Which Country Is Better: Thailand Or Malaysia

[tropo]

Checkout Indonesia, Yogyakarta, central Java, thinking about moving back there. $50 a week will get you a nice 3 bed house.

That's a great idea for you to move back there. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[GreenSnapper]

Checkout Indonesia, Yogyakarta, central Java, thinking about moving back there. $50 a week will get you a nice 3 bed house.

That's a great idea for you to move back there. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Indonesia has crappy visa rules. Flying to Singapore every 2 months isn't that fun and not cheap either.

[hellodolly]

There's been ever increasing amounts of kidnapping in KL recently, most notably in the northern suburbs and expat areas especially targetting oil workers. Both places are nasty; KL slightly better in some ways but neither great. I chose BK, wish I had chose KL but will be returning to HK or China soon as they are both heaps and bounds better than both KL or BK.

Thanks very much for that. I'd never heard about kidnappings in KL before. I'll Google it and try to learn more.

What I hate about Thailand is that the mediocrity never stops. I won't give political details because I'm sure you know what I mean.

Is your wife Muslim? My wife is a Yala Muslim. Yala is in the far south, but the incidents there are not as bad as all the horrible news that's been coming out of Pattani. We both want to go somewhere safer and better for our children.

I agree that HK is better. And Singapore too. But my wife and I don't have too much money for expensive houses or apartments.

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

[hellodolly]

Checkout Indonesia, Yogyakarta, central Java, thinking about moving back there. $50 a week will get you a nice 3 bed house.

That's a great idea for you to move back there. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Indonesia has crappy visa rules. Flying to Singapore every 2 months isn't that fun and not cheap either.

I have a friend who lives in Bali a few years ago I was visiting him and we got to talking about Muslims in General. He said that he had several Muslim friends and they were great people. And on we went with this and that. A week later when we were talking I said that the next time I came to Bali I might just go to Java. He said I would have to be careful there. I asked him why and he said because it was predominantly Muslim. I let it drop the fact is I could not bring myself to agree with there excepted way of treating women. While I believe in freedom of religion I do not believe in allowing one sex so much power over the other sex. This is my choice it might not be other peoples choice and that is there privilege.

To each their own.

[StreetCowboy]

There's been ever increasing amounts of kidnapping in KL recently, most notably in the northern suburbs and expat areas especially targetting oil workers. Both places are nasty; KL slightly better in some ways but neither great. I chose BK, wish I had chose KL but will be returning to HK or China soon as they are both heaps and bounds better than both KL or BK.

Thanks very much for that. I'd never heard about kidnappings in KL before. I'll Google it and try to learn more.

What I hate about Thailand is that the mediocrity never stops. I won't give political details because I'm sure you know what I mean.

Is your wife Muslim? My wife is a Yala Muslim. Yala is in the far south, but the incidents there are not as bad as all the horrible news that's been coming out of Pattani. We both want to go somewhere safer and better for our children.

I agree that HK is better. And Singapore too. But my wife and I don't have too much money for expensive houses or apartments.

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

Thank goodness. If only more people like you would think the same

SC

[tropo]

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

What's the big deal about that? How many married couples walk around in public holding hands anyway? If there is a big age gap it's not a good look anywhere.

Edited August 4, 2012 by tropo

[AmusingBellyDancers]

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

What's the big deal about that? How many married couples walk around in public holding hands anyway? If there is a big age gap it's not a good look anywhere.

The other man's post was a bit silly, I think.

[brit1984]

Here we go - nearly every week in TV is a debate about Islam/Muslims that very quickly degenerates into overtly racist/hateful posts by some members of the forum. Any chance this is not going to happen yet again?

No chance.

[brit1984]

There's been ever increasing amounts of kidnapping in KL recently, most notably in the northern suburbs and expat areas especially targetting oil workers. Both places are nasty; KL slightly better in some ways but neither great. I chose BK, wish I had chose KL but will be returning to HK or China soon as they are both heaps and bounds better than both KL or BK.

Thanks very much for that. I'd never heard about kidnappings in KL before. I'll Google it and try to learn more.

What I hate about Thailand is that the mediocrity never stops. I won't give political details because I'm sure you know what I mean.

Is your wife Muslim? My wife is a Yala Muslim. Yala is in the far south, but the incidents there are not as bad as all the horrible news that's been coming out of Pattani. We both want to go somewhere safer and better for our children.

I agree that HK is better. And Singapore too. But my wife and I don't have too much money for expensive houses or apartments.

If you are taking about permanent you might find Malaysia has pretty tough standards.

Plus it is a Muslim country with two sets of laws the Shari (sorry about the spelling) or normal ones. We were in K L 5 years ago and there was talk of making it illegal for a non Muslim married couple to walk down the street and hold hands. That kind of thinking is enough for me to not even consider living there.

