Is KL better than Bangkok as a travel destination?

[kimbathewhitelion]

KL is fantastic, a quality nation, not a third world like Thailand. Very good infrastructure. Business, shopping, housing, FOOD!! If I were to do a "do over", it'd definitely be KL. The amount of Indians is overplayed, when you get to central city it becomes just a city, you don't even think about one person to another.

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[oldthaihand99]

Even on a Thai forum, quite a few people prefer KL:

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091223193529AAfKWxA

What would they say on a Malaysian forum?

"Kuala Lumpur is a much prettier city than Bangkok, and much smaller too."

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g298570-i7008-k3370056-o10-Kuala_Lumpur_vs_Bangkok_and_Malaysia_vs_Thailand-Kuala_Lumpur_Wilayah_Persekutuan.html

[Postmaster]

Don't bother going to KL. It rains every day in Malaysia. They have awful weather and its constant day after day after day. You get sick of the rain. Indonesia is the same...........never stops raining ! Also do you really want to spend your money with those people if you get my drift. Bangkok is 10 times better for lots of reasons.

[sccc466]

I'm from Singapore. KL 0 bangkok 10. There's nothing to do in KL, it's a lower class Singapore. That's it

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[pathumseb]

Only been on a visa run to get my non-b. Compared to Laos,it's deadly dull! As for comparisons to BKK? I found KL to be a bit of a snooze fest. I suppose it all boils down to what you like out of a city

[mayas73]

having lived in bkk for years and now iivng in kl for a year, i would say most definately bangkok is far superior in many ways. kl is a stinking fetid rathole full of rapists,thieves and scumbags.one cannot walk along the street with their spouse without being harrassed by indian cockroaches.no woman is safe after dark or even during the day.kl has nothing to offer at all.families get mugged at night even with small children.i am currently looking to have my condo lease taken over and to get the hell out of kl. as a christian and a white man in kl i am looked down on as dirt, and as my fiance is malay the people here treat us rather poorly.as far as i am concerned i cannot wait to move back to thailand and leave that city to slide into the sea.

**************************************

Yeah, but that Indian chow: mmmm-mmmm-good! You just gotta hit the places with the non-rapist waiters.

hahah non rapist waiters! well played sir!

[Mousehound]

My son and his pal are both back from KL. They didn't like it at all and found the people unfriendly. Back to BKK for them for their yearly four week break. I talked them into going for a change but they were not impressed. We are all now thinking of Vietnam as an alternative.

[roamer]

having lived in bkk for years and now iivng in kl for a year, i would say most definately bangkok is far superior in many ways. kl is a stinking fetid rathole full of rapists,thieves and scumbags.one cannot walk along the street with their spouse without being harrassed by indian cockroaches.no woman is safe after dark or even during the day.kl has nothing to offer at all.families get mugged at night even with small children.i am currently looking to have my condo lease taken over and to get the hell out of kl. as a christian and a white man in kl i am looked down on as dirt, and as my fiance is malay the people here treat us rather poorly.as far as i am concerned i cannot wait to move back to thailand and leave that city to slide into the sea.

**************************************

Yeah, but that Indian chow: mmmm-mmmm-good! You just gotta hit the places with the non-rapist waiters.

hahah non rapist waiters! well played sir!

His sense of geography is also somewhat lacking " i cannot wait to move back to thailand and leave that city to slide into the sea."....

[Grindting]

Can't stand KL. Lifeless and boring and most parts are as much of a dump as Bangkok.

My wife as a registered Muslim on her Indonesian ID card (non practising) was petrified to eat with me in the day (as it was Ramadan when we were last there), as the restaurants are obliged to dob in any Muslims and the penalties are severe (don't know how they would know though?..). She also didn't touch a drop of booze as the laws are strict in that too, she could have been lashed. The UK government wouldn't do anything to protect her as she's not a citizen yet and the Indonesian government would probably support it and do it themselves if they could get away with it.

Malaysians are arrogant and rude on the whole (at least in KL), especially towards Indonesians. And as I'm British they feel very insecure due to their colonial past, so are not very friendly to us (Brits) either.

Accommodation bang per buck is also lacking

Kl doesn't hold a candle to Bangkok.

You've got Singapore as the contrast to Bangkok, a great but expensive town. Whereas Kl is just crap and fails on all comparable points to either city

IMO

A colleague of mine was an engineer on the Petronas back in the day and lived in KL for 6 years with his family in international schools. He says he loved it. But he never spent much time jn KL or Singapore or anywhere else in SEa for that matter, so his view is a bit narrow IMO. Or comparatively speaking

Edited August 29, 2014 by Grindting

[NayKuay]

Being half Malaysian and half Thai who currently live in the Klang Valley(an interchangable term for Greater KL), I would have to agree that Bangkok would definitely outshine KL as a travel destination. It's true that KL is without a soul and would deemed boring for most tourists. KL should not be compared to Singapore at all.

