When Will You Call Thailand Your Home?

[Flashermac]

Malaysia has a few negatives, not to mention being a bit more expensive. Did you read about the Brit expats on Langkawi whose home was invaded by the Islamic thought police? Big stink about it a few years back, with the Brit couple saying they were leaving and never coming back. The mullahs are not supposed to bother anyone not Muslim, but they sometimes get carried away.

 

Still, Malaysia is much more welcoming, handing you a free 3 month tourist visa on arrival and I don't know how many easy renewals without even leaving the country. But if under 50, you have to deposit RM 300,000 in a fixed deposit. That is about 2.9 million baht. It is RM150,000 if you are over 50, still much more than 800,000 baht.

 

I'd be bored in Malaysia, at least until I learned the language. I should be able to do that easily enough in little more than a year, if I put my mind to it.

 

A compromise might be to retire in northern Malaysia. Then the border is a short hop away.

 

http://www.penangmyhome.com/Main.htm?gclid=CLq4tYfV-7UCFUt76wodJhYAwQ

[gobbledonk]

Malaysia has a few negatives, not to mention being a bit more expensive. Did you read about the Brit expats on Langkawi whose home was invaded by the Islamic thought police? Big stink about it a few years back, with the Brit couple saying they were leaving and never coming back. The mullahs are not supposed to bother anyone not Muslim, but they sometimes get carried away.

 

Still, Malaysia is much more welcoming, handing you a free 3 month tourist visa on arrival and I don't know how many easy renewals without even leaving the country. But if under 50, you have to deposit RM 300,000 in a fixed deposit. That is about 2.9 million baht. It is RM150,000 if you are over 50, still much more than 800,000 baht.

 

I'd be bored in Malaysia, at least until I learned the language. I should be able to do that easily enough in little more than a year, if I put my mind to it.

 

A compromise might be to retire in northern Malaysia. Then the border is a short hop away.

 

http://www.penangmyh...CFUt76wodJhYAwQ

 

I have one forum response (guy who claims to have lived in Penang for two years) and one face-to-face discussion (plane flight back from KL) that confirm my suspicion that the Malaysians appear to have no issue whatsoever with foreigners flying out of the country every 90 days, flying back the next day and getting another stamp. Can't recall the name of the hotel opposite DM, but a return AirAsia flight, a night in said hotel and a sixpack or two of Chang - alternatively, catch a cab to Soi 4 and spend the hotel money on late-night beers for all your girlfriends. Refresher towel from KFC, redeye flight back to Penang or KL and you're laughing. Not exactly a great plan if you had to be back in the office that morning, but for they should have a proper visa anyway.

 

Not sure how many years it took the Thais to crack down on back-to-back visa exemptions, but right now it seems to be an open door policy in Malaysia. All part of their drive to make Malaysia a 'high-income' country by 2020.

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

I have never understood why Thailand makes it so hard for people to immigrate here. You'd think they would welcome the foreign expertise and currency that usually comes along with such immigrants. Thai-Chinese are probably worried about the potential competition.

 

Sanuk!

[Dexi]

Immigration on a large scale often creates social problems and resentment from the local population - I don`t blame the Thais for keeping a tight control over who they allow to come and live in their country.I remember overhearing a conversation between two Thais one of whom had just arrived in Patts.The new girl was complaining " mee dtair Farang " while the older one replied in a weary tone " nee lair.Pattaya Glahng ".

[Flashermac]

Unless it is changed, you do not have to leave Malaysia every days. You can have another visa issued on the spot. As a Malaysian explained it to me, "We want you to stay here. You spend money in our country." Still, note that Malaysia had the Brits for a good many years. They are much more used to Farangs than the Thais even now.

[Flashermac]

Hi,

 

I have never understood why Thailand makes it so hard for people to immigrate here. You'd think they would welcome the foreign expertise and currency that usually comes along with such immigrants. Thai-Chinese are probably worried about the potential competition.

 

Sanuk!

 

 

You've got it. The Chinese worked hard to take over the country. They are not about to let that control be challenged. How many PMs can you name tht have not been Thai Chinese? Not very many ...

[gobbledonk]

Immigration on a large scale often creates social problems and resentment from the local population - I don`t blame the Thais for keeping a tight control over who they allow to come and live in their country.I remember overhearing a conversation between two Thais one of whom had just arrived in Patts.The new girl was complaining " mee dtair Farang " while the older one replied in a weary tone " nee lair.Pattaya Glahng ".

 

I wonder how many Pattaya Thais spoke Southern Thai in 1975 and how many can speak it today ? How many could claim 3 generations of their family born and raised in the area ? What percentage of Thais are supporting families in Isaan ?

 

Its a city of transplants - the new arrivals just don't recognise that the Thai people around them caught an earlier bus. Happy to hear otherwise.

[gobbledonk]

Unless it is changed, you do not have to leave Malaysia every days. You can have another visa issued on the spot. As a Malaysian explained it to me, "We want you to stay here. You spend money in our country." Still, note that Malaysia had the Brits for a good many years. They are much more used to Farangs than the Thais even now.

 

I'll look into that further on one of the Malaysian expat forums.

[Flashermac]

I haven't been to Malaysia in around 8 years, but back then I was told you simply reported to Immigration and were given a 90-day extension. I like Malaysia, but I don't feel nearly as comfortable since I only know a handful of words in Melayu. (It is non-tonal, fairly easy grammar. In the cities almost everyone speaks English, though nowhere near as well as they did 30+ years ago, before schools switched to using Malay in all classes.)

[radioman]

The schools are back to almost all English now, or at least in large part, they realised the folly of over nationalising some things in about a generation or so.

 

As for the Thai fear, I think it's real but not targeted at the white male Caucasian demographic as such, rather the Chinese, Indian, Burmese, Khmer and Lao. Until Thais become comfortable about no risk from those groups the rest of us will face the same hassles. Malaya is already a multi-ethnic society, Indians, Chinese and a mix of others are plentiful all around the country not to mention the smaller ethnic groups in such places as the former British North Borneo. They have little to fear from them and a pogrom or two would soon put paid to any stupid ideas of anyone ousting the ruling Malays.

 

Malaysia is okay but I always sense an undercurrent of socio-religious straitjacketing whenever I go there. I spent almost 2 years there at one point and found Thailand a welcome relief, as it still is, from almost everywhere else. Something about the grass always being greener maybe.