Digital Nomad Information Share

Hey everyone,

My life has taken some pretty drastic turns over the last year. Looking at my current situation and what I really want to do, digital nomading has always been really appealing to me but I always had a reason to not do it (fixed job, relationships etc).

I wanted to post a thread to use as a knowledge share so that if members decided to take the leap into working remotely and moving around the world, we can make sure everyone is safe and having fun all over the place.

This is still a new area for me and I'm working on research to make it a reality. A common thing on the forums is when people to come and try to get value without actually sharing value. The best members of this place use it to swap notes, an example of this would be I had X problem and I tried Y solution and Z happened, is there a better way to do this? vs I cant get laid and everyone thinks i'm creepy, what flavor of mayonnaise will make my seamen taste like a Michelin star meal?

My contribution will be a couple of sites and locations I think are viable, I'd love to be corrected and have people going through the process share things that could help the community so we can all avoid the scams that are rampant on facebook. I'm personally looking to explore more of the world while working, I'm less about partying and needing wild sex (of course this forum was founded on getting laid, so please don't be shy about it, its just not my focus anymore)

Websites to look at

This one is great for getting a feel about locations and visa requirements. I don't know if I trust anything it recommends about where to stay (anyone getting a commission or advertising consultancy raises a question mark for me about how reliable it is)

This one is great to compare the costs of living from different cities. It's based on user input, so you can use it to figure out if you can afford to move somewhere or at least what to expect when you get there.

Places

Thailand
Rated extremely high for cost of living, community, dating and reliable internet. @Spider Jerusalem had a great post about their 1 month in Bangkok and it was something that inspired me to look at this location as a first stop. The main thing is that rent is crazy cheap, but many places want you to stay for a year. Thailand made the visa process harder to keep backpackers away from just staying there, but it seems they are about to launch a digital nomad visa for people looking to do serious work here. Airbnb has many places and it seems like there are quite a few co living co working places (sadly, I'm too old for hostel life and I don't think my business will benefit from learning from 22 year old "life coaches").

Extra info from Paid Renegade:
Some things I’m doing/would recommend-

- To avoid all foreign transaction fees get the platinum debit card from Schwab. It’s free, plus no fx fees and they even reimburse you whatever additional BS charge the atm tries to stick you with. Just always say no to “dynamic currency conversion “ when pulling out cash

-If visiting Bangkok the #1 recommended place to stay for adventure is along the Sukhumvit BTS line, within walking distance of the subway/skytrain. Trips are about $1 and you avoid all traffic. My hotel is within walking distance to all the best nightlife, parks, restaurants. Asok and Nana neighborhoods are considered prime but certainly not quiet. It’s common for people in Thailand to book hotels long term for great rates, not like in the US

If visiting northern Thailand (Chiang Mai), most say to avoid the burning season from March -May-ish. Otherwise great hub for digital nomads wanting a little more peace and quiet, and more affordable than BKK

That’s mostly it for now, as an American they give you quite a long time in Thailand as a simple tourist (no visa required) to decide if it’s right for you and then there’s the new DTV visa to look at which looks like a sweet deal for moving abroad. If anyone’s interested I can update this as time goes on with additional research/solutions I find. Will also be running dating apps while there so that should be interesting to say the least

Philippines
I know very little about this region other than the English proficiency is very high and the cost of living is apparently 10-30% cheaper than Thailand.
https://digitalnomads.world/city-guide/el-nido-philippines/#Costs
For those looking to explore dating, I have heard this place has plenty of options and there is no shortage of "baddies"

Vietnam
Probably the cheapest location on the list. Lots of youtube channels say its extremely possible to get by living in a nice place and eating good food on $1000 usd a month. It's also a great location to get photos for your profile back home.

Kuala Lumpur
The rentals for the prices you pay look stunning. The place looks great, but apparently it has heavy Muslim faith and isn't too big on the party scene or casual hook ups.

Brazil
Also very cheap, better English and an insane party life. My main concern is safety as we are constantly blasted with news of bad things happening to people. Florianoplis is apparently safer than many US cities and is a great island location. Rio is amazing for party life, but not a place you would want to go on your own. Brazil has a very sex positive culture, so make sure you wear your safety equipment so you dont come back with something positive you cant get rid of.

