Digital Nomading/Remote working

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Dylan_G

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Hi all,

I've seen some posts showing interest in this topic on the forum. I think most have seen the famous @RMTaylor thread here: Digital Nomad in South East Asia

I would like to know who has been doing this and what their experiences have been.

Where have you been? For how long? Did you have a "home base" and then moved around? What were the VISA situations? Maybe some things that you've noted that others may not have considered?

I found this excellent site which I plan on signing up for: https://nomadlist.com/

I am interested in going this route. I am taking it as an opportunity to go out and see which countries I might like to emigrate to in the future. Looking at Europe (Portugal/Spain/UK/Turkey/Netherlands/Croatia) and then SEA (Thailand) so far. Both SO and I have fully remote jobs and no kids so looking to take advantage.
 
Paging @Harmonic @charlieharper @SZN @MaisonP @bokka1
Harmonic said:
So I'm thinking of getting a digital nomad visa in Georgia and seeing what it's all about. Probably will follow it up with some time in Svalbard and see where the wind takes us.

Any MyBB'ers there at the moment, or have been there in recent times? What's your experience been like?

@charlieharper saw you mention you were on your way there recently, how's it going?
Click to expand...

SZN said:
Hey guys (@MaisonP @bokka1), I'm planning a digital nomad type trip to Thailand.

I'm thinking beginning of Feb to end of March, so about 2 months (actual dates lead up to about 58 days in Thailand)

In terms of visas / entry requirements, I have a few questions.

Based on the latest guidelines, we can enter Thailand for 45 days on a SA passport for free. Sadly, this alone won't be enough days for me. [Option 1]

With Option 1, I am able to extend my visa for an additional 30 days. I also could just fly to Cambodia/Malaysia and re-enter Thailand which will give me another 45 days.

Alternatively I could apply for a Tourist Visa at the Thai Embassy in Pretoria, which will allow single entry for a period of 60 days. This will cost R500 (not material to me) but does require some admin. I really hate admin. [Option 2]

This leads me to my conundrum, if I book a return ticket with Qatar Airways from 1 Feb to 31 Mar, will they:
a) allow me to board the plane at OR Tambo when my return flight is more than 45 days later (assuming Option 1 here)
b) allow me entry into Thailand at border control when my return flight is more than 45 days later (assuming Option 1 here)

Your input / advice would be highly appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
Sure. Been in Thailand for approx 3 years on and off and been amazing. I hate going back to SA, and stay in Thailand for 6 months at a time.
I have a 10 year visa which I need to submit documents once a year.
You can get 45 days and you can then extend that with another 90 days for 1900 baht and don’t need to leave the country.
It unfortunately is some admin but you can sort it out in 4 hours.
 
MaisonP said:
Sure. Been in Thailand for approx 3 years on and off and been amazing. I hate going back to SA, and stay in Thailand for 6 months at a time.
I have a 10 year visa which I need to submit documents once a year.
You can get 45 days and you can then extend that with another 90 days for 1900 baht and don’t need to leave the country.
It unfortunately is some admin but you can sort it out in 4 hours.
Click to expand...
The 45 days was reverted back to 30 days in April.
Heading back to Thailand end of the month. Gonna be based in Chiang Mai till November.
 
Dylan_G said:
Hi all,

I've seen some posts showing interest in this topic on the forum. I think most have seen the famous @RMTaylor thread here: Digital Nomad in South East Asia

I would like to know who has been doing this and what their experiences have been.

Where have you been? For how long? Did you have a "home base" and then moved around? What were the VISA situations? Maybe some things that you've noted that others may not have considered?

I found this excellent site which I plan on signing up for: https://nomadlist.com/

I am interested in going this route. I am taking it as an opportunity to go out and see which countries I might like to emigrate to in the future. Looking at Europe (Portugal/Spain/UK/Turkey/Netherlands/Croatia) and then SEA (Thailand) so far. Both SO and I have fully remote jobs and no kids so looking to take advantage.
Click to expand...
I'm a Nomad List member myself. It's great. The Slack is really active and the meetups are fun.

I did Georgia for 2 weeks - mostly I had to be based somewhere for a bit, so I can match up my visa situation with my friends who I joined in Thailand, and chose Georgia. It's pretty cool, very unique, I would certainly spend some extended time there, perhaps next year when it's their spring, to get to know it better.
 
