The Bangkok Podcast

Bangkok - Digital Nomad Heaven Or Hell? (2.3)


Listen Later

Bangkok has become a hub for digital nomads, bringing in a wave of talent and fresh ideas into the city. Those nomads in turn attract other nomads. But is that a good thing? Or even a real thing? Let's find out.

(Direct download .mp3)

Thailand -- Bangkok & Chiang Mai specifically -- is a hotbed of digital nomadship. But before we get to that, we should probably define the term: Defining - people who can work anywhere thanks to the internet. They take many format but they share two things in common: They aren't doing the type of job that requires them to be at a specific location at specific time. And that freedom allows them to travel, either a little or a lot, without interrupting their income stream. Jodi Ettenberg of LegalNomads is a good example. And Evo tried his hand at it all of 2015. So what makes Bangkok so attractive to digital nomads? Some of is has to do with cost of living, though Bangkok isn't nearly as cheap as it used to be. Having many Western conveniences coupled with the "charm" of Asian living doesn't hurt. Reliable access to cheap mobile data (especially compared to the US, Canada, and Australia) is big pull. But watch out, would-be internet entrepreneurs. Just because Thailand makes it easy for you to visit -- no visa required for a lot of Western countries -- it doesn't mean you have the legal right to earn income while you are here. In fact, it's just the opposite of that. So before you decide to set up shop in a co-working space (that wave has hit The Big Mango as well), you'll want to have a solid understanding of the work permit as not to run up afoul of immigration rules. The work you want to do maybe reserved for Thai-nationals only. And those are just some of the legal, semi-legit, social, and economic considerations/temptations/realities foreigners face when doing business in Thailand. Should you move to Bangkok and become a digital nomad? Well… maybe. And if you listen to the episode, you'll find out what we think about it. After all, we want to be good role models.Tell us what you think in the comments!

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Bangkok PodcastBy Greg Jorgensen & Ed Knuth

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

131 ratings


More shows like The Bangkok Podcast

View all
TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,182 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,874 Listeners

Fareed Zakaria GPS by CNN Podcasts

Fareed Zakaria GPS

3,473 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

854 Listeners

Odd Lots by Bloomberg

Odd Lots

1,992 Listeners

Bloomberg Businessweek by Bloomberg

Bloomberg Businessweek

437 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,805 Listeners

Tokyo Podcast by Anthony Joh

Tokyo Podcast

53 Listeners

GaijinPot by GaijinPot

GaijinPot

15 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,799 Listeners

Behind the Money by Financial Times

Behind the Money

238 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,362 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,595 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,541 Listeners

Good Morning Thailand by The Thaiger

Good Morning Thailand

14 Listeners

Empire: World History by Goalhanger

Empire: World History

2,524 Listeners

One Night in Bangkok by One Night in Bangkok

One Night in Bangkok

12 Listeners