If you think being a farang in Phuket has its disadvantages, you wouldn't want to be an ethnic chinese Malaysian.

If you are a young family with a focus upon family services and living conditions or elderly with a need for proper medical care, then yes Penang is great and wins hands down. However, if you are otherwise, the advantages of Phuket are greater, particularly if you locate in a quieter area. The Malaysians were smart: they invested in education and it's paying off now.

[chickencurry]

I have spend many beutiful days/weeks/months in Thailand. Love the weather, the people, food and the general life style. Recently have thought of relocating with the whole family to Phuket. Why Phuket? - intn'l schools, nice beaches, considerably safe, western amenities , good hospitals + international airport. I am not a Patong fun, prefer Nai Harn, Rawai. But finally decided not to, for several reasons: prohibitive costs of international schools +questionable quality, outrageously overpriced real estate + ownership issue/?/, recent tightnining of immigration rules +all the crap involved /still have few years bfr hit 50/ .

Being set on relocating to SEAsia am at the moment researching Penang. In Malaysia have been only to KL and Singapore..

Pls kindly let me know how do you feel about Penang. I am reading some nice things about this place - english widely spoken, houses are supposed to be much less expensive than in Phuket and you can actually own it, there are few international schools there for less than half the tuition, same weather, some people say that food is even better and no visa bull shit. What do you think? Considering money is an issue is Penang an option?

Awaiting your comments. Dont get me wrong - I like Phuket a lot but believe it is way overpriced, apart from visa problems and ownership issues.

Probably not a fair comparison as we were looking at retirement (so no school issues obviously) but decided against Malaysia (prob Penang) and plumped for Phuket (Nai Harn). Yes the recent spate of late night incidents are a concern but don't intend going out in the wee hours on a motorbike. These kind of incidents happen during daylight hours in Penang (just do a google) on motorbikes, bag snatches out of car windows. The 10 year retirement visa sounds good but understand there is a medical requirement - maybe OK now but what happens when you're 70, 80 or older. Also some sharia law concerns.

But some will prefer Malaysia - all countries have their good and bad points.

[Noah07]

How about the cost of living? I am mostly concern with prices of real estate or rent - is Penang really less expensive than Phuket. I'll be looking for a 4 bdrm house most likely in the gated community /for safety reasons/ not to far from int'l school.

[BKKDUDE]

I have been here few days now, and i can say one thing. The culture and people here isn't anything intersting like in thailand. Thais are simply Cool, i'm getting bored to death, nothing is going on here and i'm going back tommorow

[zidane]

Malaysia are a very accomodating nation. They automatically give you a three month tourist visa - you can buy two pieces of property in your own name and are actually more welcoming then Thailand. The growth in their economy is testiment to their forward thinking and ability to change with the times. Maybe it is down to the fact that in history they were colonized by a decent country (GB).

[KaronSteve]

How about the cost of living? I am mostly concern with prices of real estate or rent - is Penang really less expensive than Phuket. I'll be looking for a 4 bdrm house most likely in the gated community /for safety reasons/ not to far from int'l school.

A quick Google search...

http://penang-property.com/residential/house_gt.htm

http://www.myhoom.com/

I have travelled to Malaysia maybe 10 times mainly for visa runs but also crewed a boat from Port Klang, Lamut, Georgetown to Langkawi staying for a few nights in each so my experience is limited to being a tourist/traveller and not a resident.

For me the upsides of Penang compared to Phuket :-

At all levels they speak good English and as importantly they understand what you are intimating.

Residency and property laws are defined, stable and equitable.

You can own property in your own name and easily get residency visas.

It has Social Services that shows a government that, maybe, cares.

Diverse foods at reasonable prices.

Wine is affordable.

They are disciplined drivers with fewer motorbikes and few of them are used as family transport!

Easy access to Langkawi and Phuket.

Easy access from Phuket, Satun et.al.....5555

The downsides of Penang :-

Personal safety is supposedly better but street crime is higher than in Phuket. I saw more bar room/street brawls in Georgetown in 3 nights than I have in Karon during the whole of the last high season.

Entertainment areas are muted or underplayed as in most Muslim countries and are more expensive than Phuket.

The beaches and sea do not even come close to Phuket standards. Would you honestly swim off of a beach in Georgetown?

Sharia law.

Malay food is a watered down version of Thai food and is no way comparable.

Penang and western Malaysia reminds me to much of England.....shudder!!!!

All in all would I live there.....no but you and I have different criteria.

[Noah07]

Also hear that Langkawi is beutiful. Nicer beaches than Penang, quieter, safer and even less expensive. Plus Langkawi is really close to Thailand.. Have no information on schools though? Do you know if there are any int'l schools or at least schools where classes are thought in english?

[chickencurry]

Also hear that Langkawi is beutiful. Nicer beaches than Penang, quieter, safer and even less expensive. Plus Langkawi is really close to Thailand.. Have no information on schools though? Do you know if there are any int'l schools or at least schools where classes are thought in english?

Langkawi is a lovely island - quiet, nice beaches but, on a practical level, would you want to live there? Understand that the hospital is not always manned (read on another website). Don't know about international schools. Shops are very, very limited. Things we take for granted being available in shops are just not on the island.

Don't know about Malay food being watered down Thai food. Langkawi tends to have dishes that are a kind of Malay/Thai fusion (not surprising being so near to Thailand). Get the real Malay food in Penang, KL or elsewhere - very nice.

[cloudhopper]

Also hear that Langkawi is beutiful. Nicer beaches than Penang, quieter, safer and even less expensive. Plus Langkawi is really close to Thailand.. Have no information on schools though? Do you know if there are any int'l schools or at least schools where classes are thought in english?

Langkawi is indeed beautiful, but you wouldn't want to live there. Your broad requirements can probably only be met in Singapore, KL, Penang, Phuket, Bangkok or Chiang Mai.