Phuket VS Penang Malaysia for family

Hi,
English resident of Malaya from 1979,  and Penang resident from  those early days, be specific, what is outstanding with your enquiries ?

In my opinion, your primary concern should be education for your two children. You need to conduct site visits to both places, make specific enquiries on issues of interest to your family and then make a decision. This cannot be done until the end of visiting restrictions of these places.

We are in Phuket now. What we like here is： nice people, nice weather/ beaches, nice school for kids, fruits.

Will visit Malaysia when the travel restriction is lifted....

Penang comes first for education for children with International schools, and a large expat community multi racial live in harmony, Phuket is an international playground and a single mans environment and rising costs, Immigration status in Malaysia is another positive

wow, good place to retire, I guess.
Florin,AB,Canada

Some areas of Penang have problems, especially the areas around the Soho bar (if it's still there).
Phuket is a ruddy terrible unless you like drunks and prostitutes of every imaginable gender.

I, as a father of two, would take my kids to neither - It would be not a lot short of child abuse to let them grow up in such disgusting dumps.

It's been a long time since I visited Phuket, but I have lived in KL for around 12 years and been to Penang umpteen times. Of course, in Penang pretty much everyone speaks English, at least most of those you will every come into contact with. And I guess I'd personally consider Penang a safer place. The thing you 'd need to look at is the cost of schooling for your daughters so hope it would be covered by your company. Yes, lots of delicious Chinese food in Penang, I mean amazing. But I think Thai food is just as delicious.