If you really can't resist the temptation to hold hands in public, I think you should avoid living in Malaysia or other countries where it can cause offense to the locals. Although, I am sure such behaviour will continue to be tolerated, just as it is in Thailand.

Edited August 4, 2012 by brit1984

[brit1984]

How do Malaysia and Thailand compare in terms of climate, costs of living, career / business opportunities, political stability, infrastructure, education, healthcare and recreational / social activities?

[Semper]

How do Malaysia and Thailand compare in terms of climate, costs of living, career / business opportunities, political stability, infrastructure, education, healthcare and recreational / social activities?

I think they have more cricket teams in Malaysia.

[KNJ]

Visa wise malaysia and Philipinnes are the easiest for retirees. ( They want you to retire and recognise tehebenefits ) Retirement in Indonesia visa is possible

Owning property Indonesia no chance, Thailand limited, Philipinness and malaysia are the best rules.

Car prices are all very much similar, but if you retire to Malaysia you can take a car tax free.

Driving all countries are similar with Indonesia the worst of the bunch

Food thailand top, then Malaysia then Indonesia and forget the philippines

Cricket,, well only one choice,

Fishing ( sea ) Indonesia best but very restictive on boat ownership and tax on the same. Thailand waters too fished out, but still ok.

Setting up a business and working, Thailand strict Indonesia almost impossible, Philippines can but Malaysia wins hands down and is the best.

Beaches, sorry Indonesia and Philippines have it by a country mile

Cost of living, actually for similar products pretty much the same, all can be cheap, depends how local you want to go.

Golf all pretty good, but Thailand has my vote on this one ( forget Phuket and wile we are on this Bali as well - WAY too expensive those two islands )

Malaysia for shopping is pretty good,

Medical, Either Thailand or Malaysia

Well on balance, Indonesia has a lot of good things, but property ownership makes it a pain

philipinnes cheapest I think overall, but food is not great and infrastructure still lacking

Malaysia or Thailnd both realistic possibilities, if you want to work or do a business then Malaysia, if it is oure retire, despite wacky visa issues Thailand still has my vote for this ( role on the next few years and then time to choose )

[tropo]

Visa wise malaysia and Philipinnes are the easiest for retirees. ( They want you to retire and recognise tehebenefits ) Retirement in Indonesia visa is possible

Owning property Indonesia no chance, Thailand limited, Philipinness and malaysia are the best rules.

Car prices are all very much similar, but if you retire to Malaysia you can take a car tax free.

Driving all countries are similar with Indonesia the worst of the bunch

Food thailand top, then Malaysia then Indonesia and forget the philippines

Cricket,, well only one choice,

Fishing ( sea ) Indonesia best but very restictive on boat ownership and tax on the same. Thailand waters too fished out, but still ok.

Setting up a business and working, Thailand strict Indonesia almost impossible, Philippines can but Malaysia wins hands down and is the best.

Beaches, sorry Indonesia and Philippines have it by a country mile

Cost of living, actually for similar products pretty much the same, all can be cheap, depends how local you want to go.

Golf all pretty good, but Thailand has my vote on this one ( forget Phuket and wile we are on this Bali as well - WAY too expensive those two islands )

Malaysia for shopping is pretty good,

Medical, Either Thailand or Malaysia

Well on balance, Indonesia has a lot of good things, but property ownership makes it a pain

philipinnes cheapest I think overall, but food is not great and infrastructure still lacking

Malaysia or Thailnd both realistic possibilities, if you want to work or do a business then Malaysia, if it is oure retire, despite wacky visa issues Thailand still has my vote for this ( role on the next few years and then time to choose )

There's a man who has done his homework.

One thing you didn't mention - communication. Probably easiest in Philippines and Malaysia. Most difficult in Thailand. What about ease of learning the language? Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia use Roman script, so much easier to learn to read and write than in Thailand.

What's your view on corruption in these various countries? What about personal safety?

What about being accepted by the locals? Where would one feel the most comfortable? I would say the Philippines wins there.

Edited August 5, 2012 by tropo

[astral]

I think Kuala Lumpur has a better climate than Bangkok.

I'm sure most of us would prefer the climate in Chiang Mai, though, but not so many job opportunities there, for me, anyway.

IME Thailand has definite seasons, KL is more tropical

with a around 200 wet days a year.

Checkout Indonesia, Yogyakarta, central Java, thinking about moving back there. $50 a week will get you a nice 3 bed house.

Indonesia has crappy visa rules. Flying to Singapore every 2 months isn't that fun and not cheap either.

Visa regulations certainly are an important consideration if you plan on long stays

[StreetCowboy]

There's a man who has done his homework.

One thing you didn't mention - communication. Probably easiest in Philippines and Malaysia. Most difficult in Thailand. What about ease of learning the language? Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia use Roman script, so much easier to learn to read and write than in Thailand.