For the adding of value, the call out is to people who are already digital nomads or know more about good locations to get started with.

I'd like this to be a knowledge share for the users that want to experience more of the world while working on their career/businesses.

Thanks in advance for any contributions!

@BrotherTucker

Thanks for this mate, very helpful!

Welcome back!

Would love a more in depth update on your life at some point.

I've been a nomad in Mexico since April 2024

-MAC

Hey it has been a while, I can update the log since its been about 2 years and my life has changed pretty dramatically since then.

How did you get into mexico, what visas did you need and how is it living there?

Good idea for a thread, i'm also set to be embarking on the digital nomad lifestyle later in the year after living in one location for the last 5 years.

On Youtube i've found Nomad Capitalist and Offshore Citizen useful channels for information about residencies and getting different passports. Thats something i'm personally interested in (holding multiple citizenships) as a longer term plan.

Brother_Tucker said:

Hey it has been a while, I can update the log since its been about 2 years and my life has changed pretty dramatically since then.

How did you get into mexico, what visas did you need and how is it living there?

Click to expand...

Mexico is awesome, I have a tourist visa, and just been here 6 months hustling and living on the beach. Bliss.

Def. make that update post, would love to see it

And how can we make you post more often?

What kinda threads would you like to see?

The era of this being a "getting laid" forum is done and dusted, and many of those very incompetent do nothing cucks don't really join here, we're self-improvement and serious about life outcomes in finance, business, relationships, health and physique

I will bring up the quality of this place, we need 20-30 serious guys posting regularly who are f**king getting it in life and we'll start flying

-Ravi

Interesting thread, my online income quadrupled this year and I’m planning an extended trip to Thailand end of year. One month in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai. Happy to share what I’ve learned so far researching but it’s basically theoretical

Some things I’m doing/would recommend-

- To avoid all foreign transaction fees get the platinum debit card from Schwab. It’s free, plus no fx fees and they even reimburse you whatever additional BS charge the atm tries to stick you with. Just always say no to “dynamic currency conversion “ when pulling out cash

-If visiting Bangkok the #1 recommended place to stay for adventure is along the Sukhumvit BTS line, within walking distance of the subway/skytrain. Trips are about $1 and you avoid all traffic. My hotel is within walking distance to all the best nightlife, parks, restaurants. Asok and Nana neighborhoods are considered prime but certainly not quiet. It’s common for people in Thailand to book hotels long term for great rates, not like in the US

If visiting northern Thailand (Chiang Mai), most say to avoid the burning season from March -May-ish. Otherwise great hub for digital nomads wanting a little more peace and quiet, and more affordable than BKK

That’s mostly it for now, as an American they give you quite a long time in Thailand as a simple tourist (no visa required) to decide if it’s right for you and then there’s the new DTV visa to look at which looks like a sweet deal for moving abroad. If anyone’s interested I can update this as time goes on with additional research/solutions I find. Will also be running dating apps while there so that should be interesting to say the least

MakingAComeback said:

Mexico is awesome, I have a tourist visa, and just been here 6 months hustling and living on the beach. Bliss.

Def. make that update post, would love to see it

And how can we make you post more often?

What kinda threads would you like to see?

The era of this being a "getting laid" forum is done and dusted, and many of those very incompetent do nothing cucks don't really join here, we're self-improvement and serious about life outcomes in finance, business, relationships, health and physique

I will bring up the quality of this place, we need 20-30 serious guys posting regularly who are f**king getting it in life and we'll start flying

-Ravi

Click to expand...

You can stay for 6 months on a tourist visa in Mexico? That's pretty cool, are you using Airbnb or a long term rental? Also are you bothering with co-working spaces?

I'd like to post more. There are 2 reasons why I don't tend to post as much these are: -

1. You will be judged by the worst member of the group you are in. As a getting laid forum where people come to actually get their stuff together, many don't do any work and at worst do things that make the rest of the group look bad. As we use our actual faces on here, I try to be mindful that some day this forum is on the news because a guy just couldn't take a cold approach rejection.

