Lots of questions...

[Contractor]

Hi,

I currently work in Saudi Arabia, and expect to be finished with my assignment at the end of November. Originally, my wife and I were looking at retiring in Phuket, but... I've had a bit of a rethink on that one.

What we would like to do, is come and stay there for a month, and look at long term rental's with an option to buy, or, if we find something quickly, to buy.

As I have no experience of Malaysia,
1) What would be the equivalent area to look at, with beaches, diving, 2 bedroom condo's, access to shopping malls etc ?
2) What is the weather like during December or January ?
3) Which bank is recommended to open an account with
4) Will we require transport ?
5) Are we required to have medicals before being granted residence ?
6) Are we requried to exit/reenter at regular intervals ?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[synthia]

There is a program called Malaysia My Second Home, or MM2H, for expats. Check the government web site for information.

Penang would probably meet most of your demands. Most expats live out near Batu Feringi (Foreigner's Beach, but not named after the expats). I wouldn't want to live out there without a car, but many people do.

Housing is much more expensive than in Thailand. The apartments built for expats are all two or three bedrooms, and rent for over $1000 US per month. You need to be in a secure building, as the robbery rate is quite high.

Also, the beach is not one of those with clean, clear sparkling blue water. There have been a lot of contamination problems over the years.

December and January are in the dry season. Unlike some countries, however, it can rain during the dry season.

[Contractor]

Thank you Synthia..

Is there a reputable travel agent that I can work through, maybe one that you can recommend ?

That rental sounds about what I was expecting to pay..

Carl

[synthia]

I'm sorry, but I don't have anyone to recommend. You really need to go there and look around, maybe stay for a while and see how you like it. It's much better to be there for these things. Some things you only pick up over time. Like, you eventually learn that the police spend most of their time in coffee shops and there are no patrols even on the busiest tourist street, where purse snatchings are common.

[oddball]

Originally Posted by synthia

I'm sorry, but I don't have anyone to recommend. You really need to go there and look around, maybe stay for a while and see how you like it. It's much better to be there for these things. Some things you only pick up over time. Like, you eventually learn that the police spend most of their time in coffee shops and there are no patrols even on the busiest tourist street, where purse snatchings are common.

Are you sure you are not talking about Canada ?

[synthia]

Yes, but perhaps they copied the system.

[rjnpenang]

Hi contractor,
My wife & I retired to Malaysia last year on the MM2H programme, we spend 6 months there & 6 months in Spain, We also go up to Pattya for medical treatment every 3 months whilst in Malaysia so I can answer a lot of your questions, contact me. Regards Robert

[synthia]

OK, I´ll bite. Why do you go to Pattaya for medical treatment?

[viv.destiny]

Hi,

I'm Malaysian, maybe I can help you out.

1) 1) What would be the equivalent area to look at, with beaches, diving, 2 bedroom condo's, access to shopping malls etc ?

Unfortunately (and fortunately) there are no condos near the good dive sites of Malaysia. But if you can be content with just golden sand beaches, look into Batu Feringhi in Penang - high rise condos with swimming pool & sports facilities, sea view, walking distance to beach, 10 minutes drive to the malls, good food and culturally interesting.

But most expats prefer to live around Kuala Lumpur the capital. It's a vibrant modern city with thriving businesses, easy lifestyle, great shopping, clusters of restaurants and bars and parks. You can travel from KL to other places easily with cheap flights or by car. The only drawback to this city is the horrendous traffic jam during peak hours.

2) What is the weather like during December or January ?

Rainy in most parts of Malaysia. On the west coast of Peninsulat Malaysia, it will probably rain for 1 to 2 hours a day, while the east coast will get thunderstorms.

3) Which bank is recommended to open an account with

Depending on your needs, it's best to choose an international bank such as
HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citybank. Some Malaysian banks are Public Bank (especially for loans and investments), CIMB Bank (for international transactions), Alliance Bank (for loans and investments) and RHB Bank (many branches throughout the country). Al Rahji Bank and Kuwait Finance have recently open branches here.

Fixed Deposit interest is around 3.7% now.

4) Will we require transport ?

There's plenty of public transport around Kuala Lumpur - buses, skytrain, normal train, taxis. But due to the hot weather, waiting for public transport can be irritating. If you prefer to travel around freely, by a car. With the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, you can import a car tax-free of buy a locally assembled car tax-free.

Fuel here is more expensive than in Saudi (well, which country isn't? :-) ) but still affordable at around US$ 0.63.

5) Are we required to have medicals before being granted residence ?

Yes, you need to purchase medical insurance.


6) Are we requried to exit/reenter at regular intervals ?

With the MM2H visa, you can stay as long as you like and travel in-out as often as you like.

Please feel free to email me if you need more help.

Cheers,
Vivien