IT has been an absolute whirlwind of an adventure so far, and this experience has been surreal. One month ago, I announced that I would be leaving Trinidad and Tobago, the place I’ve called home for the last 10 years, and journeying to the other side of the world to live in Thailand.

The year 2024 has been the year when countries around the world have realised that a great way to grow their gross domestic product (GDP) is by opening up their borders to digital nomads. This group of individuals has exploded in number since the pandemic. They have the flexibility to work from anywhere, bring higher currencies into the country, and don’t take jobs away from local people.

So, when Thailand announced their new Destination Thailand Visa, geared towards digital nomads, and it was a 5-year visa, I knew this would be a great time to check out Asia.

I’ve only been here for seven days, and in this short time, I am blown away by how seamlessly everything just works.

Let me give you an example. Even before I landed in Thailand, I had downloaded Airalo, a global eSIM provider, and set up their eSIM for Thailand. Once I landed, I was directed to the health centre at the airport because I was arriving from a country on the yellow fever list. I had to scan a QR code to get Internet, then another QR code that directed me to their health form. I filled out all my information, took a photo of my international vaccination card, and submitted it, all while a big TV screen with a heat camera checked everyone’s body temperature.

The officers confirmed that all my information was uploaded correctly, and I proceeded to immigration, where I was through in just five minutes.

While waiting for my luggage, I set up Grab, an app for rideshare and food delivery services. I added my Wise virtual card to Grab and ordered a taxi.

The app recognised I was at the airport and provided visual instructions on where to meet the Grab drivers. Once I got to the right floor, I saw a dedicated section with huge signage for Grab. When your driver approaches, they enter a small queue, and when they get to the front, you meet them, hand over your luggage, and off you go.

It was extremely orderly and easy. As someone who had never been to Thailand before, the app’s guidance provided a great sense of calm, which I appreciated after a 34-hour trek to Thailand.

Downloading an eSIM, booking a ride from the airport, getting guided visuals in the app, and seeing large signage to confirm I was in the right area — all of this happened seamlessly in a place I had never been before. Things just work and make sense with minimal effort.

When I got to the hotel, I was exhausted and had no desire to go anywhere but to sleep. However, I was hungry, so I opened the Grab app again, ordered food, and it was dropped off at the front desk. All I had to do was go downstairs to collect it.

Condo Hunting

After taking a day to recuperate, I went onto one of the rental websites I’d been using to look for condos. For every condo I wanted to see, I selected the date and time on the website, the realtor messaged me to confirm, and then I showed up at the property.

I used a Grab motorbike taxi to visit all the properties. This simplified the entire process of getting around and helped me avoid any traffic I would have encountered in a car.

There’s so much more to share, but I’ll end by saying this: the convenience of commerce here makes everything stress-free. From vending machines to washing machines, all payments are made via QR codes, and they accept over 20 different payment apps from around the world. Navigating day-to-day life is incredibly easy.

I found a condo, signed the lease, and paid for everything using only
WhatsApp and Wise to communicate and pay the landlord.

This is just my first week, and most of it has been spent sleeping and adjusting to the 11-hour time difference. I can only imagine what’s in store by week three.