I could fly to BKK and back to Lanta twice instead, but flights are more expensive.
I could drive and then it'd be super cheap, but 12 hours drive isn't attractive.
Could just rent my house for 20k per day, as well 😂 That'd cover the cost. God damn it. Forgot about the cat again 🐈

Aren’t there pet sitters that look for that exact deal ? :)

Yeah true that, but after a few days i got used to airplane noise xd

Yeah. I used trusted pet sitters for years here. But, as you say, they don’t pay.
Cat in a cat hotel and rent the house is an option though.

Surely can't be real at that price, send example link

Pretty sure I can't do that without getting banned for 10 mins.

🤣🤣 welcome back to reality

It was a nice dream 😂

🥺🌃

Makes more sense in dollars 😅

Anyone aware of any friendly, active AI development groups in Bangkok or Khon Kaen? I'm looking to connect with other builders who use AI tools to build products!

Hey! Does anyone have a stuffable neck pillow in Bangkok? I'm flying tomorrow evening, don't have time to order, would really appreciate it if I could buy it from you.

Or if you have any leads where can I find it in person not online also good

I think you can buy it in duty free area

Hey, Anyone recommend any startup/tech events in BKK?

I don’t know much about it, but I saw there’s a startup incubator program by true at true digital park… maybe they have events?

Been reading more about immigration tightening lately, does this apply to DTVs too? Like, if I stayed 180 days then left and came back would it be subject to heavy scrutiny or likely pretty reliable?

dtv is fine. worst case they ask for a return ticket depending on the airport but otherwise you're good

Cheers, great to hear

a ticket out of thailand

Sorry confused, would I need to buy an extra ticket then? If I wanted to do a visa run to get another 180 days?

https://onwardticket.com/de?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20448399558&gbraid=0AAAAACzcc_PxzKFT84DBA9ulUi3YjWimq this should work too

Ah so I could book it after they ask?

when you enter you’ll be granted 180 days

in some cases, immigration may ask you to show a flight out of thailand within those 180 days (that’s what people refer to as a return ticket), just to confirm you don’t intend to stay beyond what your visa allows

in bangkok i’ve never been asked for it with dtv, but in phuket i was asked for it, so it seems to depend on the airport or the officer

Ohh ok I see, thank you

when you go through immigration they’ll already know if you have a return ticket because of the TDAC, that’s where you can put your outbound flight

Cheers, I'll book one. Appreciate it, haven't seen this info elsewhere

In case it’s useful, I got here yesterday and validated my DTV for the first time. I had an onward ticket just in case but they did not ask for anything

Thanks that helps a lot, feeling more confident about it, I'm applying soon

Another question about the DTV, what’s the fate of that 500k BAHT, did you put it in a local bank account? How easy was it to open the account if that’s case?

I just have the funds in one of my French bank accounts
Kind of annoying to have that amount blocked but that’s how it is
At immigration the agent was really chill, she just took a look at the e Visa paper and stamped my passport for 180 days, no questions asked

Thank you, that answers my question

Hello everyone, do you know if there are some ecommerce meetups/groups in bangkok?

Check out the Dynamite Circle

You don't need to have that in Thailand.. just 500k equivalent in an accoutn somewhere at time of application (some embassies want to see it in the account for ~90 days + according to some people.
You won't/can't get a Thai bank account with DTV, just so you know..

Can I use that money after the application?

Morning - does anyone have reliable FB groups etc. for apartment hunting in bkk? I've seen a few people say the listings on ddproperty and fazwaz are generally old/outdated? Thanks!

just search "condo rent bangkok" on facebook and you'll find plenty of listings. most of the people posting are agents so just message them and tell them what you're looking for. they'll help you find something because they want the commission.

Cheers, appreciate it

for how long ?

It will be for 6-12 months, it's still in a while but just doing some groundwork for now. I'm gonna stay in an Airbnb the first month and scout

waste of time

Awesome man would really appreciate the contact!

you don’t pay the agent upfront in thailand, it’s still included in the rent. they’re basically the middleman managing things, so their fee comes from what you pay monthly

Huh. I didn't know that. Interesting.

Hey Software Engineer here planning to go to Thailand or Indonesia in May to work remotely for a month. I would be going solo and my plan would be to meet new people and work from there. I have been told that Bali is not what it used to be (I have never been there) and I was wondering what you would do in my situation.

- Where to go
- Accommodation tips
- Where to meet other digital nomads (I believe coworkings)
- My plan would be to work CEST timezone which is not great. Is there people there doing kind of the same thing? Or normally people remote work on the Bali timezone?

Thank you in advance, any help is welcome!

PS: I love doing al kinds of sports and I love adventures so I would love to be somewhere where I can do this in my free time!

Hey I'm also a software dev,
I have only been to Thailand so can't compare with any other country. But here's my experience in Thailand:

I tried multiple coworking spaces in Chiang Mai, i didn't get to meet a lot of people maybe because i went in march end (low season+burning season)
But there is a very good community of badminton players! I played multiple times.

Then due to pollution in Chiang Mai I came to Phuket (Rawai)
Here i went to only 1 co-working called Let's Work, here they have a very good community! I met good no. people and made new friends! We even went together to eat, played games, and soon planning to enjoy the sonkhran festival (water festival) together!

