Eight Reasons Thailand Is The Best Digital Nomad Destination

[JLCrab]

I know young people routinely traveling the world who have PhD's in engineering, computers, and math before they reach the age of 30 so I don't know what you are talking about.

Edited January 14, 2017 by JLCrab

[finy]

2 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

I know young people routinely traveling the world who have PhD's in science, computers, and math before they reach the age of 30 so I don;t know what you are talking about.

I'm talking about continual travel with no job or responsibilities until it's time to settle down.

 

not people going on holiday. I know people who go on holiday too.

[JLCrab]

Not holiday -- post-doctoral fellowships, university teaching positions, consulting jobs, conferences, government appointments.

 

Some of these types could travel to a different comference or symposium somewhere in the world any week or 2 they like all expenses paid and maybe stipend.

Edited January 14, 2017 by JLCrab

[JB300]

Let's put it this way: almost everyone up north goes to Laos and down south go to Penang.

 

They don't fly because they don't have the money to waste.

 

going by your logic, your against more visitors coming to Thailand because you have to stand 5 minutes longer in a queue.

 

Im sorry, I just don't get the vomit reference.

Well they won't be doing so for much longer will they (I bet the same guys used to get by on ED visas & look what happened to that "option").

Again you don't seem get my point, it's not about what the impact is (even if it's just 5 minutes in an immigration queue) it's the fact that you seemingly want to deny DNs & ilk have any negative impact on the rest of us (think ED Visas, replacement of D/T TVs with an METV you have to get from a country you're resident in + prove some kind of income, more scrutiny at immigration & the latest, max 2 Land Border crossing a year)... you can see that it is having an impact right?

The reference to vomit was in response to you saying you "threw up a little in you mouth" when people talk about taxes & Visas... spit it out or swallow it fella [emoji1303]

[finy]

3 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Not holiday -- post-doctoral fellowships, university teaching positions, consulting jobs, conferences, government appointments. 

That would work too.

 

still think they'll be working on a laptop some of the time though with any of those options.

 

i thought you meant building mud hut villages in the jungle.

[JLCrab]

You talk about the people you know and I'll talk about the people I know.

Edited January 14, 2017 by JLCrab

[finy]

4 minutes ago, JB300 said:

 

Well they won't be doing so for much longer will they (I bet the same guys used to get by on ED visas & look what happened to that "option").

Again you don't seem get my point, it's not about what the impact is (even if it's just 5 minutes in an immigration queue) it's the fact that you seemingly want to deny DNs & ilk have any negative impact on the rest of us (think ED Visas, replacement of D/T TVs with an METV you have to get from a country you're resident in + prove some kind of income, more scrutiny at immigration & the latest, max 2 Land Border crossing a year)... you can see that it is having an impact right?

The reference to vomit was in response to you saying you "threw up a little in you mouth" when people talk about taxes... spit it out or swallow it fella

 

Obviously I can see it's having a minor impact the authorities don't care about. I think the upside (making US and spending in Thailand) outweighs it.

 

we all do what we can to get by. I don't complain about FIFO workers using exempts/tourist visas when it's quite obvious they live here.

 

i don't rat on restaurants if they employ Burmese workers.

 

what has happpened to the ED visa route? Are you talking about the fact they have to study now?

 

Ok, the sick is gone.

[finy]

I was until you quoted me :)

[JB300]

I was until you quoted me :)

lol.:. Peace out Bro, I think we(I)'ve laboured the point long enough [emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303]

[finy]

1 minute ago, JB300 said:

 

 

lol.:. Peace out Bro, I think we(I)'ve laboured the point long enough

 

 

Ha at least people reading this thread in 2 years time will know all the options open to them.

[finy]

4 minutes ago, JB300 said:

 

 

lol.:. Peace out Bro, I think we(I)'ve laboured the point long enough

 

 

Btw that 'until you quoted me' was for Crab.

Edited January 14, 2017 by finy

[ozmeldo]

No idea how it works now but you used to get about a year before the hassles start cropping up. Since the guy only spent six months, possibly on a proper visa it was totally hassle free. I'd not read the article I bet visas were barely mentioned.

 

Of course, visas are EVERYTHING.

 

Digital nomads that are looking to rent flats, use broadband, drink Starbucks, work out at fitness and hang out at trendy hipster pubs.

 

They aren't nomads, just cheap ass hipsters trying to eek out a living servicing WordPress and Facebook blogs. Or worse yet, their own 30 something travel blog. Ugh.

 

 

[finy]

30 minutes ago, ozmeldo said:

No idea how it works now but you used to get about a year before the hassles start cropping up. Since the guy only spent six months, possibly on a proper visa it was totally hassle free. I'd not read the article I bet visas were barely mentioned.

 

Of course, visas are EVERYTHING.

 

Digital nomads that are looking to rent flats, use broadband, drink Starbucks, work out at fitness and hang out at trendy hipster pubs.

 

They aren't nomads, just cheap ass hipsters trying to eek out a living servicing WordPress and Facebook blogs. Or worse yet, their own 30 something travel blog. Ugh.

 

 

Tbf I hardly think you can call anyone who drinks at SBucks a cheap ass lol

 

This is what I don't get, what the actual <deleted>?

 

When I was at home I was working out at gym and frequenting trendy bars.

 

how on earth is that eking out a living?

 

it's what 90% of people in the normal world call living life.

[YeahSiam]

3 hours ago, smokie36 said:

 

 

Most hilarious is your fantasy nonsense and calling innocent people's workplaces to discredit them based on your deranged ramblings.

 

Actually its not funny.

 

Then when shown we know who you are you ran away.

 

That's the truth of this ridiculous nonsense.

