Thailand Digital Nomad Visa 2021 – that will be the topic of today’s article.
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Introduction
Thailand has always been a country for expat. And for the fact that the concept of the digital nomad visa in Thailand has been hitting the news lately, it becomes an opportunity for people to relocate. While there are plenty of digital nomads who currently work out of the country, it still remains expats choice.
That being said, certain things need to be considered while moving to this country. Besides, do you know what digital nomad entails? Well, the main tool of a digital nomad is the internet, with a good laptop coming in as a close second. Aside from this fact, they may use other tech gear as their tools.
Not only is that, but a digital nomad works remotely and can either work as a remote worker for an employer or freelancer. Either way, they have the freedom to travel and explore new places while they earn a living. And that’s why countries like Thailand are incredibly a great option for the digital nomad in 2021.
While these are just some of the reasons to be a digital nomad in Thailand, it is most certainly easy to see why the country is such an attractive place to be as of today. Moreover, the country has approved a new 10-year visa program for remote workers and investors. Would you like to know more about the visa?
Of course, that’s why we’re here to help you through. In this article, we will walk you through everything needed to know about the Thailand digital nomad. That being said, we have compiled some of the reasons why Thailand is among the countries suitable for the digital nomad. Continue reading to know more.
10 Reasons Why Thailand is the Best Country for Digital Nomad
This paradise of islands and mountains in Southeast Asia has steadily become the go-to destination country for many digital nomads. In fact, a temporary stay in Thailand means digital nomads get to experience a better life and a feel of the deeply enrooted Thai culture, beautiful beaches, and more.
Aside from the fact mentioned above, there’s a low cost of living, cheap Thai delicacies, friendly locals, and even super-fast internet. So, you can see that Thailand has a lot of things to offer expatriates in today’s world. In this section, you’ll understand the reasons why Thailand remains the best destination.
1. Low Cost of Living
It’s no doubt that Thailand is a perfect example of a high-quality life that costs little money for both-digital nomads and its locals. Other than accommodation which might be expensive, everything else in the country is a downright bargain.
Besides, the street food is cheap, tasty, and a fundamental element in Thai culture. Not only is that, but a bowl of noodles might be just over a dollar, and a 2 hours train ticket that could take you through the mountains and the diverse landscape in the country costs about $4.
2. Fast Internet & Good Co-Working Space
Finding a perfect place to settle down with fast internet is the dream of many expatriates. And the only country that can give you this is Thailand. In fact, we can tell you that Thailand is one of the few countries in the region that boasts satisfactory internet above 10 MBps and cater to digital nomads with quality coworking spaces.
In no doubt, all you need is a monthly subscription and your laptop to access a co-working space in your location. Aside from Bangkok, other popular destination includes Punspace in Chiang Mai, Stash in Phuket, and many others, to mention a few.
3. Good Weather Conditions
A good weather condition also contributes to why living in Thailand as a digital nomad is helpful. The inhabitants experience a hot and humid climate for most of the year, while the weather follows a regular trio season. The hot season in this country starts from March to June.
However, the wet season begins in June and ends in November. Besides, rain is often inconsistent as you may catch showers for 20 minutes a day and then bask in blue skies for the rest of the day. This way, brace for slightly hot daytime and chilly evenings of November to February in the North.
4. Affordable Living and Comfort in Thailand
Coming from a western country, the cost of living in Thailand is quite affordable, especially if you’re just starting out with a low budget in the country. Chiang Mai, as the second-largest city in Thailand, it offers a subtle mix of hip, urban style, and creative innovation while retaining that slow-paced living that a hectic metropolis may lack.
From Bamboo-built beach huts to guesthouses overlooking the Andaman Sea to condos in the buzzing city of Bangkok, you’ll definitely enjoy the accommodation in Thailand. Moreover, Airbnb is a great place for people seeking a long-term stay. Not only is that, but visitors can utilize accommodation booking sites and social platforms like Facebook (Meta) to get recommendations from local expat groups.
5. Best Place to Meet Other Digital Nomad
While Thailand has a lot of things to offer digital nomads, it also remains the best place to meet other colleagues as well. Perhaps you’re leaping to live the digital nomad lifestyle all by your lonesome in Thailand. It can only be daunting if you can’t see anyone speaking English. But worry less, as Thailand is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, which is also favored by expats today.
6. Thailand Visa Requirements
And Thailand comes to everyone’s favorite when it comes to traveling. Though the visa requirements are constantly changing because of the pandemic but it’s essential to stay abreast of the new developments and procedures. However, Thailand is still a fairly lenient country when it comes to staying long or short term, with various options to choose from.
Meanwhile, you can apply for an education visa to study the Thai language and become bilingual while pursuing your online business in Thailand. Also, a self-defense visa allows you to work with a professional and learn vital techniques for protection, or if you aren’t sure how long you’ll stay, and prefer a month-to-month visa application process. Let’s quickly explain some of the types of visas in Thailand. Without further ado, check it out below.
