By the early 2000s, the idea of building a career at one company and staying put in one location was no longer the dream for many young people. Instead, they wanted a better work-life balance, to be liberated from the tedium of the office, and to get out and see the world. This shift coincided with the widespread adoption of the internet, and so digital nomadism emerged as a possibility.
As more people adopted the digital nomad lifestyle, they started to cluster around certain destinations which are particularly accommodating and advantageous to them. The bustling Thai capital of Bangkok, a long-time favourite destination of backpackers and budget travellers, sits at the top of that list. This guide will explore why that is.
Of course, the advantage of being a digital nomad is that you can choose where and how you want to live, not blindly follow others. Therefore, this guide will also cover the challenges which you might face in Bangkok, and anything else you might need to know in order to make an informed decision.
Bangkok: The pros
The city did not acquire its reputation as the world’s premiere digital nomad destination for no reason. The following are just some of the reasons why so many nomads choose to live there.
Fast internet
By definition, digital nomads work remotely. This means that a fast and reliable internet connection is essential, and Bangkok certainly delivers in this regard. The average download and upload speeds are very fast, and Internet connectivity is widely available in the city. Many cafes and co-working spaces offer fast, free Wi-Fi, and having your own Wi-Fi installed is straightforward. There are several providers and different packages to choose from.
Places to work and infrastructure
The ability to work from anywhere is one of the chief advantages of being a digital nomad, but few who live this way are regularly hopping between cities. They are more likely to hop within them instead. With Bangkok as your base city, you will never run out of new places to work. The city is full of cafes and workspaces, and finding a meeting venue in Bangkok is easy too. Getting around is easy using public transport, which includes a subway, a monorail, buses, taxis, and even boats.
Low cost of living
Cheap prices for essentials like food and accommodation are what helped make Bangkok popular with backpackers, and they are also one of the major reasons that digital nomads love the city too. Many nomads practise what is known as ‘geographic arbitrage,’ which is earning money in a stronger economy and spending it in a weaker one where they can get much more for their money.
Many nomads in Bangkok rent luxury condos with security and private pools that would be out of their budget in their home countries. The local street food is cheap enough that they can always eat out, too.
Supportive government policies
Tourism plays a major role in Thailand’s economy, and to help attract even more visitors to the country, the Thai government is keen to promote the country as a haven for digital nomads. To this end, it has introduced visa types which grant digital nomads the right to stay and work in the country.
Good medical care
Access to medical care is an important consideration whenever you are choosing where to live, and there are few places better for this than Bangkok. Besides being a top destination for digital nomads, Thailand is also one of the top medical tourism destinations thanks to its many world-class private hospitals and comparatively low treatment prices.
Everything else
The above covers the digital nomad-specific advantages of Bangkok, but there are of course plenty more benefits that all types of visitors to the country will experience. First up is the climate, which is hot all year round and mostly sunny, although tropical thunderstorms are common during the rainy season.
When it comes to leisure activities, the city has endless choices. From museums and markets to massages to live music, there is something for everyone. Most people are charmed by the local culture too. There are plenty of beautiful temples and shrines around to see, and the food is famously delicious and enjoyed all over the world.
The challenges of living in Bangkok
Every city has its pros and cons, and Bangkok is no different. Although the city attracts many digital nomads and expats, not all enjoy their time there. These are some of the common challenges that people face in the city.
Administrative hurdles
While there are visa types specifically for digital nomads and the government is in principle supportive of them, the country’s embassies and immigration offices are given a lot of leeway when it comes to issuing visas. The requirements are often complex and can vary widely depending on where you apply, which means it is hard to find reliable information online. The whole experience can be very frustrating.
Language barrier
Around the city centre and notable tourist and expat hangouts, this is not such a problem. But leave those and you’ll find that English is not widely spoken among the Thais. Not that you should expect it to be, but this does pose a challenge when you are first settling in and if you need to ask for information.
Traffic and pollution
The city’s traffic is famously terrible during peak times, and what should be a ten minute journey can easily stretch to over an hour when the roads are busy. While the public transport infrastructure is modern and very good, there are areas in the city that it does not reach.
The traffic also contributes to air pollution in the city, which for most of the year is kept within safe limits, but it can get so bad that wearing a mask or avoiding going out altogether is necessary. Even indoors you should have an air purifier.
Conclusion
For many digital nomads, the pros of living in Bangkok outweigh the cons, and many find their time there to be an enriching and enjoyable experience. Still, it may not suit everyone and anybody deciding where to live should give careful consideration to the benefits and challenges.