The night life in KL cannot be compared to Bangkok or Singapore period. Shopping is only good for electronics and mid to high end fashion. Malaysians tend to shop online now. Public Transportation cannot be compared to the quality of Singapore, but definitely less congested if compared to Bangkok. KL Taxis are terrible, with this we are actually fighting for the legalisation of Uber! Food is definitely a saving grace for KL, you just need to know where to go. Try to avoid Jalan Alor though, that place is a con. Medical tourism is top class if you are into that.

One thing that one needs to know before heading to KL is that alot of its citizens are NOT Malaysians. This is due to the large influx of Burmese, Indonesian and Bangladeshi immigrants(mostly illegal). For this reason, the locals despise KL! In fact most of the food in restaurants and eateries are being cooked by them! Cleanliness is an issue in "immigrant parts" of the city like Chinatown(more like Banglatown, as the real Chinatown should arguably be Jalan Imbi and it's surrounding areas behind Berjaya Time Square). There is also a huge community of Iranians and middle eastern migrants alike.

The locals would usually head down to KL only for work and business, as they don't usually live within the limits of KL but in nearby smaller satellite cities like Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam or Puchong etc etc. These are established cities with relatively higher standards of living and has everything the locals need(including shopping and night life but still lacks the vibe). So there's no reason for them to head down to KL outside office hours. Thus, contributing to the mundanity of KL. It must also be noted that KL itself is a small city with a very small population of only 1.8m. Far from being a metropolis. This can't be compared to Bangkok's massive size and population.

To rebut, ALL Malaysians regardless of race and religion can own land and property, except for what are called special Malay or Bumiputera reserved land. Racial politics is a big issue in Malaysia, but most Malaysians are mature enough to look pass it. Things are less tense in Malaysian Borneo however. As for the "cockroach indian pariahs", well yes it's true, but we have to learnt to live it. Just stay far away from them. Let's not forget the "Malay Rempits" and "Chinese Ah Beng gangsters" too ok?

First time visitors to Malaysia should instead spend more time in places OUTSIDE KL like Penang, Melaka or Malaysian Borneo. Also, the northern and eastern Muslim states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terrangganu should be not sidelined too. Other than the pristine islands and beaches, it is also a great opportunity to experience unsullied Malay Muslim cultures.

[sas_cars]

Being half Malaysian and half Thai who currently live in the Klang Valley(an interchangable term for Greater KL), I would have to agree that Bangkok would definitely outshine KL as a travel destination. It's true that KL is without a soul and would deemed boring for most tourists. KL should not be compared to Singapore at all.

The night life in KL cannot be compared to Bangkok or Singapore period. Shopping is only good for electronics and mid to high end fashion. Malaysians tend to shop online now. Public Transportation cannot be compared to the quality of Singapore, but definitely less congested if compared to Bangkok. KL Taxis are terrible, with this we are actually fighting for the legalisation of Uber! Food is definitely a saving grace for KL, you just need to know where to go. Try to avoid Jalan Alor though, that place is a con. Medical tourism is top class if you are into that.

One thing that one needs to know before heading to KL is that alot of its citizens are NOT Malaysians. This is due to the large influx of Burmese, Indonesian and Bangladeshi immigrants(mostly illegal). For this reason, the locals despise KL! In fact most of the food in restaurants and eateries are being cooked by them! Cleanliness is an issue in "immigrant parts" of the city like Chinatown(more like Banglatown, as the real Chinatown should arguably be Jalan Imbi and it's surrounding areas behind Berjaya Time Square). There is also a huge community of Iranians and middle eastern migrants alike.

The locals would usually head down to KL only for work and business, as they don't usually live within the limits of KL but in nearby smaller satellite cities like Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Shah Alam or Puchong etc etc. These are established cities with relatively higher standards of living and has everything the locals need(including shopping and night life but still lacks the vibe). So there's no reason for them to head down to KL outside office hours. Thus, contributing to the mundanity of KL. It must also be noted that KL itself is a small city with a very small population of only 1.8m. Far from being a metropolis. This can't be compared to Bangkok's massive size and population.

To rebut, ALL Malaysians regardless of race and religion can own land and property, except for what are called special Malay or Bumiputera reserved land. Racial politics is a big issue in Malaysia, but most Malaysians are mature enough to look pass it. Things are less tense in Malaysian Borneo however. As for the "cockroach indian pariahs", well yes it's true, but we have to learnt to live it. Just stay far away from them. Let's not forget the "Malay Rempits" and "Chinese Ah Beng gangsters" too ok?

