Thailand
Where your savings account suddenly feels like a salary.
The honest take
Thailand has been telling expats to come and eat pad thai for three decades and the pitch has not gotten old because the pad thai hasn't gotten worse. Chiang Mai is the OG digital nomad city: co-working spaces, excellent coffee, a slower pace, and a fraction of Bangkok's chaos. Bangkok itself is chaotic in the way that makes you feel intensely alive and sleep-deprived simultaneously. The visa situation has historically been a bureaucratic treadmill of border runs and extensions, though the LTR visa has changed the math for people with actual income to declare. Do not underestimate the heat or the traffic. Do not overestimate your ability to resist street food at 10pm.
Cost of living
Estimates from Numbeo and community data. Actual costs vary by city, lifestyle, and how much you're willing to cook.
Practical details
Visa options
These are the main legal pathways. Requirements vary by nationality. Always verify with the official embassy or a qualified immigration lawyer.
Curated resources
Vetted links β official sources, active communities, and useful tools. Spotted something missing? Use the βImprove this pageβ button below.
Guides
How to actually choose your first country
The framework most people skip that separates those who move from those who keep researching. Spoiler: it's not about finding the perfect place.
Visa types for digital workers: the no-jargon guide
Tourist visa, digital nomad visa, freelancer visa, skilled worker visa β what they actually mean and which one is yours.
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