Thailand or Malaysia?

[jimbodiver]

I have some friends that is nice enough to lend out their couch to a dive bum, while I am trying to figure out what to do with my life. Should I pick Din Daeng, Bangkok or Kajang, Selangor?

Sadly I can not afford to go see both, so I reach out to the elite on this amazing forum for some input.

If it has any bearing on your decision, I might pick either one as a second home, so economy, jobs, weather and ease of flying both within Asia ( Japan - Vietnam ) and back and forth to the USA is important.

I highly, highly appreciate your input.

[Nishan]

the diving in Sabah in Malaysian Borneo is better than anything Thailand has to offer. Sipadan and Layang Layang must rate among the top places in the world. That said Thailand has some very good diving on the Andaman coast including the Similan Islands. of course the Similans and Sipadan are both a bit away from Bangkok and Selengor respectively.

personally, i like Malaysia over Thailand. not just diving but also the overall vibe of the place. and as far as big cities go Kuala Lumpur is a clear winner above Bangkok which i find too big and too crowded. but thats me. others might differ.

KL is also the hub for Air Asia so you have lots of cheap flights to great dive destinations across SE Asia. Although there are probably budget airlines flying out of Bangkok as well.

[tongthrower]

Sabah if you want to enjoy your time underwater, Thailand if you want to enjoy your time out of the water.

Getting to Sipadan is not too easy, but you can find some pretty cheap places if you look for them that run a good service