Investing in Maylasia

Burger · Ace Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 1114 Location: Hua Hin

Like it Hogus, after my post you went back and changed your post to the complete opposite.

Snidey littlle 'Harold Herman'.

It's 4:15am mate you have work to do, can you put a towel out for me too please.
Only kidding.

Burger

johnnyk · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 998

I stayed in a guesthouse at Batu Ferringhi owned by Ali and Jamila.
Jamila was not covered up, I asked why and she said her husband didn't care.
The Muslim lady owner of the Sunset bar wasn't covered up either.
She said she was Muslim and did not drink, bt I don't mind if others do".

hogus · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:18 am Post subject:

True, Burger, we crossed each other about 1 minute, when I edited "very useful" into "very, very useful" Very Happy

... couldn't know that you're coming online at the same time...
Next time I'll wait 5 minutes for you, before I edit something Mr. Green

Burger · Ace Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 1114 Location: Hua Hin

hogus wrote:

Burger · Ace Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 1114 Location: Hua Hin

johnnyk wrote:

hogus · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:33 am Post subject:

You see, Burger, I'm a nice guy...I wait some minutes, so that you can quote me Very Happy

Hey, you've towels????.....f*****g rich bast***d .... Very Happy

hogus · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:50 am Post subject:

However, towels or no towels...better to come back to the topic!

I can't share your experiences, Burger.
I've been many times in Malaysia, even in the so-called "fundamentally" northern parts ... I never ever saw any racism...the people were very friendly, most of them with great English language skills.
Absolutely different to TH !

The price-level for life costs is similar to Thailand in my eyes, depends where you want to live...I prefer cities and not the countryside.
Of course, if you want to get drunken every night incl. a lot of girlies around you, than you must have much more money in your accounts as in TH...I guess 50% more expenses aren't enough in this special case!

All the true plus points webmaster mentioned above put TH more and more down in the ranking list of foreign-friendly SEA-countries...unfortunately!

Burger · Ace Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 1114 Location: Hua Hin

Excellent, you're off then.

See ya.

Burger

hogus · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:56 am Post subject:

lomuamart · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:14 am Post subject:

Just to add my tuppence worth to this discussion. I'd leave if Thailand got too tough for me visa wise (and by that I mean the financial requirements were raised to a level that I simply couldn't afford - and they will go up over the years). Then I'd have to look at another country. At the moment things are fine and I have a lot of leeway, but my income is not finite and I don't fancy selling up in the UK yet.
I'd certainly look at Malaysia and in particular Langkawi. I don't know the country that well and havn't been, but a friend's been living there with his Indonesian wife for a few years now and he loves it. Visas are easy. He could just pop over to Satun (Thailand and about a 30 min boat journey) and return, getting a 3 month visa on arrival every time, for free. As his wife's Indonesian, they make the trek to Songkla every 3 months. That's where the nearest Malaysian consulate is and his wife gets a 3 month visa without any fuss every time. He assures me it's the same easy process for Thais.
So, visas issues (if you're living a more transient life and not buying property etc) seem much more user friendly than Thailand (for now). I can go to Penang to get my 3 month Non O for Thailand without any trouble at all as I'm married to a Thai, but a 1 hour round journey from Lankawi sounds better than a 4 day marathon to Penang (2 days on the train, 2 there).
Cost wise, Langkawi is cheaper than Thailand - but not by a lot. The reason for this is that it's a tax free area. Accommodation is comparable - ie he has a two bedroom house, with all mod cons and rents it for 6k Baht a month. It's close to the beach. The beaches are superb, easily up to the standard of Samui and Phuket (in his opinion). A large beer costs 15 (yes 15) Baht. Ciggies are about the same and so is food, but it's extremely varied - Malaysian, Thai, Indian and Chinese.
Ok, I'm relating this third hand as I havn't been there, but I will be doing a few visa runs to Penang next year and as Langkawi is only a short hop away, there's an open invitation for me to visit and be shown the ropes. I'll certainly be taking that up and having a good look around.
To come back to what I was saying earlier, I don't want to leave Thailand, however I'm not so blinkered that I don't realise that there may come a time when I have to.
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

STEVE G · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 8:52 am Post subject:

The only reservation I would have about Malaysia would be the fact that it’s largely Muslim. The ultimate reason that I moved out of Indonesia was because it was getting more radical and anti-western by the day, and I can see Malaysia going the same way. When the local god-squad turn up and smash up your favourite bar while you’re in it, the fun goes out of the place a bit!

johnnyk · Guru Joined: 02 Sep 2005 Posts: 998

Burger · Ace Joined: 19 Apr 2004 Posts: 1114 Location: Hua Hin

Fair point, but we would'nt live in the villages.

Been to Malaysia 4 times and found it cack.

When you sit back and think about it, moving from Thailand (one of the best countries in the world), to a predominantly Muslim country, seems bizarre.

Good luck to anyone who does it though.

Burger

lomuamart · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:01 am Post subject:

Burger,
You've mentioned that you encountered racism in Malaysia on a few occasions. Can you elaborate?
I'm not having a dig, I'm genuinely interested.
I havn't found it too much in Thailand over the past 9.5 years, but it's there and growing. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it's a feeling.
In Thailand, I don't feel it's a religious thing. It's just jealousy.
Religion/jealously it all amounts to the same thing.
BTW, most of the Andaman Sea side of Thailand is predominantly Muslim. Provinces include Pangna (sic) and Phuket. You never hear of any trouble there. Mae Hong Song in the north also has a large Muslim presence. Again, no problems,
It's only the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narithaiwat on the east coast of Thailand that have the problems. Those spread into Malaysia to Kota Baru etc. They're fundamentalist places. Other places aren't.
_________________
"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

redzonerocker · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:53 am Post subject: malaysia

the word racism is far to overused in todays world.
i agree with you lomu, jealousy is a more logical reason for the discontent amongst locals.
the average thai has a pretty bleak future, poor pay & limited options to progress. when they see so many rich foreigners coming to their country & living the highlife, its no real surprise that resentment & jealousy will increase.
it's growing & will continue to do so, thats human nature.
it's the reverse in the uk at present. poorer immigrants are coming to the uk & are overtaking the working class people because of the handouts & special treatment they receive. the growing resentment against them here is perceived as racism, but again is more aligned to jealousy.
_________________
when all are one & one is all, to be a rock & not to roll.