Moving To Malaysia

[james24]

Was thinking of moving to Malaysia.

Ive been there a couple of time and really liked K.l, felt alot more comfortable than here with some things

Just wondering what its like for a Thai to move there.

My gfriend has a Degree in english and can speak Korean and Japanese. She has good hotellier work experience and here references would be good but I do realise outside of Thailand Thai degrees etc arent that respected.

Would she be able to start a decent career there or is it quite difficult...? Can she study there..? Also what are the legalities for her regarding visas etc..? Does she need to have a job first, or can she looks for one when she gets there.

As for myself Im not sure but I do have a British passport and so living etc wont be as difficult as for her I imagine.

Are things as difficult as they are here, and only made slighty easier if you have money..?

[siamjj]

search "malaysia my 2nd home".lots of answers there.think both of you can get 90 day free entry stamp on arrival.been many times,crossed the border to langkawi 6 or more times,once at Wang Prajan in satun province,johor baru from singapore and flew into kl twice.no questions and no problems but for holiday purposes only.

i'd go for the holiday stamp and see if you like it.malaysia likes foreigners in their country alot more than thailand does.none of the immigration hassles of thailand.as far as wages they are better but cost of living is more especially in kl.as far as alcohol,a 200% tariff is added to try and keep the muslim community from partaking so its as much or more than most western countries.except duty free areas like langkawi where its cheaper than thailand.hope this helps.any questions ask away and will try to help.

p.s.-would try searching for teaching jobs on the net.

[wandrinstar]

More Comfortable, many find it so.Thais have yet to Realise the Difference twixt their Welcome at Immigration and Malaysia's..A Holliday in Batu Ferangi, or anywhere in Penang always cheers you up.:jap: .

[james24]

yeh would be nice to know if Thais can get a job there easily and do they get paid well/better than in Thailand....?

[mallyrd]

search "malaysia my 2nd home".lots of answers there.think both of you can get 90 day free entry stamp on arrival.been many times,crossed the border to langkawi 6 or more times,once at Wang Prajan in satun province,johor baru from singapore and flew into kl twice.no questions and no problems but for holiday purposes only.

i'd go for the holiday stamp and see if you like it.malaysia likes foreigners in their country alot more than thailand does.none of the immigration hassles of thailand.as far as wages they are better but cost of living is more especially in kl.as far as alcohol,a 200% tariff is added to try and keep the muslim community from partaking so its as much or more than most western countries.except duty free areas like langkawi where its cheaper than thailand.hope this helps.any questions ask away and will try to help.

p.s.-would try searching for teaching jobs on the net.

The "Malaysia 2nd Home" programme does not allow you to work. It is more of a retirement programme although age does not figure into the programme.

[Louie77]

We moved to Penang after having lived in Thailand.

We can only say: tread carefully. We know of several people who were ripped off and there also many court cases about foreign house/ land ownership. Things are not what they seem. In many ways it is a lot like Thailand apart from that you have a better food selection in the supermarkets.

We moved back to Europe two months ago and needed help from our embassies just to get our pets out of the country. Because the official authorities refused to do the necessary tests (it was not about bribes, it was about bullying).

I would advise to spend some time there before moving there. And pay attention to the traffic: driving there is horrible! The island is clogged all day long and it's very aggressive.

Also some people have lost their my "second home" deposits and funds from their bank accounts. Also expect a culture that has very little respect for women. I couldn't get anything done on my own, was followed and assumed to be 'a loose woman', etc... I had a lot more freedom in Thailand.

I'll put it like this: we liked Thailand a lot more after really experiencing Malaysia.

[Gonsalviz]

We moved to Penang after having lived in Thailand.

We can only say: tread carefully. We know of several people who were ripped off and there also many court cases about foreign house/ land ownership. Things are not what they seem. In many ways it is a lot like Thailand apart from that you have a better food selection in the supermarkets.

We moved back to Europe two months ago and needed help from our embassies just to get our pets out of the country. Because the official authorities refused to do the necessary tests (it was not about bribes, it was about bullying).

