Phuket

Phuket gives you an island lifestyle with big-city infrastructure: an international airport, private hospitals, international schools, gyms and plenty of coworking. It suits nomads who want beaches and the sea after work but are not ready to give up reliable services, as well as families and anyone combining remote work with Muay Thai, diving or serious fitness training.

The south is where most long-stayers settle. Rawai and Nai Harn are laid-back and full of expats, Chalong is practical and slightly cheaper, and Bang Tao and Cherng Talay in the north-west are newer and more upmarket. Grind Time has spaces in Rawai and on Chalong Bay with monthly hot desks around 3,700 baht, Place Coworking in Chalong is a five-storey building open until late, and HOMA runs combined coliving and coworking in Cherngtalay and Phuket Town. Phuket Town itself, with its Sino-Portuguese shophouses, is the cheaper and more local alternative.

Home fibre is widely available at 300 Mbps or more for well under 1,000 baht a month, though storms can knock out power for short periods in the rainy season. A one-bedroom with a pool in a popular area runs roughly 15,000 to 22,000 baht a month, and a comfortable month overall is closer to 1,800 or 1,900 US dollars than the Bangkok figure. You will need a scooter or car, as public transport is limited and taxis are expensive. The dry season from November to April brings calm seas; from May to October the west coast gets heavy swells and rain.

Distances are longer than first-time visitors expect, and driving on the island can be dangerous. Prices have risen sharply in the last few years as long-stay visitors and property buyers have arrived, and the busier beaches such as Patong are crowded and commercial. Building work and traffic around Bang Tao have grown noticeably too.