Ask HN: Interested in coworking in Thailand? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Interested in coworking in Thailand?

24 pointsbemmu19 comments

I'm planning to rent a cheap bungalow in Thailand for two months or so and work on my stuff from there for a change. I went there a while ago to check it out, and found at least one place which I recall cost about $10-20/night and came with wifi. It felt nice to swing there in a hammock and code away on my laptop. Actually more than just "nice", it seemed like the perfect environment.

The benefit from joining forces would be the usual coworking benefits, combined with the comfort of not having to travel alone. For me it's important though that it remain as cheap as possible. This means off-season and staying away from expensive resort-style places. I work on my own small Facebook / MySpace / iPhone projects.

My e-mail is in my profile.

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Those into this idea should read this great (encouraging) article:

http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2008/05/laid-off-one-t...

It inspired the hell out of me.

It's more about NOT coding, and taking time to see the world cheaply, but looks like the author (Jason Kester) was so font of living this way that he started a company called Expat Software to code full-time from cheap exotic places.

Expat Software's site says, "Where exactly are we located? That is difficult to answer, as it changes on a regular basis. A good place to look would be a nice beach with cheap bungalows to rent and a fast internet connection."

:-)

Great article. Read it some time ago too and decided to do just that - so right now I'm at Bangkok :). Thanks for reminding me on that link.

I'm Thai and have been back there a few times the past few years.

One time, I stayed at a resort on Koh Chang (Elephant Island, a few hours east of Bangkok). It was pretty nice, and relatively cheap. And it had wifi. Make sure the room you stay in (or wherever your hammock is going to be) gets good signal. I couldn't get good stable signal in my room. I had to sit out in the porch if I wanted to go online. (Bring bug spray!)

You can stay/vacation in Thailand for relatively cheap. I would recommend you stay on a beach if you can. They have one of the best beaches in the world (not mainland beaches, but island beaches). And definitely take a few days to go sight seeing. Worth it =)

I'm interested in how this turns out for you. Good luck.

ps If you don't get paid locally for your "work", I don't think you need a work visa. And I use TripAdvisor.com for hotel reviews.

Last spring I was working on my laptop on travels through Thailand. Loved it.

I also stayed on Koh Chang, at a couple different resorts that had wifi. One was on Lonely Beach (Can't remember the name), one was at Bang Bao (Cliff's Cottages). I never paid more than $10/day for lodging.

I am thinking of doing something similar next year again soon -- I find traveling to be one of the most intellectually and emotionally stimulating things I can do, period. But I'm thinking of Argentina this time, I've wanted to go there for years and brush up on Spanish.

I'm already in Thailand since a month and am planning to do what you describe. Sill at the moment I am more into travelling around - Next month I'm going for Laos and Kambodschia. You definitly don't need a working visa if you work on your own startup code. Best to get a 2 or 3 month tourist visa which you can even renew two times by making a visa run to the border. If you come without a visa you'll get sort of a visa on arrival which used to last one month but seems to be now only 2 weeks! Best go to an cheap island resort with wifi or a nearby restaurant with wifi (where you can stay all day and use the net while ordering a coke every 2 hours). $10-20 seems pretty high to my standards. I've seen rooms for $5. I would say you get an okay room for $8-14 but you might have higher standards. My current room is $25 and I have wifi by the hotel but I could easily go with less luxery and have wifi from somewhere over the street (often times you get an open wifi signal from next door). If you have any questions, mail me.

Random concern: I think spending too much time in a hammock is a bad thing because it hyperextends your knees.

Just put a pillow (or two) under your knees when on a hammock.

i recently had that plan with a friend too, unfortunately she had an accident. i have a little project to finish und would join in. planed to leave alone for thailand in the beginning of january. i'll send you an email

why the hell would yo need a workvisa?

This is something I'm actually interested in doing as well. I have a friend who lives in Bangkok - so I'd probably be crashing with him and his wife for a bit.

I'm also going to Hawaii for the month of February - lodging is free though since I have family friends who own there.

Working away from home can give you a bunch of new ideas. I'm currently in Jamaica for xmas and have had at least 2 dozen new ideas for current and new projects. A change of scenery is always a good thing.

Please let us know what you're doing - maybe start a blog. I'd be really interested in your planning/trip.

Sounds nifty. I actually own a place on the beach in Thailand (technically, I'm a dual citizen of the U.S. and Thailand!); maybe I should stay there for two months and build new business ideas. Maybe I will see you!

I fixed my profile now, anyway my e-mail is manga@bemmu.com. Hoping someone will join me, and if several people want to join then perhaps we can consider renting some larger place.

Not really prepared to do that right now, but I'm curious about the logistics - work visas, tax concerns, etc.

Definitely curious about this. What country are you moving from?

Sounds like a great idea, I couldn't find your email address in your profile could you post it here?

I have been to Koh Samui, Lamai beach, many times. There is good "campus-like" wi-fi you can subscribe to easily. You should be able to rent a house south or north of the main beach area for a good price these days.

Man, I'd be right with you a few years ago, all tied down now. After you come back, post a review on here, would love to read it.

PS: Watch out for the girls, very distracting.

My co-founder and I just did a similar thing, except we rented a cabin in the mountains for a year. We're working on www.trailbehind.com

Sounds cool. I'm not seeing any info in your profile. Is it just me?

reminds me of the lifestyle described in 4 Hour work week

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