Sea Horse

Hi everybody, nice to meet you here! We moved to Thailand 2 years ago, have our own business, a house etc. To be honest, we are quite upset about many things here. Don't want to let you know the full list ... Must say, the business goes ok but all the rest... Plus political instability... From that point of view, Malaysia seems to be safe, stable and shows much better attitude towards foreigners living in the country than Thailand. Could anybody who has some experinece of living in both countries compare them please? Thanks a lot!

DumbFalang

I have lived in Thailand for the past two years too, so I know exactly where you are coming from. My biggest gripe being the dangerous roads. Thinking that Thailand had to have the most deaths on the roads per capita, I did some research and was shocked to find out that we had been pushed into second place......

...by MALAYSIA

dave_wong

I was born and bred in Malaysia before relocating to Perth, WA. Let me tell you this from a local's point of view. Malaysia may seem to be a safe country but it is not!! thanks to the govt's 'close one eye' policy of allowing illegal immigrants to re settled in the country in order to 'up' the % of muslim population. The crime rates are going one way ... north, and the police could not do anything about it. I know it because I had live there almost all my life.

Malaysia also has the highest death toll on the road in SEA. If my memory serves me right... it is 10 death per day!! 60% of the deaths are motorcyclists. People drive like d!ckheads over there. When they are caught by the police, it is easy to 'settle' as the police force are corrupt to the core!! The Malaysia I know today has changed. The country is in fact moving backwards.... With Islamisation creeping into every corner of the society. Non Muslims are feeling very uneasy. That is why a lot of non muslims are leaving the country. If you are going there as an expat to make your money. Then, by all means, get in and out.

Chris351

I've been in T land several years and want to leave , too many/personal reasons I'm still here.

Regret the entire move to SE Asia FOR SURE.

I've not lived in MY, I do have a MMSH visa for insurance in case Tland goes completely nuts and starts full scale ejecting of western foreigners .

I think it would be more often than not same- same as T land.

Tropical peoples just don' be concerned for the future as far as personal safety goes, ( think it goes with ancestral knowledge of never having to store food for winters . )

The creeping Islamification is worrying too. It certainly hasn't a free press.

I would stay away from urbia, crime is too high already. I do know people living in KL and they do not recommend it. the highlands are spoken of well.

The Imm. Dept. in KL is a model of efficiency , not at all the stress factor as felt at T land Imm.

I've always felt comfortable in Penang and everyone speaking English with a Brit accent is a major lull.
If you're single western woman, you might experience being a dating commodity instead of....

But I think that long term it offers is superior visa, laid out rules that are plain and sensible, followed.

Maybe if you just don't read the foreign press...

dave_wong

You are wrong... dead wrong!!! How are people from the tropics different from people like yourself??? All human beings are concern for their safety, for god's sake!!!! What ancestral knowledge about not having to store food for winter????

FYI, We Asians have seen more disasters than any other race in the world. Believe me, we are prepared for the worst. The typical savings rate in an Asian country is approx 40%. Have you check the savings rate of someone from a "more developed" western country???

Chris351

LOL !!!! Thais don't give a squat about safety, look at electrical wires , the drivers, infants held in one arm on a motorcycle, night club fires, improperly trained, sleeping airline pilots ... I mean really.. are you just naive or a typical Thai nationalist or perhaps the argumentative, bored sex-pat apologist?

Have you ever been to a western country?

And yes, cultural heritage has EVERYTHING to do with their current behavior ( Read Malcom Gladwell's, " Outliers" for a convincing argument. )

Tropical peoples all over the world have the same attitude toward a future it isn't racial, but cultural...
Think about it , no cold winters to worry about storing food for , you think after 10's of thousand of years that has no effect on a society?

Kooky.

Well, Chris, you've certainly been busy on here in the last couple of days. Still spouting your anti-Asian rubbish, which for some reason you get away with.

Dave, don't take it personally - Chris has a particular axe to grind. She's been grinding it so long under a variety of names that there can't be much of it left.

Most of us Asia and ex-Asia expats don't think that way, but we rarely post here these days because of shite like that.

dave_wong

I have been residing in Perth, Western Australia for the last 2 years

dave_wong

I attended university in the US. I have also visited some western countries such as the UK, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany.

Last but not least, I have been residing in Perth, Western Australia for the last 2 years .

bakedbean

Probably for the same reason as before - Mods not looking in here. But I'm here too K

graeme64

In Chris' defence I agree that they at best have a totally different value on life than we do. look at how the drvie a moped - no helmet 100km 2 kids on the back, just sitting there with 2 kids under the age of 6 on a moped.

maybe this is too simplistic a way to look at it but almost every one in Thailand is muslim or Bhudist. Muslims believe their destiny to be in the hands of Allah - inshallah. in gods will. So it doesnt matter how I drive my moped I will get there (or not get there) if it is gods will that I do (or Dont). Bhuddists who need to die to get to the next level to reach nirvana. Where as christians are a bit more like Robbie Williams - I am not scared of dieing I just dont want to!!!

Now no none of this helps the OP, but I did think Chris had some valid points about how Thais live their lives. And for the record I am a volunteer in Phuket at a poor Thai school, so I doubt I am a racist and hate Thais, I just think they have different values on certain subjects.

Having said that - Chris why are you still here ?? you seem so unhappy?

danjones1

You need your head tested if you are going to move to Malaysia

bakedbean

Why?

Sea Horse

Move and you will understand.

sr71

He may well be wrong on that count, but certainly many Asians have a fatalistic attitude and live for the day. Anyone that knows Thai society in any detail will understand that.