I would advise to spend some time there before moving there. And pay attention to the traffic: driving there is horrible! The island is clogged all day long and it's very aggressive.

Also some people have lost their my "second home" deposits and funds from their bank accounts. Also expect a culture that has very little respect for women. I couldn't get anything done on my own, was followed and assumed to be 'a loose woman', etc... I had a lot more freedom in Thailand.

I'll put it like this: we liked Thailand a lot more after really experiencing Malaysia.

I lived in Malaysia for 10 years. Things are more expensive now than then.

I'd rather be in Thailand anytime.

[thehabs]

Bumiputra

Same same but different.

[TPI]

Like anywhere else it's a great place to live - if you have the money - , they are not as easy going about unqualified teachers asThailand and the "Bhumi Putra" (Son of the soil) thing is the first thing to be overcome! Apart from what they say publically, women have almost no say and any foreign woman (non-muslim) has to be very careful! Thai citizens should have no trouble working as Malayasia is an ASEAN country as is Thailand, changing visa's is not difficult (in my experience)

About the only advantage is the fact that in the cities almost everyone speaks English, against that, no-one speaks Thai!

Chok Dee

[khunjake]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

[FarangBuddha]

More Comfortable, many find it so.Thais have yet to Realise the Difference twixt their Welcome at Immigration and Malaysia's..A Holliday in Batu Ferangi, or anywhere in Penang always cheers you up.:jap: .

Or makes you want to kill yourself due to boredom! Different strokes...

Seriously, the people in Penang/Malaysia are fine but the place is deadly boring. I have been to Penang maybe 10 times for visa runs and stayed everywhere from E&O to Traders and find nothing to do. Beaches are better in Thailand, shopping is better in Thailand, theatres, bowling, scuba, golf, etc. are all better in Thailand. Believe it or not, air quality is also generally better in Thailand (especially outside Bangkok). During the Indonesian "burning season" on Sumatra (just across the water from Penang) the smoke particulate air pollution in Penang (and much of western Malaysia) is suffocating!

Don't get me wrong, many areas of Malaysia are great (like Borneo), friendly, and cheap and although I live in Thailand, I don't wear rose-tinted glasses, but have yet to see that Malaysia is much of an alternative to Thailand for most people.

PS: Do agree that the Malaysian immigration folks are a friendly bunch, however, and the Thais could certainly learn allot from them

Edited October 3, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[gamini]

I have lived in Malaysia for many years with my Thai wife and in Thailand the last 11 years and with the way things are here now I wish I had stayed in Malaysia. But we are too old to move back

!/ You can retire there under the special plan they have. Which means you have to have quite a bit of money. But it allows you to buy property and a duty free car and employ one foreign servant. If you have insufficient funds to qualify and since you have a British passport you only have to go out of the country every 3 months and each time you will get another three months. Yoou can do this indefinitely (I did it for 8years) But your wife being Thai will get one month each time. You can fly to Singapore or haadyai and then come straight back again. However if you live in Penang, which I much prefer to KL it is only a couple of hours to the Thai border your wife would sure be quite happy to pop over to Thailand once a month and do a bit of shopping. Mini bus fare to Haadyai 300 bt and you can pick up a couple of bottles of duty free liquor and the trip almost pays for itself. Malaysia is now much more friendly to foreigners than Thailand and everyone speaks good English. Penang is the feindliest placfe I have ever been to and very beautiful. As a "tourist" you can buy a car and open a bank account. I think you can buy an appartment too. They do not have the anti farang attitude rergarding these things that exist in Thailand and there is no double pricing. It is now cheaper to live in Malasia than Thailand. Only liqouoir and paricfulary beer is more expensive. However if you live in Penang there are plenty of bootleggers selling cheap almost duty free liquor. My wife is Thai and found a large number of Thais living in both places and in Penang many locals speak Thai. She liked both places and would be more than happy to go back.

Edited October 3, 2010 by gamini

[skippybangkok]

We moved to Penang after having lived in Thailand.

