Bangkok ranked 68th of 80 best global cities for remote workers
In a study that assesses liveability, living costs, infrastructure, and employment compliance, Bangkok was ranked 68th out of 80 cities around the world for remote working. The study was conducted by WorkMotion, an HR platform that helps match businesses with remote workers worldwide.
Bangkok suffered low ratings in several key areas for remote work. They ranked 70th on housing access, indicating that appropriate living accommodations are not easy to get in the city. It ranked even lower in the political stability category, coming in 77th out of 80. Bangkok also lost standing for gender and sexuality issues, with Thailand’s capital ranking 73rd for gender equality and 68th for LGBTQ equality.
But Bangkok is also stymied by the difficult rules and regulations regarding to remote work and the digital nomad life. While Thailand has chosen digital nomads as one of 4 high-quality tourist demographics to woo for the future of tourism, there still isn’t a legal visa for those working remotely for countries abroad. Only 11 countries on the list currently have digital nomad visas though.
WorkMotion says that technology is ready for remote work, and with the Covid-19 pandemic, people became accustomed to working remotely, suggesting that the market for offsite workers worldwide will continue to grow in the future. Companies were forced to accept the work-from-home model during lockdowns and many did not see any negative effects, opening the corporate mind to hiring from a larger pool of applicants worldwide and working remotely.
Many cities and countries are behind the times when it comes to the value supporting remote workers brings, and WorkMotion praised Bangkok and Thailand for taking the first steps in creating a digital nomad visa and attracting digital nomads in the future. The company behind the list suggests streamlining the legal requirements and regulatory efficiency as well as pressing employers to provide the needed equipment for their staff to work remotely.
The top 10 cities for remote workers:
- Melbourne, Australia
- Montreal, Canada
- Sydney, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Toronto, Canada
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Zagreb, Croatia
- Singapore
- Dublin, Ireland
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
