Be a digital nomad? Pay $27,000 please

[simon43]

Not specifically concerning working as a digital nomad in Thailand, but this recent, interesting article on the BBC website demonstrates the lengths that some will go to work as a digital nomad.

 

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20161110-the-people-who-pay-27000-to-work-abroad

[FritsSikkink]

Most digital nomads in Thailand need 2-3 years to earn that.

Edited November 10, 2016 by FritsSikkink

[rwdrwdrwd]

For most the ones I know that would be 2 - 3 months, but I guess we move in different circles.

Still utterly ridiculous to pay that as a fee to a third party for the 'experience' and 'community' when both are freely available to anyone with the correct skills.

Edited November 10, 2016 by rwdrwdrwd

[YeahSiam]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

Most digital nomads in Thailand need 2-3 years to earn that.

How would you know?

[FritsSikkink]

39 minutes ago, YeahSiam said:

How would you know?

From the posts they do here

[seancbk]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Most digital nomads in Thailand need 2-3 years to earn that.

 

 

Stop talking nonsense.   

Unless you are a digital nomad and your earnings are so low it would take you that long to earn 30K, in which case I'd advise finding another way to make money.
 

 

[DrTuner]

Looks like the 27k covered accomodation and flights for a year. Not that expensive.

[FritsSikkink]

21 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

 

Stop talking nonsense.   

Unless you are a digital nomad and your earnings are so low it would take you that long to earn 30K, in which case I'd advise finding another way to make money.
 

 

I am not a digital nomad

[mokwit]

When I first came here pre-internet they were all [unpublished] authorsworking on their book, then with the internet they became internet entrepreneurs, after 2000 they became FX traders, now they are 'digital nomads'

[timendres]

I originally thought that the 500,000 baht 5 year Elite Thai Visa was expensive.

But when I considered that I spend almost 60,000 baht per year dealing with a Visa and Work Permit, and the additional hassle involved with those, it started to look a lot more reasonable.

I am over 50, so it would make more sense to put 800,000 in the bank for a retirement visa, and get the money back later.

But for someone under 50, $2,900USD per year is not that much, and they should be able to bank that much income in any given month.

[Dakhar]

6 hours ago, rwdrwdrwd said:

For most the ones I know that would be 2 - 3 months, but I guess we move in different circles.

Still utterly ridiculous to pay that as a fee to a third party for the 'experience' and 'community' when both are freely available to anyone with the correct skills.

 

 

Skills!   Facebook?   

 

If one was "digital savvy"  you would think they would already have all the social media. contacts etc etc figured out.  

 

 

[seancbk]

17 minutes ago, timendres said:

I originally thought that the 500,000 baht 5 year Elite Thai Visa was expensive.

But when I considered that I spend almost 60,000 baht per year dealing with a Visa and Work Permit, and the additional hassle involved with those, it started to look a lot more reasonable.

I am over 50, so it would make more sense to put 800,000 in the bank for a retirement visa, and get the money back later.

But for someone under 50, $2,900USD per year is not that much, and they should be able to bank that much income in any given month.

For someone under 50 who is not working, the cost per year to remain in Thailand can be quite a bit higher than 60K Baht.

4 single entry visas a year = 8 months, 4 x 30 day extensions = 4 months

Flights to at least 2 different locations outside Thailand to secure the visas, hotel costs, visa agent fees (in some cases), food and drink, transportation to a from the airports.





 

[Dan5]

2 hours ago, timendres said:

I originally thought that the 500,000 baht 5 year Elite Thai Visa was expensive.

But when I considered that I spend almost 60,000 baht per year dealing with a Visa and Work Permit, and the additional hassle involved with those, it started to look a lot more reasonable.

I am over 50, so it would make more sense to put 800,000 in the bank for a retirement visa, and get the money back later.

But for someone under 50, $2,900USD per year is not that much, and they should be able to bank that much income in any given month.

Well I'm pretty certain you need a business visa and work permit to work in Thailand. So the Elite wouldn't do you any good anyway. And the costs associated with maintaining a retirement or marriage visa are pretty low.

[FritsSikkink]

10 hours ago, rwdrwdrwd said:

For most the ones I know that would be 2 - 3 months, but I guess we move in different circles.