We can only say: tread carefully. We know of several people who were ripped off and there also many court cases about foreign house/ land ownership. Things are not what they seem. In many ways it is a lot like Thailand apart from that you have a better food selection in the supermarkets.

We moved back to Europe two months ago and needed help from our embassies just to get our pets out of the country. Because the official authorities refused to do the necessary tests (it was not about bribes, it was about bullying).

I would advise to spend some time there before moving there. And pay attention to the traffic: driving there is horrible! The island is clogged all day long and it's very aggressive.

Also some people have lost their my "second home" deposits and funds from their bank accounts. Also expect a culture that has very little respect for women. I couldn't get anything done on my own, was followed and assumed to be 'a loose woman', etc... I had a lot more freedom in Thailand.

I'll put it like this: we liked Thailand a lot more after really experiencing Malaysia.

Yep,

Lived there 5 yrs before coming to Thailand.

[FarangBuddha]

Also quality sophisticated medical care is nowhere near what is available in Thailand.

[cyberia]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

what a crap!

Been to KL a few times and will go again. Love it.

Thinking about moving when done here.

[siamjj]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

utter bullshit.

[NanLaew]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

what a crap!

Been to KL a few times and will go again. Love it.

Thinking about moving when done here.

Ummm.... KL is the capital city. Malaysia is the whole country, peninsular and Sarawak. So you reckon a few nights out in the capital allows you to discount someones opinion on Malaysia's not insignificant violent crime rate?

But I have only been 'living' in KL for 4 months so what would I know eh?

[NanLaew]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

utter bullshit.

My mate's Malaysian wife (born in Sarawak) has traveled the world with her husband on his work assignments. Their daughter has graduated and now that he has a regular 9-5 job in KL, they are looking towards retirement.

One of the thing she laments is not being able to have a house and land to retire to in Malaysia. Why? They have loads of cash and he takes 4 months off each year. However, in her opinion, the safest home option in Malaysia is the condo. If you think that gated communities and their rent-a-cops in Thailand are bad, come on down!

Edited October 3, 2010 by NanLaew

[Louie77]

Also have a look at this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8584391.stm

We witnessed it, it's true. Where we lived most of the families had their full time maid and they don't treat them well at all. They actually like showing off how bad they can treat them. Houses are built by cheap Indonesian and Bangladeshi laborers and in some cases they are not even paid at all. It's not the kind of thing I enjoy seeing on a day to day basis.

We never experienced any violent crime but a lot of passive aggressive behavior (such as constantly destroying plants in our yard, nails on the driveway, etc.). And before anyone asks: we didn't do anything to upset anyone. We are a farang couple who are polite and friendly. Our (honest) landlady was always freaked out that we would have the doors unlocked in the day time. I can't say how bad crime is. We lived in a more upscale neighborhood and the neighbors told us that every house around us had been robbed but we never experienced it first hand.

There is also a lot of tension between the races and you do feel it, even when you're not part of it. It is a tense society.

Don't let the fact that so many people speak English fool you, there is a lot of resentment left towards western people (British colony) and it is still a a developing country.

Anyway, I don't want to stop you from going there. Just take your time to check it out.

And as someone mentioned before: I found it to be so boring. So much more to do in Thailand. Forget about swimming as well as a female (that is if you want to swim in in waters that have raw sewage dumped into them).

Best of luck to you.

[james24]

mmm thanks everyone. Penang is defo a no-no for me, I really didnt like it.. However Kl seemed well cool and everyone seemed real nice. I was there as a tourist so Im not sure but I wanna leave Thailand, I feel Iife is passing me by here.

How about Singapore...? And for my girly will she be ok there...?

[PatLogan]

Thai people only gets a 30 days visa on arrival.

As for MM2H, it is definitively not for you, you are too young and you can't work under the program.

Now getting a work permit is not that easy. You need to find a job before moving there, and applicants need higher qualification (in theory) to be eligible. Besides, there used to be a minimum age to be able to apply (unless in IT under the multimedia corridor program). It was 27 or 28 fro memory.

