South East Asia
Thailand
Countless places to work remotely, with islands that suit every vibe and budget — amazing food, welcoming locals, stunning landscapes, and beautiful beaches.
Countless places to work remotely, with islands that suit every vibe and budget — amazing food, welcoming locals, stunning landscapes, and beautiful beaches.
The essential apps and websites every traveller needs before hitting the road
💡 Pro tip: For island-hopping, buy ferry + bus combos via 12Go — they include pier transfers and are far cheaper and simpler than booking each leg separately.
📍 Where to buy: Tourist SIMs sold at all major airports. 7-day or 30-day unlimited plans from ~$10.
The go-to island for digital nomads in southern Thailand. Less crowded than Koh Phi Phi, genuinely beautiful, and affordable. Long Beach is the social hub — bars on the sand, good sunsets, where most people end up in the evenings. Klong Nin is quieter with cleaner water and better restaurants for longer stays. Lanta Old Town on the east coast is worth an afternoon — wooden stilted houses over the water and a completely different pace. KoHub on Long Beach is one of the best co-working spaces in Southeast Asia.
Thailand's third-largest island, close to the Cambodian border. The interior is mountainous jungle which gives it a wilder feel than most Thai islands. White Sand Beach in the north is the most developed and polished. Klong Prao in the middle is the sweet spot — wide beach, less crowded, good local food nearby. Lonely Beach in the south is where the party crowd ends up. Bang Bao Pier is worth a visit — a traditional fishing village on stilts turned into seafood restaurants and dive shops.
Small, flat and deliberately unhurried. No big resorts, no loud nightlife — just palm trees, clear water and a community that has actively kept overdevelopment out. You can cycle the whole island in a morning. Good for a long weekend reset between busier bases rather than a full nomad setup. Internet exists but don't count on it for heavy work.
More than just the Full Moon Party — though the Full Moon Party is worth doing once. Every month on Haad Rin Beach, up to 30,000 people show up for an all-night beach festival with fire dancers, open-air bars and music until sunrise. The rest of the island is a completely different story. The north has some of the most beautiful and quiet beaches in Thailand. The west coast around Sri Thanu has become a proper wellness and nomad hub — yoga, good food, slower pace.
Best known as one of the cheapest and most popular places in the world to get a diving certification — over 70 dive schools on a tiny island. Above water, Sairee Beach is the lively main strip with most of the restaurants and bars. Mae Haad near the pier is slightly calmer and more practical as a base. The crowd skews young and backpacker-heavy, centred around dive courses and beach nights. TaoHub and BlackTip Workspace in Mae Haad have solid fibre if you need to work.