Still utterly ridiculous to pay that as a fee to a third party for the 'experience' and 'community' when both are freely available to anyone with the correct skills.

Learn to read, I never said moved in those circles. There are more ways to acquire knowledge than fro your inner circle. Weren't you one of these guys who doesn't pay tax and can't afford a proper visa?

Edited November 10, 2016 by FritsSikkink

[rwdrwdrwd]

56 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Learn to read, I never said moved in those circles. There are more ways to acquire knowledge than fro your inner circle. Weren't you one of these guys who doesn't pay tax and can't afford a proper 

 

I didn't claim you did, if you follow your own advice you'll notice I said "I guess" however whatever sources you used to arrive at the statement "most digital nomads would need 2 - 3 years to earn that" differs to my knowledge,  both of individuals that I personally know in and outside of Thailand as well as the regular roles available for remote workers that I am aware of.

 

In answer to your accusation, I don't pay tax since my income is not Thai sourced, and I only remit prior years earnings to the country. I have a proper visa and have for over a decade.  Not that it's any of your business whatsoever,  nor related to the topic.

 

Still a totally excruciating bell, I note.

Edited November 10, 2016 by rwdrwdrwd

[Nam Mae Khong]

Why are these articles always about neurotic,heading-for-the-shelf,single and probably a little psycho Western women?

It reminds me of these backpackers that come to Thailand for the full moon party as a "rite of passage",they all stay at the same cockroach-infested hovels on Khao San Road and Koh Phangan,Koh Phi Phi etc.

They eat,sleep and drink buckets of cheap spirits with other crusty,like-minded,dreadlocked wasters,sneer at the locals and stuff their acne and herpes ridden faces with pizza!Basically they could do exactly the same in the student bar at home so just why bother?

Why do you need a herd of other Western female Wildebeest to traverse the Planet it just baffles me?Surely the point of traveling is to find your own way and meet interesting people,not hang around the same mundane,boring clique of muppets you'd do the same with back at home?

[Nam Mae Khong]

5 hours ago, timendres said:

I originally thought that the 500,000 baht 5 year Elite Thai Visa was expensive.

But when I considered that I spend almost 60,000 baht per year dealing with a Visa and Work Permit, and the additional hassle involved with those, it started to look a lot more reasonable.

I am over 50, so it would make more sense to put 800,000 in the bank for a retirement visa, and get the money back later.

But for someone under 50, $2,900USD per year is not that much, and they should be able to bank that much income in any given month.

Why the Hell would anyone pay USD $2,900 per year to live in a developing country where you have no rights whatsoever it just beggars belief?

[F4UCorsair]

11 hours ago, mokwit said:

When I first came here pre-internet they were all [unpublished] authorsworking on their book, then with the internet they became internet entrepreneurs, after 2000 they became FX traders, now they are 'digital nomads'

 

And all along, they were w*****s!!

[A1Str8]

I make that in one day. 

It's crazy how much people are willing to pay just to connect with others. Because that's what it's all about. 

I know people who have done it they all say the same that they wanted to be with others connect with others and have fun. 

They are willing to pay almost thirty thousand useless us dollars to do that. 

Because what does the company do? Book a few flights book some place to stay and book work space. 

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. They really don't do anything simply satisfy a basic need, that people want to connect with each other. 

Well done. Talk about making money off sheeps.

[JLCrab]

My brother's son just received his PhD in Computer Science from a large US University -- now is Associate professor at another large US university. Was co-author on a recently published book with one of the top cyber security experts. Travels all over the world delivering papers and talks at cyber security conferences.

He's age 29.

[geronimo]

Being a Digital Nomad has its advantages, namely,

 

I can go to work in a towel

 

I can work when I like

 

I can work where I like

 

I can work as much or as little as I want

 

I rely on no one else

 

Works for me.

[seancbk]

10 hours ago, Nam Mae Khong said:

16 hours ago, timendres said:

I originally thought that the 500,000 baht 5 year Elite Thai Visa was expensive.

But when I considered that I spend almost 60,000 baht per year dealing with a Visa and Work Permit, and the additional hassle involved with those, it started to look a lot more reasonable.