The Immi website is a bit useless, as it does not give a lot of info, but here it is: http://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/services/employer/expatriate/general-statement

Medical care... well I don't know in Penang, but in KL I could not have asked for anything better than what i could get in Gleaneagles hospital.

My wife (Thai) and I lived in KL for 8 years. We loved the place.

Resentment... hmmm... well again, we made MANY friends in Malaysia. Some are friends for life, and we still are in touch 3 years later on a nearly daily basis. I must admit most are Chinese, a few Brits, and some Malay and Indians or even Ibans.

Of course it is true you have to deal every day with the race issue, but once you are past it (meaning you understand you have to accept it). It is true some never do accept it, and that does not help, since there is nothing an expat there can do to change the society...

As for driving, even if drivers are a bit restless, I would exchange BKK traffic for KL traffic any day, any time.

[PatLogan]

As for the boredom... Hmmm... well I have to agree there are less places with a sense of history to visit in Malaysia compared than Thailand, but I never got bored there. Actually, quite the opposite, and I nearly died of boredom in Beijing after living in KL (unless you are into partying, then Beijing is way better).

I guess it all depends on what you like to do, but if you like diving, trekking, shopping, going to the movies, enjoying drinks in a cool places with friends, and getting very easily to know local people and make acquaintances, I think you can be satisfied.

Another think I liked, is that given the expat communities is much smaller, people tend way less to spend time only with their fellow countrymen, which makes life way more interesting. If I had not lived there, I doubt my some of my very closest friends today would be Brit, Malaysian or North American and I would not be in 3 month the best man of an English guy marrying an Iban lady, after being 2 months ago the MC of a wedding between a French guy and a a Malaysian Chinese.

Oh, and of course, there is the food

[Louie77]

I totally agree with you, Patt. I found our lifestyle more comfortable there than in Thailand (just the availability of the Western food AND the great local food).

For sure we met some nice people and made good friends. But, it wasn't for us. The heat is something to be reckoned with and we never planned on staying in Malaysia forever. We work over the internet and can work from everywhere. For us it was a good base to travel frequently to Indonesia. The visa situation is very good, do a visa run every three months and you're fine. No questions asked and you can stay for years if you want to.

I don't know about medical care but I received good/ affordable dental work.

I'm in my early thirties and not quite ready for the suburban lifestyle of Penang And the race issue, ... well you know what I mean. Some people handle it better than others

All in all, we spent 7 years in Asia in several countries and we both wanted to go back to either North America or Europe. We ended up in the south of Europe and are loving it.

Experiences are different for everyone and everyone has a different agenda.

[siamjj]

cool answers and good thread,cheers everyone. :jap:

[moe666]

Muslim dominated no thank you. My girlffriends nephew married a Chinese malaysian her family still lives there but no way does she want to go back presently they are in London

[PatLogan]

Muslim dominated no thank you. My girlffriends nephew married a Chinese malaysian her family still lives there but no way does she want to go back presently they are in London

I wonder what you mean by Muslim dominated? As soon as you are not Muslim there, the Islamic laws (no drinks, no promiscuity - in theory - before marriage, etc.) do not apply to you. And if you are found having fun with a Malay lady, she is the one in trouble not you.

Chinese Malaysian are complaining not about the fact half of the population is Muslim, but about privileges Bumiputra (i.e. Malay and original tribes from Malaysia) have: better loans, more space allocated in Unis, etc etc.

But at the end of the day, the losers there are the Malay, because the economy is in the hand of the Chinese, who are by far the richest (and rightly so, they are hard working). Funny how many of my Chinese friends there complain, but never leave. Last time I heard that was from 2 business partners doing business only in Malaysia, Malaysian Chinese and driving 7 series beemer they bought for over 7 Million baht. , thanks to the business they do with the government... Malay dominated.

Honestly, every time I hear people complaining about Muslim laws in Malaysia, I find that very funny and totally misinformed. Of course, unless you are a Brit and complain about it because of the tax on alcohol

/ on a side note, why do you think the most extremists Muslims party in Malaysia (PAS) has stronghold in Kelantan and Terrenganu, the closest states to Thailand, and ONLY there?