Also have some friends from SA on the Mauritian nomad visa (aka Premium Visa).
Low key looking into that, but not sure if it's as "fun" there compared to a place like Thailand.
 
charlieharper said:
I'm a Nomad List member myself. It's great. The Slack is really active and the meetups are fun.

I did Georgia for 2 weeks - mostly I had to be based somewhere for a bit, so I can match up my visa situation with my friends who I joined in Thailand, and chose Georgia. It's pretty cool, very unique, I would certainly spend some extended time there, perhaps next year when it's their spring, to get to know it better.
Click to expand...
Someone on Twitter was talking about loneliness.
 
NeonNinja said:
Someone on Twitter was talking about loneliness.
Click to expand...
Loneliness is a common issue when arriving alone in a new place.
It hit me hardest in Malaysia I think. I absolutely love Kuala Lumpur as a city - all the conveniences of a modern Asian city, but not too big and not super crowded - but it's indeed really difficult to make friends there.
 
MaisonP said:
Sure. Been in Thailand for approx 3 years on and off and been amazing. I hate going back to SA, and stay in Thailand for 6 months at a time.
I have a 10 year visa which I need to submit documents once a year.
You can get 45 days and you can then extend that with another 90 days for 1900 baht and don’t need to leave the country.
It unfortunately is some admin but you can sort it out in 4 hours.
Click to expand...
10 years is a lot, lol. I am guessing that's the Long-term resident visa? Thailand LTR

I see the 30/45 day visa which can be extended to 90 days is strictly for tourism purposes and "It is important to note that a tourist cannot work or conduct business while in the country."... is this a situation where its better to declare that you're there for leisure even when you intend on working for your employer back home during that time?
 
charlieharper said:
The 45 days was reverted back to 30 days in April.
Heading back to Thailand end of the month. Gonna be based in Chiang Mai till November.
Click to expand...
Working remotely? On which visa?

Saw a post on /r/digitalnomad where someone posted about Chiang Mai. Seems popular.
 
charlieharper said:
I'm a Nomad List member myself. It's great. The Slack is really active and the meetups are fun.
Click to expand...

Good to know. The price is a bit steep but I think its a once-off cost? Seem worth it if that is the case.

charlieharper said:
I did Georgia for 2 weeks - mostly I had to be based somewhere for a bit, so I can match up my visa situation with my friends who I joined in Thailand, and chose Georgia. It's pretty cool, very unique, I would certainly spend some extended time there, perhaps next year when it's their spring, to get to know it better.
Click to expand...

Meant to add Georgia to my list.
 
Dylan_G said:
10 years is a lot, lol. I am guessing that's the Long-term resident visa? Thailand LTR

I see the 30/45 day visa which can be extended to 90 days is strictly for tourism purposes and "It is important to note that a tourist cannot work or conduct business while in the country."... is this a situation where its better to declare that you're there for leisure even when you intend on working for your employer back home during that time?
Click to expand...
Yea it's a grey area. Not illegal, but generally raises questions.
I'd recommend not saying anything about working.
 
Another general question:

Insurance. Anyone take travel or health/medical insurance? How does this work? Because I'm guessing if you get sick/injured overseas our local medical aid won't count for much.
 
South Africans can't be a digital nomad, our passport sucks. Our salaries suck to qualify for a digital nomad visa. Most of us don't earn a country mile near the salary. Average salary have to be around 3 figures in USD to qualify. I don't come a country mile close to it. Just look in USD where a UPS driver earns 170K per year.That is over 3 million rand.

Look how many Europeans and Americans are digital nomad for those two reasons. African citizenship without foreign passport is the modern day version of the scarlet letter.

The cost of a 10 year residency to Thailand is exorbitant. You basically have to do a border run before 30 days but you can only do that so many time before being caught out for abusing the system.

You can get a 30 day tourist visa and that's it. Otherwise Thailand would be swarmed with African people trying to scam all the tourists. Heck even if you marry a Thai, just like other SE Asian countries, you can never become a citizen and have to apply for a yearly visa to stay in the country.

Digital nomad visas the minimum earning is too strict.

Work/Employment visa is too difficult to get without being based in the country you are applying in.
 
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