

Ask HN: Interested in coworking in Thailand? - bemmu

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.<p>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.<p>My e-mail is in my profile.
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sivers
Those into this idea should read this great (encouraging) article:

[http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2008/05/laid-off-
one-t...](http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2008/05/laid-off-one-thing-
you-absolutely-need.html)

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."

:-)

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knarf
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.

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superkarn
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.

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h34t
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.

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knarf
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.

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

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

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aibon
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?

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mikeyur
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.

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Mystalic
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!

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bemmu
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.

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

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

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

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jhancock
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.

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mistermann
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.

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andrewljohnson
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

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

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mtw
reminds me of the lifestyle described in 4 Hour work week