Edited October 4, 2010 by PatLogan

[spot]

I've been offered a job in Malaysia. Petaling Jaya (just outside KL) to be exact. My wife is Thai and we have a young son aged 3.

The pay I'm being offered is not fantastic, especially for an expat, but a bit of research has informed me that it will be enough to live OK. (I would like some anecdotal comments on my rate of pay if could pm me?) The work experience itself will be good for my future prospects. I have been over a few times to visit the set up and negotiate contracts etc, and liked Petaling Jaya. I was struck by the leafy cleanliness and lower volume of traffic. Lots of nice places to eat and shop etc. I was advised to live in a condo by my potential employers as it would be safer, so this is something to think about. I realise that it's hard to get a proper feel for a place in the space of a few short visits, but I didn't get any bad vibes. Seemed maybe a little boring, but boring is what I want with a 3 year old.

In theory, the work/family visa process would start in January, so we were thinking of going over there and living in a serviced apartment while we wait. I think we have to be actually out of the country to get the visa stamp/stickers, so will mean a quick trip back to Thailand to get stamps, then back. Can anyone that has applied for a work visa confirm this would be OK?

We are still 'considering' all this as we only just went through the laborious process of getting a settlement visa for my wife in 2009, and not sure about giving this up, my wife really would rather the UK. My take on this is to try Malaysia for a few months, and if we don't like it we get back in time to keep my wifes Uk visa.

Thanks.

[siam2007]

You are far more likely to get robbed, shot, stabbed or just thumped in the skull in Malaysia then in Thailand.

utter bullshit.

couldn't agree more !!!

violent crime against Westerners is almost unheard of.

having said that, burglaries are becoming a nuisance indeed...... but such is the case in Thailand too (Expats living in houses in Phuket, Pattaya or CM will certainly agree).

[siam2007]

I've been offered a job in Malaysia. Petaling Jaya (just outside KL) to be exact. My wife is Thai and we have a young son aged 3.

The pay I'm being offered is not fantastic, especially for an expat, but a bit of research has informed me that it will be enough to live OK. (I would like some anecdotal comments on my rate of pay if could pm me?) The work experience itself will be good for my future prospects. I have been over a few times to visit the set up and negotiate contracts etc, and liked Petaling Jaya. I was struck by the leafy cleanliness and lower volume of traffic. Lots of nice places to eat and shop etc. I was advised to live in a condo by my potential employers as it would be safer, so this is something to think about. I realise that it's hard to get a proper feel for a place in the space of a few short visits, but I didn't get any bad vibes. Seemed maybe a little boring, but boring is what I want with a 3 year old.

In theory, the work/family visa process would start in January, so we were thinking of going over there and living in a serviced apartment while we wait. I think we have to be actually out of the country to get the visa stamp/stickers, so will mean a quick trip back to Thailand to get stamps, then back. Can anyone that has applied for a work visa confirm this would be OK?

We are still 'considering' all this as we only just went through the laborious process of getting a settlement visa for my wife in 2009, and not sure about giving this up, my wife really would rather the UK. My take on this is to try Malaysia for a few months, and if we don't like it we get back in time to keep my wifes Uk visa.

Thanks.

this is a very smart approach and you should do it exactly that way.

For sure, Malaysia is very different from Thailand and not for everyone, but it can be a nice and safe place, particularly for a family. the SANOOK-factor is much lower, of course.

But as you wrote, that's definitely not what you are after.

oh, and the food is fantastic ! If it's for the food, I would hop on a plane to Malaysia at any given day..... Chinese food, Indian food, Malay food, Dayak food, and of course THAI food (a lot of Thai dishes are actually of Chinese/Indian/Malay or Burmese origin anyway).

I could easily live in both countries (except for the hardcore-Thalibanaysia areas of Perlis or Kelantan, that is), each country has its good and bad sides. there is not only black and white.