The cost of fuel in Malaysia is 50-67% of that of Thailand, so of course it will be cheaper as distribution costs of goods is lower. Wages are slightly higher, but prices aren't as out of control as in Thailand, especially Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Samui (among others) where you're paying almost western prices just for a cup of coffee and a bagel or something. I paid 520 Baht for 2 stuffed bagels and a fruit juice just now at a cafe.

This is almost twice the daily minimum wage. In Malaysia, the cost for the same thing would be roughly 400 Baht at a similar cafe.

Don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed them, but prices are ridiculously high considering the local wage levels and I do realize the average wage in Bangkok is more like 20,000-25,000 Baht a month, not 300 Baht a day (that's the minimum wage) so you need to approach it in that context but even at such wage levels, blowing more than 500 Baht for what is a rather small lunch for 2 (with a drink shared between the two) is expensive by local standards.

Thais carry far greater debt than Malaysians.

Anonymous participant True; which becomes meaningless once you're over 30-35 and/or have a family anyway. However, to me, it's more than that. I evaluate many other factors before deciding whether a place is for me or not.

@John ******

I think for most of us, we found a woman here. It's the human connections that we've made here that means we want to stay. Thailand is great, but it isn't the same thing for a young or even slightly older digital nomad who doesn't know anyone here or doesn't know the language or culture.

@Jonathan ********

Malaysia is cheaper actually, but doesn't mean it's better.

@Kenny ****

Malaysia is definitely cheaper than Thailand.

@Uwe ***

It would. There are plenty of dodgy happenings in Pattaya, Phuket, Phangan etc though the perpetrators are often foreigners.

@Brad ********

It's the same with Thailand - all foreign arrivals are counted as "tourists" to make the numbers look good, but are they actually tourists, or just Burmese day trippers? Or Lao/Cambodian ones? I think you know the answer...

Malaysia is not as dependent upon tourism as Thailand is, though it is an important industry.

Yes, malls do great in Thailand. In Malaysia, KLCC does well, Sunway Park is fine too but the rest not as much. I think they've embraced the stay at home, order online culture more, whereas mall going is still considered an acceptable day to day pastime in Thailand, especially for teenagers, 20 and 30 somethings and even young families among Thais, particularly on Friday evenings and weekends, when malls are absolutely packed.

Even if Malaysians appear to be boycotting western brands, they seem to be boycotting only the big ones such as KFC and McDonald's which they see as supporting Israel. A&W, Carl's Jr, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Texas Chicken, Santa's etc were "boycotted" by Thais in the sense that they didn't appeal to Thais and thus these chains failed, but they are still doing very well in Malaysia. Tons of fat Malaysians, particularly women, gulp down A&W root beers, waffles and burgers like there's no tomorrow; unlike Thais, who just didn't like them.

Thais don't like western food or western things as much as other Asians do, but they don't boycott them for political reasons like Malaysians do, they'll simply not go to these places. These chains almost have to rely on western expats / tourists to survive in Thailand!

@Luke ***

Yes and no. Malaysia is quite international and perhaps more so than Thailand, in the sense that you can find a lot more imported food, a greater variety of foreign chains and so forth. A LOT of foreign retailers, restaurants, fast food outlets etc. fail in Thailand, whereas the same ones do well in Malaysia.

English is widely spoken in Malaysia, but not so widely spoken in Thailand.

However, the nightlife aspect of Thai culture and the "sabai sabai" attitude simply can't be found in Malaysia, so I think that's what it comes down to.

In other words, I'd say that if anything, Thailand is more traditional than Malaysia but perhaps a little more welcoming too, especially towards different faiths.

@Warren ********

Malaysia is cheaper than Thailand for sure, for most things. For food, it's similar, but foreign chains are definitely cheaper in Malaysia. Prices in Thailand are becoming ridiculous - 185 Baht stuffed bagels or 250 Baht stuffed croissants are becoming the norm at coffee shops in Bangkok. In Kuala Lumpur, you'll pay maybe of that for the same thing.

Anonymous participant That's nothing and an easy requirement to meet. Having an ongoing income of a certain amount can be a challenge and weeds out all but the best, most consistently earning digital nomads.