First time visitors to Malaysia should instead spend more time in places OUTSIDE KL like Penang, Melaka or Malaysian Borneo. Also, the northern and eastern Muslim states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terrangganu should be not sidelined too. Other than the pristine islands and beaches, it is also a great opportunity to experience unsullied Malay Muslim cultures.

Very informative insider view. Excellent post this !

[NayKuay]

But being mundane and soulless as it may be, I would like to add that visitors should not be discouraged from visiting KL at all. Perhaps it's a city with a different vibe if compared to Bangkok. It's more laid back and more serene during the off peak hours at night. It is predominantly a "working capital city". It is definitely more multi-cultural than Bangkok. It's just that KL tends to focus more on a different experience, which may not excite most tourists. There's actually a lot of things to do other than taking selfies with the Twin Towers or visiting one of the many museums or the mosques, temples and churches alike....

For those concerned with nightlife, KL's nightlife is geared more towards the chillax spectrum as bars and pubs can be found almost everywhere, unlike the raving culture that Bangkok can meticulously offer. Since alchohol is already expensive, might as well enjoy it to the fullest. The more popular bars and pubs can be found outside out of the city center such as in the affluent suburbs of Mont Kiara/Hartamas/TTDI. This is where all the savvy white collar locals(of all races, Muslims included sometimes) and expats would hang out during the night throughout the week. For something within the city centers, Changkat Bukit Bintang near Jalan Alor is ok, but yet again, more of a chill out vibe. As for crazy all out nights, the only club worthy of mention would probably be Zouk KL. The hip cafe culture is also a thing in KL and it's surrounding satellite cities, so you're a coffee and tea kind of person, you might fancy that. For something authentically Malaysian(and Singaporean too), first time visitors should definitely visit a Indian Muslim restaurant colloquially known as "Mamaks" for some Teh Tarik and Roti Canai, and see how Malaysians of all races would congregate under one roof to "talk cock, sing song" about almost every topic ranging from politics, sports, to even about their mothers until the wee hours of the morning! Some groups would converse in Manglish(Malaysia's equivalent to Singlish but worse), so you might find it amusing and entertaining. If you're "lucky" enough, you might get uncles or aunties breaking the ice first, if you know what I mean. Most Mamaks are open 24/7. If you're concerned with errrr women, well there are "massage parlors and spas" operated by the Chinese gangsters and triads if you dare. They are offer, well, ladies from all over Southeast Asia and PRC. It's totally safe, just make sure not to do anything stupid you know.....

For those who love extreme sports or sports, KL and the surrounding satellite cities has in fact a lot to offer. Cycling is a favorite pastime among many Malaysians. The Bukit Kiara trails is a mountain biking mecca, there's a trail for all disciplines. Just bring your bike over and ask to join the seasoned riders, they are more than happy to guide you through. English is widely spoken even in the trails, so don't worry. The KESAS expressway connecting KL to its satellite cities is famous among road cyclists, specially for the strong head wind. Riders can ride from KL all the way to the port city of Klang on dedicated bike lanes. Paintball is also a big thing in Malaysia if you fancy that. There's also limestone rock climbing at Batu Caves and etc etc. If you like futsal or indoor football(you Americans may call it soccer if you like!), there are plenty of courts around the city. If you're brave enough to ask, the locals may be more than willing to welcome you to play with them, provided that you pay your share of the rental rate.

For those who loves to shop, well as I mentioned in my previous reply, KL is mainly good for electronics and mid end to high end fashion. In case you dont know, the cheap clothing that you find in Chinatown and Bukit Bintang, are mostly from Platinum Mall or Pratunam, some would go as far as Yaowarat! Malaysian retailers would flock to Bangkok and bring suitcases worth of cheap clothing back for sale in Malaysia. As for mid end, there are reputable Malaysian fashion houses like Padini, Bonia and such having boutiques and outlets throughout KL. For high end fashion, Pavilion KL or Starhill Gallery is the place to go for luxury brands. As for Malaysian designer fashion, reputable designers like Bernard Chandran, Zang Toi, Melinda Looi etc etc would have boutiques mainly in KL only. But Jimmy Choo is not cheaper in Malaysia. As for electronics, the prices are generally cheaper than Pantip or MBK especially cameras. I know a professional photographer from the U.S who once told me that KL has the best prices in the world, period. As for sporting goods, I tend to find Malaysia cheaper too if compared to Thailand. If you have the time and a proper address, online shopping is definitely the way to go in Malaysia.

