Malaysians appreciate it when foreigners praise our country, particularly when they compare our food, facilities, and services to those in neighbouring countries, highlighting that we are superior. However, those comparisons can be somewhat harmful as they could create an online war between netizens.
Thankfully we haven’t seen any outrage (yet) when this British man compared our KTM trains to the commuter trains in Thailand. Richard Barrow, a man from the United Kingdom (UK) who has been residing in Thailand since 1994, made his way to Malaysia recently. Earlier this week, during his brief stay in our country, he listed down some of the things he liked about our commuter trains.
“It’s similar to the modern electric trains on their western line, but these are diesel DMUs and do a really good job of transporting people in air-conditioned comfort. These trains are a world away from what we have for commuters in Thailand. I was impressed with the comfort, facilities, and cleanliness,” he wrote in his Facebook post that went viral. The traveller then added that Malaysia is “light years ahead of Thailand” when it comes to rail transport.
Aside from our public transport service, the tourists also praised Malaysian’s hospitality towards foreigners, noting that travelling here is easier than in Thailand. “The people of Malaysia are so warm, friendly and always quick with a smile even for strangers. The rail staff are also very service-minded, and I found them to be very informative and helpful. The next time I have trouble extending my Thai visa, I will probably move to live in Malaysia,” he elaborated.
After Richard’s post went viral, foreign netizens agreed with his points about Malaysia’s KTMB trains while Malaysians thanked the UK man for his compliments about our country’s railway and people. Earlier today (Friday, 4th October), the tourist shared that he did not expect his story to go viral and be featured in multiple news publications.
Do you have experience riding trains in Thailand?
