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Why Farangs Prefer Thailand To Malaysia?

drronnie

By drronnie
in General Topics

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a2396 Gold Member

a2396

Posted
Posted
Availability of friendly women ! :o

Is that so important?

Maybe not to you, if you already have one or are not interested in them. I lived for a year in Malaysia & liked it quite well. However, it is "slim pickins" for women. Malay women off limits for the most part, unless you want to convert. Chinese & Indians don't mix much outside of their group. English widely spoken & less "face saving" (otherwise known as lying) seen in personal interactions. Long term visas (retirement) much more expensive to obtain in Malaysia.

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astral Star Member

astral

Posted
Posted
I have heard Malaysia is very open to foreigners and there is less hassle to get long term visas and work permits.

I am not sure where you got that idea.

Long term visas are just as difficult as Thailand, if not more so.

http://www.imi.gov.my/ENG/im_MalaysiaMy2Home.asp

Work permits are possible in both countries, as long as they "need" you.

Booze is very expensive in Malaysia. :o

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bkkjames Star Member

bkkjames

Posted
Posted
I have heard Malaysia is very open to foreigners and there is less hassle to get long term visas and work permits.

I am not sure where you got that idea.

Long term visas are just as difficult as Thailand, if not more so.

http://www.imi.gov.my/ENG/im_MalaysiaMy2Home.asp

Work permits are possible in both countries, as long as they "need" you.

Booze is very expensive in Malaysia. :o

Yes, but talk is cheaper, so I hear.

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klikster Platinum Member

klikster

Posted
Posted
Looks that I would rather stay in Thailand after reading all this. Many thanks for your informative comments. much appreciated.

Dear OP, you mean you were looking for actual / truthful thoughts on this subject, all this time I thought it was just another wind up.

Sorry if my comments were off-colour, but they were accurate. :o

Yes, I am had some thoughts to move to Malaysia in the near future. But the comments have given me another viewpoint about this matter.

In terms of living .. don't let a few biased and ill-formed opinions change you direction .. or you may well end up blowing across life like chaff in the wind.

Go visit .. keep your eyes open .. find out what a country and culture looks like to you.

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klikster Platinum Member

klikster

Posted
Posted
I have heard Malaysia is very open to foreigners and there is less hassle to get long term visas and work permits.

I am not sure where you got that idea.

Long term visas are just as difficult as Thailand, if not more so.

http://www.imi.gov.my/ENG/im_MalaysiaMy2Home.asp

Work permits are possible in both countries, as long as they "need" you.

Booze is very expensive in Malaysia. :o

Did the "Income/ Financial Requirement" link work for you? Looks like a js link that's broken.

When I clicked on the link to this page I got a 404 error. http://mm2h.motour.gov.my/

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klikster Platinum Member

klikster

Posted
Posted (edited)
post-53559-1221816990_thumb.jpg

Smile! :o

LOL! Yes, I get the joke ..

.. but during a visit to the duty free at the border a number of years ago, I saw stunningly beautiful young women with dazzling smiles. They had their heads covered, but not those lovely faces. I also saw a number of great looking women in my travels in Pattani, Yala and "S'thun".

Edited by klikster
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Naam Star Member

Naam

Posted
Posted
I have heard Malaysia is very open to foreigners and there is less hassle to get long term visas and work permits. However this does not attract many Westerners who prefer to live and work in Thailand. What are the reasons?

Thailand's concept of "sanuk" is attractive. LOS has the far north, the central region and the south.

There is also a law in Malaysia that a Muslim cannot marry a non-muslim.

Malaysia has a lot of positives, but I'd prefer the Thailand: great food, nice beaches, a fun capital, but nice small towns.

it takes 6 seconds to convert to Islam by speaking a rather simple sentence in arabic in front of witnesses. and no... i am not joking!

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Naam Star Member

Naam

Posted
Posted (edited)
Yep, try Kota Bharu first! You'll love it.

several years ago we spent about ten days in Kota Bharu looking for land which was not earmarked for Bumiputeras. i quite liked the town but my Old Lady said "no way!".

edited for addendum: didn't like the south although there is fast access to Singapore by road.

Edited by Naam
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DP25 Ruby Member

DP25

Posted
Posted
it takes 6 seconds to convert to Islam by speaking a rather simple sentence in arabic in front of witnesses. and no... i am not joking!

Yeah it does. But in Malaysia if you change your mind about it later they throw you in prison. Once you go Muslim there is no going back.

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bendejo Diamond Member

bendejo

Posted
Posted (edited)
it takes 6 seconds to convert to Islam by speaking a rather simple sentence in arabic in front of witnesses. and no... i am not joking!

And all it takes to become a Catholic is for someone to pour water over your head and you needn't say anything! I should know, they did it to me when I was just a baby! :o

Penang is a multi-cultural city, many of the inhabitants are either Malaysia-born ethnic (Chinese, Indian) or immigrants and migrant workers from throughout the region. Every afternoon the butcher shops in Chinatown get deliveries of huge sides of pork, and you can see them hanging under awnings in the street as the guys cut them up and sell the meat. In a Muslim country! It may not be as lovey-dovey as the politicos make out, but there is tolerance.

