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We’ve all been there, unfortunately. swim shorts on, cold drink in hand, then the ba-loop of an incoming work message. One quick reply becomes another and suddenly you’re typing ‘Sound’s good – I’ll follow up right away’ from a sun lounger.
Thai travellers know the feeling particularly well. Thailand ranked first among 14 markets surveyed for travellers most likely to work while on holiday. The country’s famously sabai outlook, it seems, becomes rather less relaxed when the laptop comes out.
According to SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2025, based on responses from more than 12,000 travellers, 68% of Thai respondents said they were highly likely to work during their next trip. Indonesia followed at 66%, and India at 61%. The global average was 41%, with North America at 34% and Europe at 31%. Turns out, those European summers were real.
The data alone doesn’t reveal whether this is specifically a result of Asian work culture, although the three highest percentages came from Asian countries. It could be workplace expectations, the normalisation of remote and hybrid work, or the fact that freelancing and self-employment can all blur the line between a trip and the working day. Then there is the smartphone, making the office difficult to escape even beside the pool.
Time to head for the hills – ideally somewhere without a signal.