Why a growing army of ‘digital nomads’ are choosing Asia as their base
For many who wish to get away from the daily commute, working online offers them a chance to fulfil their dream, and safe, cheap and friendly Asia is the perfect place to do it
What if you could choose where and when you worked, and live anywhere in the world? With the rise of web-based working, physical location is often irrelevant. Cue the rise of so-called digital nomads, a group of ‘location-independent workers’ for whom the daily commute is whatever they want it to be.
Digital nomading is often sold as ‘work while you travel’, but for an estimated 500,000 people globally it’s more about remote working than perpetual travel. For many, it’s a simple reaction to economic realities. “I see digital nomads as a good example of how the world is changing, and how it can solve some of problems that our society is facing,” says Youjin Do, who is making a documentary about digital nomads called One Way Ticket , which will soon be available online for free.
She talks about overcrowded and overpriced cities around the world, and how a new category of ‘remote company’ – typically start-ups – are collaborating online with team members across the globe instead of paying high rents in cities, or heading to Silicon Valley. “If more and more people are able to work remotely, there won’t be this many people who are willing to live in a big city,” says Do.
Beach or big city? For digital nomads looking to work fast and efficiently, the latter often triumphs because of the need for guaranteed high-speed internet. “Thailand consistently maintains the top of the list of cities for remote workers and digital nomads as it’s relatively cheap, safe, and its internet infrastructure is very good, especially 4G,” says Pieter Levels, 29, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, who runs NomadList, which rates the best cities for digital nomads on criteria from places to work from and internet speed to cost of living and racial tolerance. “Vietnam is close by, but its internet infrastructure is a lot less good, it’s a little less safe, and it’s not as hospitable,” he adds.