So I'm still here and liking it very much!

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions or need any help!

Very very nice tip here!! Thanks a lot!!

Really? I usually find Agoda is cheaper. Than directly through hotels

You can try, for me each time i got around 20% cheaper. Didn't look on agoda though

Last year Tony gave me a nice list of places with AC on Koh Tao. It’s even hotter this time that I’m visiting and it seems that places come and go so I’d love to hear where everyone’s working from this time!

Nomads, when traveling to Thailand recently have you been asked to provide proof of funds (~600usd)?

Yes, i didn't have much cash, so i showed the amount in my forex debit card.

Nothing asked for both myself and my dad but in the digital arrival card I stated that I’m leaving in 30 days and my dad in 12. I did read on socials that they’re starting to ask for this though. And I went through the fast track (holding crutches 🩼) so maybe they were lenient 😛?

Consider Ko Lanta. KoHub and a few other places here are good.
There's also a new place called Monkey Business that's worth looking at that just opened. And a few others.

There's a few sports here - Football and Padel notably. I run a BJJ gym here, but that's pretty niche.

Hah, try not to game the system before they don’t believe me anymore next time!

Speaking of legal structures, Lanta got raided quite hard for Nominee shareholder abuse recently.
I just saw that Phuket got hit too.
i think the nominee shareholder is the justification for investigating, but it seems that many/any other offences are then used to extract fines (spelt with a B ).

Mostly the same places still. New coworker called the office opened. And a few few new cafés around.

Sounds good, I’ll have to check that place out for sure

Any reccs for a place to get Pocket Wifi that is not an airport but near Bang Na Tai. Sim and e-Sim is not possible.

is any nomad meetup for songkran, especially in Chiang Mai?

Is there any ecommerce guy in phuket right now? Network maybe???

Trying to understand the requirements around driving as an Indian. I’ve come across mixed information regarding the International Driving Permit, some say it’s mandatory, while others mention that a valid Indian driving license works fine. Would love some clarity on how strictly this is enforced.

Anyone dealing with Thai money stuff? 💸🇹🇭

🔨 Built: A comparison engine ranking transfer providers by actual recipient value, not just shown FX rates.
✅ Live: THB via PromptPay for real number testing.
🔗 https://app.tryglintz.com

If the top pick isn't what you'd use, tell me why. Roasts > 👍! 🔥

No idea on the India side, but will depending on car vs scooter, and where you are driving etc. So not enough details given for real anwers.

Thanks Tony! Open to driving either. I guess for scooter it doesn't matter so much as it does with cars?

I rented a bike for a month in Chiang Mai and drove around without any checking for almost the entire month. I only got caught once and showed them the picture of my International Driving Permit, which they accepted but they told me next time they need a physical copy.

i drove from chiang mai to chiang rai on a bike, no international driving permit, police stopped and let me go no fine or bribe

i gave 1000 baht bribe in phuket last month in patong

tip: avoid heavy tourist areas and you would be fine

I'm doing a one week intensive sykdiving license course / camp in Chiang Mai around May 21st, would love to make a group, ping me if you want to join up!

For a car I'd 100% want an IDP, the insurance risk without it and fines etc would be too much for me to want to deal with. Bikes, it really depends on the area, local police etc. Usually it will be a cash fine on the spot without an IDP that clearly shows you have the motorcycle permit on your main licence.

Tourist areas (islands etc) usually its not a big deal. I have not heard if it's an issue in Pai, CM most likely ok without, but its. a bit of luck of the draw. All that changes if you get in an accident with another vehicle etc of course.

Has anyone found a place to buy meta glasses in Bangkok?

Check out happyconsole

Thank you

Thanks Mayank, ps, and Tony! 🙌

I do want to have the option to drive a car, so will just get the IDP.

It seems the process of getting the IDP online (while abroad), and the validity of the soft copy of the IDP is uncertain too. I guess I will do a trip to the homeland to get the physical IDP before heading to Thailand then. 🤷‍♂️

I asked my family to ship it to me in Thailand.
I applied from Delhi and shipping took about a week and less than 500 inr to get here.
Transport dept will only ship it to your registered Indian address though
I used India post.
If you have any family member or friend there, might be a decent option( definitely cheaper than flying back😄)

Found out yesterday that you can use a pink id card for government digital services.
That's probably the most useful thing about it, in fact.

Was looking at USD → THB last weekend, found something weird. One top ranked provider widened from 0.15% to 1.01% between Friday night and Saturday morning. Same corridor, same amount, THB 305 less landing on the other end.

Full breakdown here if useful: https://zoeylee.substack.com/p/the-provider-that-saved-you-the-most?r=bpd1y

Anyone here pick a different provider for weekends vs weekdays, or just stick with one?

I use Curve most of the time. I've been curious for a while how it compares.
I think mostly Wise wins, but it'd be interesting to see it tracked.
Don't think that's applicable to a US citizen.
Not actually applicable to me either since I'm not Eu/UK resident at all... but still.

I used moreta but not curve. I liked the ability to pay via QR code in Thailand and Vietnam but it’s partial and not 100% reliable. Plus the fees are comparable if not higher to getting cash from a digital bank account ( I use Revolut )

Huh. Earlier this month an acquaintance claimed he was using Moreta constantly without issue.