2. A lot of people come here to take value, but never actually bring any value to the conversations. Many members do this: "Here is my problem, would someone please take ownership of it or tell me how to fix it?". I'm all for swapping notes so that we can all learn and progress much faster getting where we need to go, but the motivation goes when you see users not actually giving any useful information.

As long as people are posting something meaningful while also asking questions in the forum (such as, here's how you apply for visas to stay for a year in x location, by the way whats a good alternative to Viagra? or I generated $1.5 Cost Per Lead in meta ads and this is how you do it, btw where did I fuck up when messaging this girl?), I'm happy to stick around and keep adding to it. I will do an update post tonight/tomorrow morning, just trying to think of how to write it all out.

Paid Renegade said:

Interesting thread, my online income quadrupled this year and I’m planning an extended trip to Thailand end of year. One month in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai. Happy to share what I’ve learned so far researching but it’s basically theoretical

Some things I’m doing/would recommend-

- To avoid all foreign transaction fees get the platinum debit card from Schwab. It’s free, plus no fx fees and they even reimburse you whatever additional BS charge the atm tries to stick you with. Just always say no to “dynamic currency conversion “ when pulling out cash

-If visiting Bangkok the #1 recommended place to stay for adventure is along the Sukhumvit BTS line, within walking distance of the subway/skytrain. Trips are about $1 and you avoid all traffic. My hotel is within walking distance to all the best nightlife, parks, restaurants. Asok and Nana neighborhoods are considered prime but certainly not quiet. It’s common for people in Thailand to book hotels long term for great rates, not like in the US

If visiting northern Thailand (Chiang Mai), most say to avoid the burning season from March -May-ish. Otherwise great hub for digital nomads wanting a little more peace and quiet, and more affordable than BKK

That’s mostly it for now, as an American they give you quite a long time in Thailand as a simple tourist (no visa required) to decide if it’s right for you and then there’s the new DTV visa to look at which looks like a sweet deal for moving abroad. If anyone’s interested I can update this as time goes on with additional research/solutions I find. Will also be running dating apps while there so that should be interesting to say the least

Click to expand...

Thank you, I will add this info to the first post. From the UK side, I think the Monzo bank card avoids all forign transaction fees when using the card overseas. @Spider Jerusalem did you mostly spend in cash while you were there or is it very card friendly?

I keep seeing people highly recommending Da Nang, Vietnam, Some of the 1 bed apartments are as low as $300 USD.

For my first stop on my Nomad journey, I'm actually going to the US. I have a friend in Denver who will let me stay for as long as my visa would allow. Sure its starting easy, but getting used to having all my stuff in storage and moving somewhere I wont stay long term will be a good starting test.

Brother_Tucker said:

You can stay for 6 months on a tourist visa in Mexico? That's pretty cool, are you using Airbnb or a long term rental? Also are you bothering with co-working spaces?

Click to expand...

Yup. Just have the return flight booked.

I have used AirBNBs, as well as made deals with long term rentals. Once you have the contacts for different landlords, and they know you, you can cut deals.

I have only used co-working spaces, in CDMX, because it was such a cool concept of a spot - free co-working, just buy food or drink.

Everywhere else, I just stayed in locations with great internet connection, and had the host verify via screenshot of a speedtest.net score

Brother_Tucker said:

I'd like to post more. There are 2 reasons why I don't tend to post as much these are: -

1. You will be judged by the worst member of the group you are in. As a getting laid forum where people come to actually get their stuff together, many don't do any work and at worst do things that make the rest of the group look bad. As we use our actual faces on here, I try to be mindful that some day this forum is on the news because a guy just couldn't take a cold approach rejection.

Click to expand...

Culture shift happened here a while ago. Most of the truly degenerate people who simply will never do anything with their life other than put their penis inside of other people, stopped signing up. I think they were more drawn to that version of Andy's brand, when he was get laid at all costs.

He moved away from that thinking. The forum moved away from his brand.

And we now are creating something new, based on life outcomes, real results, real income targets hit, growth in business and career, and meaningful development in relationships.

