One of Thailand’s most famous landmarks is the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It’s the official residence of the Kings of Siam and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. See the Reclining Buddha (built in 1848) at Wat Pho in the temple right behind it – it’s the largest Buddha in Thailand.
UNESCO World Heritage site, Khao Yai National Park, is home to wildlife including elephants, northern pig-tailed macaques, barking deer, gibbons, porcupines and junglefowls (aka wild chickens). It’s just 180km from Bangkok.
Go to a floating market (pictured). Damnoen Floating Market was used as a setting in James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun. Amphawa, meanwhile, sell souvenirs, snacks and sweets – and is a lot more authentic.
If you fancy travelling around Thailand, take a ride on the Death Railway. It was constructed by WWII prisoners of war. Estimates suggest that one man died for every sleeper laid on the track. It’s a two-hour journey from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok which runs three times a day – and is often very late.
Of course, there’s pad thai, the country’s most famous rice noodle dish. As you’ll be hanging around for a while, try the lesser-known som tam (a fruity and spicy salad), gaeng (spicy curry with fresh veg and rice) and mango sticky rice.
The cost-of-living is mega-cheap compared to the UK. Take a look at these figures from Numbeo.
- Three-course meal for two at a mid-range restaurant: 800 ฿ (£18)
- 1 litre regular milk: 58.01 ฿ (£1.30)
- 500g loaf fresh white bread: 46.91 ฿ (£1.06)
- One-way ticket on public transport: 30 ฿ (67p)
- Basics for an 85m squared flat: 2,456 ฿ (£55.50)
- Rent for one-bed flat in city centre: 14,087.99 ฿ (£321.80)
#5 of 182 on the Speedtest world league table, so will have very quick internet.
Co-working spaces are often connected to co-living spaces. Of the solely co-working spaces, you’ve got Yellow in Chiang Mai, which has international power sockets, a ‘YouTube room’ (for filming and screening) and an events area.
You’ll also find a co-working and co-napping space at NapLab in Bangkok, with its very own nap caves. Alternatively, there’s the Garage Society – a co-working space in Phuket which focuses on start-ups and freelancers.
The digital nomad visa
Name of visa: Long-Term Residents Visa Thailand
Visa fee: $1,494 (£1,238) plus a yearly $90 (£74.63) fee
Length of visa: 10 years
Can I extend my visa? Yes
Requirements:
Thailand does not have a digital nomad visa as such. What it does have is a Long-Term Residents Visa, which is aimed at full-time employees of Big Tech firms listed on a stock exchange or have generated more than $150m (£124,370,807) over the past three years.
And, unlike a true digital nomad visa, holders of the Long-Term Residents Visa pay income tax in Thailand – albeit at a 17 per cent tax rate as opposed to the standard 35 per cent.
- Passport valid for six months
- Annual $80,000 (£66,334) salary for the previous two years
- Health insurance with at least $50,000 (£41,458) coverage
- You must have worked for at least three years for a listed company or a company that generates at least $150m (£124,370,807) in annual revenue
- Copy of Passport (including Thai entry stamps if applicable)
- Passport-Size Photo (3×4 cm)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Proof of current income
- Personal income tax return for previous two years
- Proof of employment
Minimum salary: $80,000 (£66,334)
How to apply
- Submit an online application here
- You will know whether your application has been approved in principle within 23 days plus.
- Upload additional documents and information
- Once approved, you have 60 days to attend an appointment at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad or immigration offices in Thailand, such as the Department of Employment One-Stop Shop Center for Visa and Work Permits in Bangkok, to collect your visa