As for food, try to avoid Chinese stalls or restaurants which are manned by a Burmese, unless if the owner is present to supervise. Good Chinese hawker food can be found in Jalan Petaling(China town), Jalan Pudu and Jalan Imbi. The Lot 10 food court is the premium place for the very best Malaysian Chinese dishes from the best hawkers throughout Malaysia as recognised by the YTL Corp, a Malaysian conglomerate, so it may be subjective. Nice Malay food specially Nasi Lemak and Burger Ramly(Malaysian street side burgers) can be found in almost every corner, but are especially abundant in a Pasar Malam(Night markets). Good but rather costly Indian food can be found at Jalan Masjid India. Mamak restaurants can be found everywhere, as a last resort. There are many other places for food, you just need to you want and where to go!

KL has a lot more to offer, if you know what and where to look. But again, I think most tourists might find it soulless simply the nightlife is less developed than that of Bangkok. The small size and population is a probably a factor too. The status of Malaysia being a Muslim country might even be a factor for some. Coupled with the huge immigrant population, which would wrongly paint KL in a different image. Bangkok is definitely the better all rounder still. But KL has a different vibe.

[spidermike007]

No. It is rather boring. Has some nice parks and half way decent food. Quite clean. A few nice areas. Nowhere near the vibrancy of Bangkok. And I prefer Bangkok people, though the Malaysians are quite nice. The Thais just have more spirit. Bangkok is amazing in my book. It is the most positive third world city I have ever been to, as far as peoples attitudes.

[phuketrichard]

i lived in Thailand for over 30 years an have traveled in se for the past 35,

last year went for my first visit to KL

will never return,' 2 days, was ready to leave

boring, soulless, expensive

do agree food is good;

Now Penang, there's a nice easy place for a few days

[dylan88]

Im study in Taylor University M'sia from Bangkok.....For me not enjoyable to life here its look likes ultras modern city with a lots of green Park, surrounding wit an iconic building but people are too slow and wearing hiljab anywhere they also dont know how to enjoy their life. The tallest twin tower and de others "the" 'the"thing should be in Bangkok obviously....Even South of Thailand bombing almost everyday and recently Bangkok got 1 bomb but i think its should be better then life here with all these lazy slow people.

[South]

Simple answer to your question ..... NO!

[Rc2702]

KL Awful city penang much much better. MY Multi culturally connected don't make me laugh complete segregation.

[siam2007]

I always enjoy a few days in KL particularly with MAS offering 3600 THB return tickets every now and then, the City is VERY green and easy to get around, the food is the best in all of Asia with unmatched variety, just do not expect any sort of "service" - Malaysian work ethics are probably the worst in all of Asia (no wonder the new foreign MAS CEO fled the country after just one year) ....  not sure if I wanted to live there. If Malaysia, then rather in Sabah state in a house on stilts in a Kadazan community in da jungle... KOPIVOSIAN  

[smo]

"As a travel destination," said OP.

You want to travel, right? Then no place is better than another, you've got to go there and find out for yourself, that's the whole point of travelling (=being there.).  Case in point, Aleppo might be a great travel destination right now, if dodging aerial bombs on a daily basis is your thing.

 

FWIW, every time I read some comparison made betwen BKK and another (asian) city, I smile to myself and shout at the monitor screen: Oh no, BKK is much worse, polluted, overcrowded, no one speaks english, skytrain goes nowhere, the food scene sucks.... In short no comparison at all so yeah please leave!

[Baanguru]

Honestly, Bangkok is still better than KL. I went in KL last year and I find it kinda boring. Another thing is that people in Thailand are more approachable than those in KL. When it comes to accommodations you will notice that Bangkok is a lot cheaper compare in KL.

[Nice Boyd]

No


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[schlog]

Kl is great on the 5 star level. You will get more for your money then in bkk. Staying at the Ritz, dining on Twin tower and shopping brands cloth while having a green city is always nice. Compared with bkk it's 30% cheaper and more relaxed and pleasant.

[Scotwight]

4 minutes ago, schlog said:

Kl is great on the 5 star level. You will get more for your money then in bkk. Staying at the Ritz, dining on Twin tower and shopping brands cloth while having a green city is always nice. Compared with bkk it's 30% cheaper and more relaxed and pleasant.

And a chance to see Sharia law in action that's got to be a plus.  Am I right?  KL is under Sharia law?  Good educational trip to see the future of London.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Scotwight

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The air quality in the Klang valley is not very good, you can see a big brown cloud hanging over the city almost like in Chiang Mai. Food is the winner for me in KL and cheap but as many posters before had said the town is soulless. My favorit places in Malaysia are Georgetown on Penang, Tioman island, Kuantan and Malacka.  

[elgenon]

Too bad I heard KL got rid of that beautiful train station.