"Which is more suitable for sending children to primary school, Thailand or Malaysia?" " This is the most frequently asked question by parents in the background recently.

Studying abroad at a young age has been popular in recent years. Southeast Asia, due to its proximity and controllable costs, 

has become the first choice for many families. However, Thailand and Malaysia are often compared together, 

which actually makes parents more confused - both are Southeast Asian countries, so where exactly do they fall short?

 What criteria should be used for selection? Today, I'll break it down from the three most crucial dimensions to help you sort out your thoughts.

Let's first look at education: System differences hide the "direction of growth"

Choosing a study abroad destination is essentially about choosing an educational path. The "classroom genes" of these two countries are quite different.

International schools in Thailand are renowned for their "diversity". There are over a hundred large-scale 

international schools in Bangkok alone. American, British and IB systems can be found in various subcategories. 

If you want your child to practice critical thinking, there are schools that offer pure American courses. 

There are also many long-established schools in the British system that aim to solidify their academic foundation. 

Moreover, many schools add Thai language and Thai culture courses, such as teaching children to make Thai dim 

sum and learn about traditional festivals. To put it bluntly, it is "international with a local flavor", 

which is suitable for families that want their children to be exposed to multiple cultures.

Malaysia, on the other hand, has a combination of "British and Chinese" cards. It follows the Commonwealth education system. 

The international school mainly focuses on A-Level and IB. The textbooks and examinations are closely connected

 with those in the UK and Australia. If children want to apply to universities in the UK or Australia in the future,

 the credit transfer and application process will be smoother. What's more crucial is the Chinese language 

environment - there are many Chinese people in the local area, and many international schools offer 

Chinese language courses. You can often see Chinese on street signs and supermarket salespeople. 

Children don't have to suddenly lose their Chinese language environment. For younger children,

 the transition period will be more stable. It is especially suitable for parents who are worried that their children will forget their mother tongue.

Looking at life again: "Compatibility" is more important than "convenience"

For young children studying abroad, "whether they can get used to living there" is more crucial 

than "whether the facilities are complete or not". The living atmosphere in these two countries is quite different.

Life in Thailand is a "small challenge amid the hustle and bustle". In places like Bangkok, where international

 schools are concentrated (such as Thongla and Sukhumvit), the facilities are well-developed, and supermarkets 

and hospitals are convenient. However, outside the campus, the daily scenes are mostly in Thai - the aunts 

in the market and taxi drivers basically speak Thai, and children need to gradually learn some daily expressions. 

The diet mainly consists of sour and spicy flavors. Although Chinese food can be found, it is not everywhere. 

If the child is picky about food, parents may have to put in more effort to prepare the meals.

Malaysia is more like a "familiar yet strange land". In popular cities for studying abroad like Kuala Lumpur and Penang, 

the Chinese community is very mature - there are soy milk and fried dough sticks at breakfast stalls, domestic 

seasonings can be bought in supermarkets, and even school teachers and neighbors might be Chinese. 

Parents have no communication barriers. The diet is relatively light, with Cantonese and Minnan cuisines everywhere. 

Children basically don't need to adapt to their tastes, especially young kids, who are less likely to get upset because they can't eat well.

There are also differences in cost: The tuition fee for international schools in Bangkok, Thailand, is approximately 

100,000 to 300,000 yuan per year, and the rent is 3,000 to 8,000 yuan per month. Tuition fees in Kuala Lumpur,

 Malaysia range from 80,000 to 250,000 yuan per year, and rental fees are 2,000 to 6,000 yuan per month. 

Overall, they are slightly lower. Families with limited budgets can give priority to considering Malaysia.

Finally, ask yourself: "What transition do we want?"

In fact, there is no absolute "which is better"; it all depends on "which is more suitable".

If you want your child to develop "multi-faceted adaptability" - for instance, if you plan to send him 

to study at universities in different countries in the future, or if you hope he will be exposed to multiple 

languages and cultures from an early age, the "mixed environment" in Thailand is more suitable. If one 

places more emphasis on "stability" - fearing that the child won't be able to adapt to an unfamiliar culture and 

wanting to maintain a solid foundation in Chinese while smoothly transitioning to studies

 in the UK or Australia, Malaysia's "gentle transition" is more worry-free.

Ultimately, studying abroad at a young age is not about choosing the "perfect option", but rather 

choosing the option that "aligns with family planning". If you're still not sure, it might be a good idea to

 think it through first: Do you care more about your child's "exposure to new things" or "stabilizing 

the foundation first"? Once you understand this point, the answer is actually not far away.

If you need the specific list of international schools in the two countries or want to talk about how to

 choose based on your child's situation, you can leave "Planning" in the comment section.

 I have sorted out a detailed set of information and will send it to you for free ~