We have strong moderation, I am no bullshit and will just ban people who are creating issues for the sustainability of the forum on sight. I've only ever had to ban 2 guys, and the community has gotten better for their absence.

Brother_Tucker said:

2. A lot of people come here to take value, but never actually bring any value to the conversations. Many members do this: "Here is my problem, would someone please take ownership of it or tell me how to fix it?". I'm all for swapping notes so that we can all learn and progress much faster getting where we need to go, but the motivation goes when you see users not actually giving any useful information.

Click to expand...

I see. I try to give as much as I can. I enjoy it.

I will endeavour to be better on this front, and hopefully encourage others to also.

Brother_Tucker said:

As long as people are posting something meaningful while also asking questions in the forum (such as, here's how you apply for visas to stay for a year in x location, by the way whats a good alternative to Viagra? or I generated $1.5 Cost Per Lead in meta ads and this is how you do it, btw where did I fuck up when messaging this girl?), I'm happy to stick around and keep adding to it. I will do an update post tonight/tomorrow morning, just trying to think of how to write it all out.

Click to expand...

Cool.

Lets build on this and try to develop this ethos.

Brother_Tucker said:

Thank you, I will add this info to the first post. From the UK side, I think the Monzo bank card avoids all forign transaction fees when using the card overseas. @Spider Jerusalem did you mostly spend in cash while you were there or is it very card friendly?

Click to expand...

I've used Revolut when travelling. Which has been good.

-MAC

MakingAComeback said:

Yup. Just have the return flight booked.

I have used AirBNBs, as well as made deals with long term rentals. Once you have the contacts for different landlords, and they know you, you can cut deals.

I have only used co-working spaces, in CDMX, because it was such a cool concept of a spot - free co-working, just buy food or drink.

Everywhere else, I just stayed in locations with great internet connection, and had the host verify via screenshot of a speedtest.net score


Culture shift happened here a while ago. Most of the truly degenerate people who simply will never do anything with their life other than put their penis inside of other people, stopped signing up. I think they were more drawn to that version of Andy's brand, when he was get laid at all costs.

He moved away from that thinking. The forum moved away from his brand.

And we now are creating something new, based on life outcomes, real results, real income targets hit, growth in business and career, and meaningful development in relationships.

We have strong moderation, I am no bullshit and will just ban people who are creating issues for the sustainability of the forum on sight. I've only ever had to ban 2 guys, and the community has gotten better for their absence.



I see. I try to give as much as I can. I enjoy it.

I will endeavour to be better on this front, and hopefully encourage others to also.


Cool.

Lets build on this and try to develop this ethos.



I've used Revolut when travelling. Which has been good.

-MAC

Click to expand...

For Mexico that's super interesting, how much was your housing costing per month? I can only stay in the US 90 days per visit, so going down to Mexico could be an option if there's good internet and its affordable.

You have always been very committed to this place, and if the direction is for people to improve their opportunities then I will start posting and reading logs again. Nothing of what I said was directed at you personally, I guess I haven't been around so much to see the culture shift. I will work under the impression the people here are aiming higher.

Brother_Tucker said:

Thank you, I will add this info to the first post. From the UK side, I think the Monzo bank card avoids all forign transaction fees when using the card overseas. @Spider Jerusalem did you mostly spend in cash while you were there or is it very card friendly?

Click to expand...

Thailand is very cash centered. Youll be able to use card in major stores such as 7/11 but any local shop will be using cash. Ive seen locals use some kind of QR payment but it appears to only be available for Thai banks.

Brother_Tucker said:

Thank you, I will add this info to the first post. From the UK side, I think the Monzo bank card avoids all forign transaction fees when using the card overseas. @Spider Jerusalem did you mostly spend in cash while you were there or is it very card friendly?

Click to expand...

@Brother_Tucker

Apologies, only just seen this

And yes cash is most definitely king. ATM’s were everywhere and you could pay using visa debit, but the fees were higher than usual

Easiest way to avoid all transaction fees is Revolut, any of their paid plans also have no currency transfer fees at all and for travelling frequently their metal plan also has travel insurance included and cancellation protection (so can get a refund on flights, accommodation etc).