Downtown Johor Bahru has one of the weirdest, seediest scenes I ever witnessed, and I've been around. After midnight it seems like an enactment of Naked Lunch.

What bugs me is, IMO, Malaysia is dirtier than Thailand. I don't know if it's carelessness or laziness. I had thought that people who have to bathe 5 times a day would be at least borderline anal retentive, but not so.

Edited by bendejo
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hansnl Gold Member

hansnl

Posted
Posted
Warning: it has been medically proven that AIDS can be contracted through the ears by listening to ar5eholes. Be careful around here.

To answer your question. I'm not entirely sure farangs (westerners) prefer Thailand over Malaysia it's just that Thailand is cheaper and take a look what that attracts. Also you won't get many afficianados of Malaysia on a Thailand based website, well you wouldn't expect it would you?

I've lived some years on and off in Malaysia both in Kuala Lumpur and Kertih (Terranganu state - Muslim) and can say that, by and large, I have been treated very well with no antipathy evident. Yes it is a majority Muslim society but that does not affect non-Muslims and even up in Terranganu it was not oppressive and as long as you follow some basic rules of respect for the religion you are okay. In Kuala Lumpur you'd hardly notice it was a Muslim society, yes the women cover themselves up but the dress is bright and colourful so don't let the a'holes tell you they all wear burkhas. There is a sizable Chinese and Indian population so most everything you could want is available. There are even some pretty hot nightclubs in KL and they stay open later than in BKK. :o

There are great advantages to Malaysia for a foreigner the biggest being you, provided you meet certain financial criteria, can own 100% in YOUR name property in the country (and in MY ownership extends down to the center of the Earth FWIW :D ). The climate is wetter than Thailand but that means the country is greener. There are some beautiful beaches, mountains and forests. The infrastructure is better than Thailand and English is widely spoken so communications are easy although it is only polite to learn at least a bit of Bahasa Malaysia. Oh, I nearly forgot, visas are a lot less hassle than Thailand.

However there is always the threat of civil disturbance due to ethnic tensions but they are not blowing each other up.

Basically they are two different countries and each person likes one or the other according to personal taste. I loved Malaysia as I also love it here in Viet Nam but where will I hang my hat? Well the jury is still out but Thailand is still front runner and I'm keeping an open mind on the subject.

I think a few of your thoughts need updating.

About Malaysia, I mean.

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Wrong Turn Silver Member

Wrong Turn

Posted
Posted
Maybe because a muslim country??
Oh what a crap I am not muslim at all I have been to Malaysia many times I go for my visa run every 3 month the people are friendly ( yes maybe you think the look different ) And no one in Malaysia

calls me a Farang :o

But living there is a different story.

You have a brief amount of time there......

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Jingthing Legendary Member

Jingthing

Posted
Posted

From a retirement point of view, Malaysia offers alot more rights and stability than Thailand, but a significantly more difficult application process. I had a look at Malaysia but just don't find the feel of the place to be as richly textured in the fun department as Thailand. People have different tastes in foreign countries just like anything else. Love the food there though!

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roamer Platinum Member

roamer

Posted
Posted
I have heard Malaysia is very open to foreigners and there is less hassle to get long term visas and work permits. However this does not attract many Westerners who prefer to live and work in Thailand. What are the reasons?

Firstly you strike me as someone who has never been to Malaysia....or Thailand, you have to expand on that ?

The large amount of negative comments on Malaysia seem to come from visa runners who know sod all about the place anyway.

I know many such people who hate Malaysia because its an inconvenience to have to go there to renew their visa, doesn't have the bars they want , or the hookers, especially the hookers. You have to understand that the same people would have a problem, do have a problem, anywhere in Thailand where they couldn't find similar entertainment. So you wanna take their advice or go yourself ?

What do you want ?

KL certainly not Bangkok, over the 30 years I've known both places they have both dumbed down, KL moreso.

On the other hand I know a lot of Brits living in Langkawi that whooped for joy when Air Asia stopped flying there from Bangkok. They don't want the place to be invaded.

They are happy on their duty free island, Tiger beer 20P in cash and carry and not much more in the beach bars.

Work visas...well you need a skill. Having said that I have a friend of mine with a TEFL cert gained just 2 years ago living a pretty idyllic life on the outskirts of KL teaching in a school next door to her condo, far supeirior to equivalent condos in Bangkok at a far cheaper rent, the pool is to die for. 30 mins from the airport if she wants to fly up to Bangkok.

Look around. :o

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imaneggspurt Gold Member

imaneggspurt

Posted
Posted
Maybe because a muslim country??
Oh what a crap I am not muslim at all I have been to Malaysia many times I go for my visa run every 3 month the people are friendly ( yes maybe you think the look different ) And no one in Malaysia

calls me a Farang :o

But living there is a different story.

You have a brief amount of time there......

No No, ! hes been to the border a few times he must know whats hes talking about ! :D
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