I am over 50, so it would make more sense to put 800,000 in the bank for a retirement visa, and get the money back later.

But for someone under 50, $2,900USD per year is not that much, and they should be able to bank that much income in any given month.

 

Why the Hell would anyone pay USD $2,900 per year to live in a developing country where you have no rights whatsoever it just beggars belief?

 

 

Honestly the comprehension levels on this forum are atrocious.

Thai Elite visa is 500,000 THB for 5 years which some people consider expensive.

When you factor in that being able to stay here costs around 60,000+ a year for visas etc then factor in the hassle of chasing visas and the stress of not knowing if you'll have an issue at some point, then the 100,000 THB per YEAR that it costs for the Thai Elite Visa starts to make more sense.

100,000 THB per year is US$ 2,900 

If you are under 50 and want to stay in Thailand long term it costs money.

 

[YeahSiam]

3 hours ago, geronimo said:

Being a Digital Nomad has its advantages, namely,

 

I can go to work in a towel

 

I can work when I like

 

I can work where I like

 

I can work as much or as little as I want

 

I rely on no one else

 

Works for me.

+1

Not all digital nomads are living on Mama noodles in fan rooms as some of the more envious individuals on this forum like to imagine.

 

[seancbk]

3 hours ago, YeahSiam said:

+1

Not all digital nomads are living on Mama noodles in fan rooms as some of the more envious individuals on this forum like to imagine.

 

 

But they must be.   I worked 26 hour a day down a mine and did a 9 day week digging the roads and laying tarmac with my bare hands.   

I refuse to accept that someone can work on a computer from Thailand and control a global e-commerce business based in the US that generates $1000 a day in profits

or that someone could be a computer engineer who ensures the smooth operation of large scale servers remotely at $100 an hour.   

 

 

[YeahSiam]

2 minutes ago, seancbk said:

 

But they must be.   I worked 26 hour a day down a mine and did a 9 day week digging the roads and laying tarmac with my bare hands.   

I refuse to accept that someone can work on a computer from Thailand and control a global e-commerce business based in the US that generates $1000 a day in profits

or that someone could be a computer engineer who ensures the smooth operation of large scale servers remotely at $100 an hour.   

 

 

Yeah I woke up at 4am, 6 days a week for 30 years to deliver post and parcels.

I put my back out 6 times and got callouses all over my hands but, trust me, there's no substitute for back-breaking toil when it comes to ensuring your dreams of living in Thailand come true.

 

[johng]

When I where a lad we had to be up before dawn and work down coal mine 18 hours a day for 1pint of beer and slice oh bread and dripping.

[geronimo]

Digital Nomads we are,

coming from near and far,

making our living from zeros and ones,

and living the life of independence.

 

Could it be that a person could actually make a living from using a computer? Ask Mr. Gates.

 

[geronimo]

And of course, we have those that are still firmly entrenched in the analogue world.

[seancbk]

11 minutes ago, YeahSiam said:

Yeah I woke up at 4am, 6 days a week for 30 years to deliver post and parcels.

I put my back out 6 times and got callouses all over my hands but, trust me, there's no substitute for back-breaking toil when it comes to ensuring your dreams of living in Thailand come true.

 

 

Ouch!  You have my sympathy.   I was somewhat luckier. I've never done any work that would qualify as back breaking, although I have had some tough meetings in the past.

I've worked in (not in order) Hotels, Food Manufacturing (family business), Retail (family business), Investment Banking, HK Police, Import/Export, F&B, Sex Toy manufacturing and Web Development.

I've co-owned 2 night clubs in HK, had a network of porn sites (big money) and I've taken periods of time off to just enjoy myself.

The hardest thing I've had to do relating to work was letting 50% of my staff go during the Asian financial crises around 1998 when was Managing Director of the top boutique web design agency in Hong Kong.   At the time we wouldn't have survived had I not cut back significantly on our costs.

[seancbk]

11 minutes ago, geronimo said:

And of course, we have those that are still firmly entrenched in the analogue world.

 

My brother in law refuses to accept that in the not too distant future vast numbers of people will be no longer needed for work because of AI, Robotics and Automation System and Self Driving Vehicles (which includes ships).

He is a Civil Engineer at the very top of his game but he's really pretty clueless about IT.