The Ultra plan also has unlimited airport lounge use included + 3 WeWork passes a month worldwide, and quite a few ClassPass credits which can be used for gym day passes internationally. Honestly Revolut is killing it right now with their paid plans - it's stopped my plan of getting a AMEX Platinum.

Hedon said:

Easiest way to avoid all transaction fees is Revolut, any of their paid plans also have no currency transfer fees at all and for travelling frequently their metal plan also has travel insurance included and cancellation protection (so can get a refund on flights, accommodation etc).

The Ultra plan also has unlimited airport lounge use included + 3 WeWork passes a month worldwide, and quite a few ClassPass credits which can be used for gym day passes internationally. Honestly Revolut is killing it right now with their paid plans - it's stopped my plan of getting a AMEX Platinum.

Click to expand...

Wow nice tip re ultra plan! Includes tinder gold as well.

Just started my nomad journey in the US. Of course I got pulled in for questioning with immigration when they saw I was planning to stay for 3 months. After some discussion about who I am and what I do, they let me into the country, but it was certainly an experience. Especially when the agents in the interrogation room were saying, "we gotta build a wall" and laughing at it. All's good so far, now I just need to make sure I stick to a normal work schedule. The sun in Denver and the mountains are gorgeous. It's hard to feel down about things when you wake up with so much light. I will keep people posted with my travels.

My advice for immigration interviews in the US: -

1. They know every time you have entered the country in your life and when you've left. Do not lie and do not overstay your visa/esta.

2. Have a contract or invoices proving you actually work and are not just going to be a bum over there for 3 months

3. Have the outbound flight booked to prove you are leaving. (Note if you cancel a flight or rebook a ticket, the US agents know it and wanted to know why I pushed my outbound flight back 5 times last year. The truth was I extended my stay then got sick and couldn't fly for a few weeks).

4. Do not work in the US while visiting the US. They do not like that as they think you are going to get a job and try to stay in the country. It’s ok to be a contractor, but don't say you are here to pick up clients or stuff like that, the last thing you need is them thinking you want to stay. Additionally, do not put print outs of you CV in your case, this sends the wrong message.

5. Get travel insurence that covers medical. My friends kid needed surgry on her pinky finger because she caught it in a door and they billed 17k for the surgury. You do not want to have to pay US medical debt out of pocket.

Sorry a bit late to the party here. I've been a digital nomad since mid-2023 and have visited all the places you listed in your original post. I'll give my thoughts based on my own experiences, particularly concerning dating (as a pretty-average, blonde-haired, blue-eyed white guy):


Thailand - super easy to date Thai girls. They are cute, friendly, many speak English. Rent, food, motorbike hire, etc is super cheap. Great beaches. Recommend.

Philippines - Filipinas are even easier than Thai girls, they go crazy for white guys BUT they're not as attractive IMO, many are fat. I only visited the cities, didn't really like them (noisy/dirty), but I hear the islands are beautiful.

Vietnam - many things I loved here (beaches, food) but dating was super hard. Vietnamese girls are much more conservative and they don't really seem to be interested in white guys like Thai/Filipinas. There are also a lot of girls on dating apps trying to scam foreigners. Read my log from late 2023 for more details.

Kuala Lumpur - daygame would be amazing, the amount of cuties I saw walking round shopping centres, etc. I wouldn't say it's particularly conservative.

Brazil - amazing weather and beaches. Brazilian girls are beautiful but I didn't have much luck with them, probably cause Brazilian guys are also very attractive, so the competition is higher. Floripa and the "tourist zone" of Rio are safe. There is some scary shit that happens in Brazil though. Also not many English or even Spanish speakers around, most people only speak Portuguese.

I would highly recommend the following locations as well (especially if you like the big city life as I do):
- Phnom Penh
- Lima, Peru
- CDMX


Money-wise, I've always used Wise. You can get a debit card which you can load with any major currency, then pay in a different currency and it automatically converts it for you at a great rate (better than most banks). You can also use it at an ATM to withdraw cash when you need it.

Happy to answer any questions about digital nomad stuff, either via private message or even better, post here so that others can benefit. Historically I haven't been too active on these forums but I hope to be here more in the next year.