dluek

Not going to comment on budget and visa issues as others have covered that well.

BUT, on the subject of good locations for digital nomads, I'd personally opt for Krabi over Chiang Mai, and I'll share my experiences having priced out rooms there over the past year (still have a residence in Bangkok so have yet to make the move permanent, but Krabi is already like my second home).

In Krabi province there are several different places where you could live... To start, in Krabi town you can rent a basic room w/ no kitchen in a shophouse for as little as 2,000 baht per month not including utilities. Then there are the beaches. Many long-term rentals available near Ao Nang in the 6,000 to 10,000 baht range, for ex. near Ao Nammao or in Khlong Haeng near Haad Nopparat Thara. Place I usually stay in Khlong Haeng is a small apartment without kitchen, but with fridge etc. and plenty of space, for 8,000 baht a month.

Then, between Khlong Haeng and Khlong Muang (or in the latter itself), I've checked out large air-con bungalows that go for 6,000 baht per month. The one I nearly rented had a small kitchen space; all that would have been needed is a 1,000 baht hot plate for cooking. 

Ko Lanta has its own decent long-term options, although there you pay a bit more for an apartment and the internet tends to be slower. I prefer the mainland. 

And Krabi province is absolutely beautiful, with many good beaches and easy access to countless islands. The area is home to many expats with plenty of fun nightlife and a relaxing, easygoing vibe. I spent 7 years traveling Thailand on a professional basis, covering all parts of the country, and IMO, Krabi is where it's at for long-term life based on freelance desk work. (Although Ko Chang, Ko Phangan, Chumphon and Prachuap are all fine options that I've considered as well.) 

Sounds more like a US news story. Very sad, police should not shoot unless someone is shooting at them. 

Forget since I first came to Bangkok; it has changed massively even in the last few years. Tons of new buildings (Icon Siam, Mahanakorn Tower, etc.), many new metro lines either already open or under construction, and the whole character of the city has changed since the military started "sanitizing" the city. Formerly crowded markets like Saphan Han are now empty canal-side walkways, and former villages have been erased from the face of the earth. Fewer street vendors including at whole markets like Suk 38 - that is gone. Khao San Road has completely changed and will continue to change as they revamp it this year. A bunch of night markets were closed and now you have to go out to the fringes to find a decent night market in Bangkok. 

Actually there are now more homeless people because of all the forced displacement. The BMA gets most of the blame for that, but some of it has been the result of temples deciding to kick people off their land who had been living there for generations. For example, stilted wood houses used to line the riverfront at Wat Kalayanamit; those were completely destroyed a few years back. And at Wat Yannawa, an entire village was destroyed to build a a concrete lot that is always empty. And then there's the stately British embassy recently destroyed. Come back in a couple of years and Hualamphong station will be, what, a museum? Eventually all of the bus stations except Sai Tai will be moved further out of the city - Morchit to Rangsit and Ekkamai to Bang Na. Lots of heritage buildings have been torn down in Chinatown to make way for the new metro stations. In the Old Town, restorations of century-old shophouses has made them all identical in a lot of places, like Phraeng Phuthon. 

And the above barely scratches the surface... 

30 cops to bust up a small-time cannabis oil operation that was helping the sick, what a waste of taxpayers' money. 

I still don't see how they qualify nearly 40 million tourist arrivals this year as "tourism woes." Only 10 years ago, Thailand drew less than 15 million per year. The situation is already unsustainable at a lot of destinations, especially small islands. What they should be debating is whether millions more coming every year is even a good thing.  

I smell something fishy here. Maybe it's legit THC oil but right now there are only 3 facilities in Thailand that are licensed to produce the stuff and none of their packaging looks anything like that. (The production facilities are the GPO in Rangsit, Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachinburi and a cancer hospital in Udon I forget it's name). Also, right now there is only sublingual cannabis oil available; there is no throat spray (or whatever that is in the picture). Not on the legal market anyway. 

I'd say this is either a scam or some crafty black market work. The way the OP writes about it and the fact that the OP has started other threads about it seems fishy. Right now there are 19 government hospitals prescribing both THC and CBD oils. I thought those were currently the only places allowed but maybe clinics have already been given the go ahead -- the one post about Sawasdee Clinic in this thread seems legit especially after checking out their FB page. Or they could be offering black-market oils on the down low. Worth noting that there is another Bangkok clinic called THC but it stands for "Total Health Clinic." And it looks clear on the bottle that "THC" is the name of the clinic, not necessarily the contents of the bottle. 

To the person who has epilepsy, yes you can definitely get a prescription for medical cannabis oil as epilepsy is one of the conditions approved by the FDA. The others are parkinson's, cancer, alzheimer's, seizures, spasms and certain neuropathic pain. But I know the government is heavily restricting THC-dominant products. I doubt any legit hospital/clinic would (or even could, legally) prescribe THC oil for back pain and insomnia only. Then again we all know this is Thailand and laws are flexible so who knows how it will really pan out.

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

the white people think things are slow. they are not.

just go where Chinese go. very busy. hua hin is very busy now.

the customer base is changing.

Bangkok Post reported today that Samui tourism is way down first half this year, and that is a mainstay on the Chinese tourism circuit. All reports are that tourism is lagging overall, so still begs the question, why the long queues? 

6 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

And the very same Richard Barrow is the website editor for Samutprakarn Immigration department's website.

This must be the Immigration department's way of saying thank you for your help.

And it's the only Thai gov website I've seen that actually works!!!

I've had a Non-Imm M visa and related work permit for six years. If you do most of your work for an accredited and legit media agency, ask if they'd consider sponsoring you.

They'd have to write a letter stating that you are doing work for them which requires you to be in Thailand, plus a second letter describing the nature of their agency. If the agency is somewhat obscure, as is my employer, the MFA will check in that country to make sure it's real and meets their guidelines. I.e. "Jim's travel blog" won't cut it, especially if Jim is both the sponsor and the applicant. But my experience proves that it does not have to be a major media company. 

You would then submit the two letters along with a bunch of other stuff via the online application here: http://mmos.mfa.go.th/   

As Thai govt online pages go, this one is relatively user-friendly. The various MFA people I've dealt with have always been polite and fair to me as well - it's a different world compared to Immigration. 

Without the sponsorship letters, you have no chance. Even with the letters, you will most likely be denied if it's obvious that you're a freelancer and not a full-time correspondent. So, ask your sponsoring agency to consider this when wording the letter. A copy of your contract with the agency is also required the first time you apply, as I recall. 

A month or so after submitting the application, the MFA will request additional documentation if needed (believe me, there is always something), or go ahead and invite you to the in-person interview that all M visa applicants must pass. I did this at the MFA in Bangkok because I was already in-country when first applying, but those applying outside of Thailand are interviewed at their nearest Thai embassy. 

As others have noted, it has become difficult for freelancers to acquire this visa type. Prior to a few years ago, legit freelance journos could acquire it by seeking sponsorship from any of the agencies they do regular work for. The junta changed that. 

If you are successful, you can't ask for a better long-term visa for Thailand. Once it's issued, work permit and press card come automatically. Well, you have to go apply and pay for them, but MFA will supply you with letters that trump the judgment (or mood) of any Immigration official. MFA has rank, in other words, and they're the ones who decide if you should be here, not Immigration. Yearly renewals are straightforward, but you have to get the same media agency to write a new letter every year and submit clips showing that you are still working for them. Best of luck if you go for it. 

They spoke to a driver and a few oblivious tourists, and this is supposed to pass as journalism?