- Tourist visa – This is a single entry visa that allows expatriates to stay in the country for up to 60 days
- Long Stay Visa – This is a multiple entry visa that allows individuals to stay in Thailand for a minimum of 90 days and costs about $188. It can also be extended twice for a further 90 days each.
- Thailand Digital Nomad Visa – As mentioned above, Thailand’s digital nomad visa has been in the news lately. And it must be emphasized that it is now available for expats to apply as of the time of writing this article.
7. Friendly & Easygoing Locals
If you’ve ever thought of relocating to a country with friendly locals, Thailand should be on your list. The warm, welcoming culture of Thai locals is something to win you over. In fact, the grandmother serving you hot noodles, the strangers you greet along the way, and everyone in between is constantly smiling whenever they see new expats. In that case, a simple interaction with the locals will create an astounding impact to remember years on.
8. Home to Beautiful Beaches
Would you mind working with your laptop and enjoying a cool beach atmosphere? I’m sure that sounds good to you? Of course, being a digital nomad in Thailand means mixing work with a lot of play if you ask me what it entails.
Moreover, you can relax at the coastal beaches of Koh Lanta Island as you enjoy the finer things of the freelance lifestyle. Besides, you can play a game of Jenga without dropping your cold beer at a bar as you wait for some of the most iconic sunsets in all of Thailand.
9. Great Destination Cities in Thailand
Don’t ever think you’ll only see one city in Thailand to enjoy your digital nomad lifestyle. In fact, the nitty-gritty scene of Thailand’s digital nomad life encompasses traveling and dancing the nights away in some of the most boisterous and fun-filled cities.
Not only is that, but visitors can opt to live in Bangkok, home to more than 8.2 million people, or get to experience the serene Chiang Mai, a land of colorful hill tribes and misty mountains. While Chiang Mai is less busy, it has diverse cuisine, and it’s more accustomed to freelancing life.
10. Home to a Relaxed Way of Life
The pace of life is certainly much slower in Thailand than in any other country you could think of. Bangkok is perhaps the only exception, but in most other places, you’ll notice a pleasant difference in the way daily life plays out in the country. Also, Chiang Mai is one of the most popular cities for digital nomads for this reason.
Best Places to Live in Thailand for Digital Nomads
Working remotely in Thailand is what dreams are made of as an expat. Imagine working beside a swimming pool or beautiful beach and taking breaks to eat pad Thai while soaking up coo, amazing nature, and cosmopolitan cities? If that’s all what you’ve to think of, Thailand is the best choice for you.
Another fantastic thing about being a digital nomad in Thailand is the comfortable lifestyle and the prices of goods and services. Moreover, research made it known that it’s one of the world’s most affordable regions for living and working remotely. Without further ado, take a look at the best places.
● Bangkok
If you’re planning to reside in Thailand as a digital nomad, Bangkok is one of the best places to take into consideration. In fact, it’s the capital of the countries, and of course, you should know how the capital city of a country would look like.
It might be better to ask why this capital city is a great place for expats to reside in the country. Of course, the WI-FI, plenty of co-working spaces, a fantastic third-wave coffee scene, and endless expat communities you can tap into remains the reasons to live in Bangkok as a digital nomad.
Cost Of Living in Bangkok
Depending on which neighborhood you choose to reside in Bangkok, we can tell you that the rough cost of living for one person is about 40,000 baht, around $1,000. Moreover, the main way to keep your living costs low is to eat street food instead of restaurant meals. You can also shop for fresh ingredients at local markets rather than pay close to western prices in Thai supermarkets.
● Chiang Mai
The beautiful city of Chiang Mai is located in the Northern Thailand. It’s one of the best places to live in this country for digital nomads because it’s totally different from Bangkok. In this case, you’ll certainly enjoy your stay in this wonderful land. Better yet, we can tell you that it’s one of the cheapest places to live because the prices of goods and services are notably lower than the islands and Bangkok.
Cost of Living in Chiang Mai
You can expect to live happily as a digital nomad in Chiang Mai for under $1,000 a month. However, you should expect to pay nothing less than $600 a month for a 1-bedroom apartment, although this varies depending on the neighborhood and how long you’re staying. But in a general sense, the cost is cheaper.
● Koh Phangan
Although this city used to be solely on the map as a place for party goers wanting to experience the infamous full moon party, it now has a reputation as one of the best places in Thailand for digital nomads. Here, there are plenty of co-working spaces and cafes where you can pitch up for an afternoon with no one moving you on
Additionally, if you want to meet like-minded remote workers or freelancers, this is easily one of the best places to live in the country. Meanwhile, the only downside is the risk of sand in your laptop while working. On the flip side, it’s a great choice with fast Wi-Fi and plenty of desk space.
