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While competition for the nomad dollar is fierce across Southeast Asia, Thailand is still very much winning the remote-work popularity contest. In the latest global rankings, Bangkok swaggers confidently into the number-one spot as the world’s favourite city to plug in, power up and get that remote-work brain firing, with Chiang Mai right behind it in a very respectable second place.
The rankings come courtesy of nomads.com – the world’s largest digital nomad platform and community – whose users have collectively crowned Thailand’s two heavyweights above cities like Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Da Nang and Tokyo. Not bad company to beat.
Thailand scores particularly high for affordability, safety and overall likeability, with just one minor blemish on the scorecard: internet speeds – which, frankly, says a lot. Turns out there’s more to the digital nomad dream than just the Mbps.
While busy Bangkok tops the ranks, given its connectivity and fast-paced lifestyle with literally everything at your fingertips, the quieter, more culturally-minded Chiang Mai is hot on its heels, with a calmer, creative vibe that happily trades a few megabits for peacefulness and good coffee. Just read our off-duty guide for digital nomads in Chiang Mai, and it’ll all make more sense.
Last week’s Nomad Summit only adds weight to these rankings. The gathering brought in close to a thousand digital nomads from across the globe to participate in a conference of digital minds, in the flesh.
The news also follows hot on the heels of another recent study by HotelWithTub, which placed Bangkok firmly at the top of its global ranking, scoring 91 out of 100 across similar categories, including cost of living, internet quality, safety and popularity.
So if you’re plotting where to set your digital basecamp in 2026, Thailand’s dynamic duo might just be the answer. Bangkok for that electrifying push-and-play lifestyle. Chiang Mai for more caffeinated contemplation. Either way, the nomads have decided – and honestly, who’s arguing?