 

 

Huh?

"Calling innocent people's workplaces"??

 

 

[YeahSiam]

2 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

No idea how it works now but you used to get about a year before the hassles start cropping up. Since the guy only spent six months, possibly on a proper visa it was totally hassle free. I'd not read the article I bet visas were barely mentioned.

 

Of course, visas are EVERYTHING.

 

Digital nomads that are looking to rent flats, use broadband, drink Starbucks, work out at fitness and hang out at trendy hipster pubs.

 

They aren't nomads, just cheap ass hipsters trying to eek out a living servicing WordPress and Facebook blogs. Or worse yet, their own 30 something travel blog. Ugh.

 

 

 

 

People under 50 have difficulty staying here long term and in the absence of anything more permanent than the Elite visa at 100K a year which, even if they wanted to stay here as long as five years, doesn't allow them to work, they look for workarounds.

 

How is it "cheap" or eeking [sic] out a living to rent an apartment in Bangkok, drink Starbucks coffee each day, join a quality gym and socialise at "trendy" bars dishing out upwards of 200 baht for a drink?

I do all those things.......all funded by online work and it definitely ain't cheap.

 

[JLCrab]

I should maybe stay out of these working type topics as I haven't worked online or off for 20+ years since the company I helped start when still in my early 20's was sold.

Edited January 14, 2017 by JLCrab

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, JLCrab said:

I should maybe stay out of these working type topics as I haven't worked online or off for 20+ years since the company I helped start when still in my early 20's was sold.

I don't disagree with that.

[JLCrab]

On the other hand maybe I won't -- times were different back in the 70's but I took a job on a long shot and it worked out well.

[Scott]

Members are welcome to post, provided you stay on-topic and follow the rules.   We have some that haven't and one has now been banned from the forum.  

 

Continued trolling will see others on the outside looking in.  

[seancbk]

15 hours ago, finy said:

Please tell us more about your difficulties entering Thailand through airports?

 

You do know 90% of people use land crossings, right?

 

Maybe there are just more tourists, your math is complete BS. If there was 10,000 digital nomads using your airport (which there aren't) and they all had to leave every 90 days with multiple flights per day, it could never add anywhere near 90-120 minutes to immigration queues.

 

dont exaggerate, it destroys everything else you say. And don't worry about visas when you don't even live here.

 

Why would I have a bad taste in my mouth? I don't get it, I'm living the dream.

90% of people use land crossings?

What people?  

Given that more than 50 million people arrived in Thailand by AIR during 2015 I find your assertion that 90% of people use land borders to come and go from Thailand to be a bit ludicrous.   

 

[joeyg]

On 1/12/2017 at 0:48 AM, eisfeld said:

 

They don't try to stop you. In practice they wont mind and wont prosecute anyone for these kind of things. In most cases at least. But according to the law it's still illegal. And that's what some Phuket immigration/police officers are using to shake down folks for a nice amount of cash. Latest story that I heard of was a guy asking someone else to turn on a water hose and handing it to him while he was fixing something on his boat. The officer claimed that this lifting of a hose and turning it on constituted work which the guy had no work permit for. Friend of mine got shaken down for lifting some box with groceries inside his own restaurant. They claim his work permit only allows him to manage. Another restaurant owner in Rawai got stung because he cleaned a coffee machine. So to sum things up: they don't care until they smell the opportunity to make money out of it (or you piss someone off).

Suppose I got lucky and had a gig for a while doing medical technical writing and editing. And suppose I was paid by deposits into my bank account in the USA.  I file taxes there and pay, when I owe.

 

I've heard similar stories for many years like the quoted post above but never seen it, or known anyone that got caught in a situation like that.

 

Curiously,  I've gotten to know several American musicians over the past couple of years living here in Naklua.  They have played large events here in Pattaya with pretty substantial advertising via internet and physical advertising via local newspaper and posters up all over the place with their pictures on them.

 

I have attended large galas at a couple 5 star hotels where they play regularly/annually.  In attendance was the Mayor of Pattaya, Chief of police and a couple of "big wigs" from BKK.  They also play regular gigs at local clubs and outside concerts and other  venues,  all advertised in local news papers etc.  

 

I have helped them set up equipment for a few of their gigs.  I asked can't we get in trouble for this. The answer is always no one cares.  They always have the same Thai drummer, very nice guy.

 

They are very high profile and play all over the place, occasionally Walking Street too.  No one has a work permit.   How do ya figure this phenomenon into the equation with the guy holding the hose?

 

I'd really like to hear it.

Edited January 15, 2017 by joeyg
content

[joeyg]

4 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Maybe since they are musicians relegated to working in Pattaya -- unlike the guy with the hose -- people feel sorry for them and let them get away with it.

Hummm, I don't think people pity them.  They get paid fairly well.  And a couple have a semi-celebrity status, here in Pattaya and internationally.  Maybe the guy holding the hose got busted because it had something to do with water, a natural resource. 

 

Oh yeah they also sometimes do gigs in BKK, Udon, Samut Sakorn and Khon Kaen.  A few other places but I forget where.

Edited January 15, 2017 by joeyg

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The problem with Thai enforcement (or unenforcement) of their laws is as follows:

 

Yes, people can and do skate by for periods of time, or even long periods of time, and manage to get away with not following the rules. Because rules here are often overlooked in all sectors.

 

But, all it takes is one jealous Thai musician, or one person who feels they've been done wrong in some way, or any number of other random events (a new local Immigration chief, etc.) and that could lead to a law-flouting person being arrested and put into Immigration detention and who knows what from there.

 

Those aren't the kinds of risks I either want or need to take. But others, obviously, make their own choices.