● Koh Lanta
This is another place to take into consideration while planning to live as a digital nomad in Thailand. Koh Lanta is a beautiful island off the coast of Krabi, and it’s even a small island that can be explored by scooters with beautiful beaches and plenty of decent co-working spaces and cafes.
Also, Kohub is the main co-working space on Koh Lanta, and part of the reason the island became known as one of the places to live in Thailand for digital nomads. Moreover, there are plenty of websites you’ll find through Google that has apartments for rent. In the same way as Koh Phangan, you’ll find more tourist prices, and it’s harder to get a bargain than in a city.
● Krabi Town
Located in the south of Thailand near Koh Lanta Island, Krabi town is ripe for adventure. Not only is that, but it’s the urban hub at the heart of it all. Besides, Krabi has all the benefits of the islands, such as beautiful and different diving opportunities, but it also has access to mainland comforts.
Besides, with miles of coastline and inland attractions to explore, it’s one of the best places to live in Thailand for those who’ll get bored of life on a tiny island. You can also enjoy plenty of decent cafes where you can grab a coffee and work, but your best bet for a dedicated co-working space is Phansa.
● Phuket
Phuket is an island in southern Thailand, which is also connected to the mainland by road. For many years, research made it known that Phuket has been a hub for tourists, and due to being one of the few places open for foreign tourists in 2021, it has been ranked as one of the best places for the digital nomad.
Aside from the fact mentioned above, we can also tell you that Phuket is safe. Not only is that, but it has also been voted as a cheap place, making digital nomads have plenty of things to do. The Wi-Fi here is very fast, and with a reasonable $1,000 a month, you can live comfortably, providing you visit local restaurants and shop at local markets.
● Koh Samui
Koh Samui is known to be the larger neighbor of Koh Phangan. Although it was traditionally known to have a reputation for resorts, but it’s recently become known as a place to work remotely in Thailand. This place is beautiful, and you’ll certainly have a lot of things to do here as an expat or digital nomad.
In fact, you won’t have any problems at co-working spaces or hotels, plus you will also find affordable 4G SIM cards for purchase the views from the terrace when you need a break are equally stunning. Not only is that, but you can at least live with a budget of $1,000 or $1,500 a month in this wonderful city.
Pros and Cons of Being a Digital Nomad Thailand
With a good life balance of living costs, speedy internet, infrastructures, and of course postcard-worthy destination, it’s hardly a surprise that Thailand culture and digital nomadism are a match made in heaven. This section runs through the pros and cons of living of being a digital nomad in Thailand.
Having a Sense of Freedom
Being a digital nomad will definitely give you a sense of freedom. Also, it allows you to become free in both life and work, making all the decisions independently. Besides, modern people strive for freedom, and working as a digital nomad will give you endless opportunities.
Complete Independence
Digital nomads depend only on themselves and rely only on themselves without help from any third party. Aside from this fact, nomads often create automated or passive businesses or even work as a freelancer. More often, business owners automate their work to spend a minimum amount of time on it and enjoy new countries and cultures.
Lack of Attachment
As of today, digital nomad has the right to move to any region of their choice. Moreover, the flexibility of their lifestyle beckons many people, but not everyone prefers ordinary life, everyday tasks according to the general scenario, attachment, and the commitment that comes with it.
Opportunity to Travel
Travel opportunity is another great advantage given to digital nomads. Moreover, it is not typical for digital nomads to stay in one place for a long time. This way, they tend to travel from one place to another, and that’s one of the key benefits of being a digital nomad.
Cons
Increase Burnout Risk
One reason why many people tend to avoid the life of a digital nomad is the risk of burnout. In fact, the research disclosed that emotional burnout is what both freelancers and digital nomads often face. This means the more hours they work without getting enough rest, the more likely they experience burnout.
Financial Instability
Financial instability is another thing to put in mind while moving to this country. As a freelancer or digital nomad, you might face work instability, while expenses and income can change every month, which is especially true for beginners. So, you need to be wary of this fact while moving as an expat or nomad.
A sense of Loneliness
Perhaps one of the key drawbacks that digital nomads could experience in Thailand is loneliness. Live communication with loved ones is necessary for every person, and if you think back, then the digital nomad’s lifestyle will prove the opposite of you in this country.
Household Difficulty
Organizing your daily routine with the digital nomad lifestyle can be stressful if you’re not one of those people who still appreciate hommy comfort. Moreover, it is necessary to plan in advance everything that you may need in a new country, as well as study the prices for transport, meals, accommodation, and many others, to mention a few.
Conclusion
Digital nomads are remote workers who travel to different locations on a regular basis, searching for freedom and opportunities. They use modern technology to work from cafes, shops, or libraries with a Wi-Fi-connected laptop. Now, Thailand is one of the best countries suitable for the digital nomad lifestyle. Should in case you want to know more about digital nomads in Thailand, refer to this guide.