I think in terms of corruption, Malaysia is making efforts to address the problem. I would now rate it as less corrupt than the other three mentioned.

I think in the Philippines, you would be treated like a walking ATM machine almost to the same extent as in Thailand. That is not the case in Malaysia. I think a much higher proportion of Malaysians have been educated overseas to some extent.

In terms of safety, I would rate Malaysia and Thailand higher than the Philippines and Indonesia, though that is based on anecdote and prejudice, rather than research and experience.

SC

Edited August 5, 2012 by astral
No need for long quote, use the reply box at the bottom

[tropo]

I think Kuala Lumpur has a better climate than Bangkok.

I'm sure most of us would prefer the climate in Chiang Mai, though, but not so many job opportunities there, for me, anyway.

IME Thailand has definite seasons, KL is more tropical

with a around 200 wet days a year.

For sure Thailand has the best climate of the 4 overall, of course there are a lot of variations within each country. The Philippines has 4 distinct climate zones. For example, one area is dry for half the year while it rains all year around in other areas. When I go to Leyte at Christmastime it rains everyday whereas it would be bone dry in Manila.

[StreetCowboy]

It's the middle of ramadan just now, and the middle of summer.

I just walked down to my local char kway teow stand (a legendary place, by the way) for, obviously enough, a bog plate of char kway teow and a big bottle of Tiger. It was very pleasant sitting out, though it might rain later this afternoon. I think in Bangkok it would be uncomfortably warm to sit outside.

There was four policemen from the police station across the road walking past, and I wondered if they might be offended by the sight of people eating and drinking outside during Ramadan, but I don't see how they would be, since they would not drink regardless of the time or the date.

I might go down again tomorrow, since its a holiday in Selangor, whereas in Thailand, it would not be possible to drink openly on a religious holiday.

SC

[hellodolly]

Visa wise malaysia and Philipinnes are the easiest for retirees. ( They want you to retire and recognise tehebenefits ) Retirement in Indonesia visa is possible

Owning property Indonesia no chance, Thailand limited, Philipinness and malaysia are the best rules.

Car prices are all very much similar, but if you retire to Malaysia you can take a car tax free.

Driving all countries are similar with Indonesia the worst of the bunch

Food thailand top, then Malaysia then Indonesia and forget the philippines

Cricket,, well only one choice,

Fishing ( sea ) Indonesia best but very restictive on boat ownership and tax on the same. Thailand waters too fished out, but still ok.

Setting up a business and working, Thailand strict Indonesia almost impossible, Philippines can but Malaysia wins hands down and is the best.

Beaches, sorry Indonesia and Philippines have it by a country mile

Cost of living, actually for similar products pretty much the same, all can be cheap, depends how local you want to go.

Golf all pretty good, but Thailand has my vote on this one ( forget Phuket and wile we are on this Bali as well - WAY too expensive those two islands )

Malaysia for shopping is pretty good,

Medical, Either Thailand or Malaysia

Well on balance, Indonesia has a lot of good things, but property ownership makes it a pain

philipinnes cheapest I think overall, but food is not great and infrastructure still lacking

Malaysia or Thailnd both realistic possibilities, if you want to work or do a business then Malaysia, if it is oure retire, despite wacky visa issues Thailand still has my vote for this ( role on the next few years and then time to choose )

I was under the understanding that to retire in Malaysia You would have to have more money than here in Thailand. In fact quite a bit. Not sure of why. Could have been a false rumor.

[GreenSnapper]

You need to have 1.5 million Baht on a fixed account in Malaysia and a monthly income of 100,000 Baht. The latter can be from abroad in any currency and by any means.

Thus a bit more than what you need in Thailand, but for many people it's not a real issue. You get a proper 10 years visa then and can buy property, even houses.

No age restriction, but if you are under 50, higher financial assets are demanded.

[KNJ]

You need to have 1.5 million Baht on a fixed account in Malaysia and a monthly income of 100,000 Baht. The latter can be from abroad in any currency and by any means.

Thus a bit more than what you need in Thailand, but for many people it's not a real issue. You get a proper 10 years visa then and can buy property, even houses.

No age restriction, but if you are under 50, higher financial assets are demanded.

Just to correct this 1.5 million Baht on a fixed account in Malaysia OR a monthly income of 100,000 Baht one or the other NOT BOTH

10 year visa, and you can use half of the deposit to buy a home.

If under 50 years of age you need to deposit about 3.5 millon THB

Philipiines over 50 then 10 000 USD deposit and 800/1000 USD a month for single/couple if no pension then 20kUSD on deposit is enoughfor over 50.

You cannot own property though.

Indonesia must be over 55, income over 18 000 USD/year, must prrove you have health insurance, prove rent is minimum 500 USD/moth ( Bali & Jakarta ) visa valid only 1 year, renewable up to 5 years