The stats on Digital Nomadism | Issue #0003

Data | Healthy junk food | Your travel hacks

We’re on a roll as more and more of you are subscribing, and getting in touch with your businesses, suggestions, and content. Keep spreading the word as the more digital nomads we can give a platform to, or inform of what’s happening in their world, the better!

You probably don’t need telling, but digital nomadism is not going anywhere. We’ve got this year’s stats below.

Also this week:

 🇪🇸 Get paid to head for the Iberian sun
✈️ When the price of your flight drops AFTER you’ve booked 😡
 🌯 Junk food is GOOD for you
 📆 Find events to fill your calendar while you’re in Chiang Mai
 🧳 The travel hacks you shared that were (mostly!) new to us

Happy reading!

NEWS
The latest data behind digital nomading

Data source: MBO Partners

You guys are making digital nomadism, well, normal.

Obviously it is normal to you, but the boom through the troubled early 2020s has not seen a reactive decline. If anything, it has shown more sustainable growth in the last three years.

This, according to stats out of US firm MBO partners, is proving that not only is remote working sticking around, but many are now considering themselves digital nomads - able to work anywhere rather than just working from home.

What people label themselves is probably irrelevant, except to show that you are part of a growing and normalised way of working.

The days of friends and family thinking you are crazy and chasing a pipe dream are dwindling, as one in ten workers in the US identify as digital nomads. It is no longer just a trend.

It feels likely that this is typical - if not more common - outside of the US.

There is a lot of interesting data in the MBO partners report, and you can read it here.

WHAT ELSE…

Is fruit the way to a man’s heart?: If you’re a social media rat, you might have seen a trend recently that made pineapple the centrepiece of a new dating hack that locals, expats and tourists were trying out in Spain. It has resulted in the police getting involved at times 😮

Is your passport better than you realise? Rarely are two country’s passports are the same when it comes to getting into other nations of the world. Passport Index has a real-time ranking system and an interactive way to check where you and your friends can get entry to next. Really useful if you’re travelling with other people.

Getting your money back: We’ve accumulated some left-field travel hacks below, but this one came across our path after we’d compiled it and think it deserves its own shout-out. If you’ve booked a flight for your next destination and spot that the price has dropped after splashing out, there might be a way back.

TRAVEL HACKS
Digital nomads are the OGs of smooth travel

This will come as no surprise to you all, but without question, the best travel hacks are ones shared by digital nomads.

Whether it’s by trial and error, happy accident, or word of mouth, you do tend to find the down-and-dirty - as well as stylish - ways to travel easier, cheaper, and faster.

Here are the best ones you sent in, or we’ve picked up in conversation lately:

  • Download offline Google maps of your new destination before travelling - you never know if Wi-Fi or phone signal will be easy to get.

  • Get the Flush app - it covers a lot of countries and could be a lifesaver when you need a public toilet!

  • Use the USB port in your accommodation’s TV to charge your electronics.

  • Carry a fake wallet with expired cards or a little cash if you are travelling or in an area that is known for being a little less safe.

  • Put a bar of soap in a mesh bag or a dryer sheet in your luggage to keep clothes smelling fresh.

  • If you aren’t on this yet, then you’re not a serious traveller…packing cubes! At the very least, roll your clothes, but the added organisation makes cubes essential for a regular traveller.

  • Request a special meal for your flight. It will often mean you’ll get served first and even have more choice!

  • This is one we’d need to see to believe, but apparently, baby powder helps remove sand from your feet or awkward places after you’ve been to the beach.

  • Ok, fanny packs and travel pouches aren’t cool, but have everything you need in one easy-to-reach place. Don’t be THAT person searching through their bags in the immigration queue!

  • An oldie, but use incognito mode and change the currency when booking flights. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t, but the exchange rates alone often mean the fare will be different.

  • Download the app of the airline you are flying with. Most ping you with gate changes, delays, and baggage claim info.

  • Finally, advice we got rather than a hack - think VALUE not price. The cheapest flight often results in additional spend or hassle elsewhere that costs you more stress or time than spending $20 more on an upgrade, lounge or better flight time.

If you have any hacks that haven’t hit the mainstream yet or aren’t on this list, send them to us at [email protected] and we’ll do an updated list soon!

SPREAD THE WORD

Do you have friends who are digital nomads roaming the world? If you think they could use a quick weekly fix of what’s happening in their world, then share this link so they can get The Digital Nomad each week too.

Or, share it on your socials with the links at the top of this newsletter.

CHIANG MAI LEGENDS: 7 QUESTIONS
Junk food that hits you right in the soul

Mean, owner of Healthy Junk

Nimmanahaeminda - or Nimman as we know it in Chiang Mai - is a hugely popular part of town that not all that long ago was just low-rise and fields.

It is definitely not just fields now. Nimman is full of trendy hotels, boutiques, bars, cafés, and - of course - a terrific coworking space 😉.

Everyone who regularly uses Yellow knows Healthy Junk. It’s not a 2-minute walk away and is the go-to for healthy eating in Nimman. If you’ve been here more than a couple of days, then you’ll know it.

Here’s Mean, the owner, on why she thinks it’s so popular with digital nomads…

What was it that inspired you to open Healthy Junk?
There was nowhere in the city for genuinely healthy dining, who would tell us about the ingredients so we knew exactly what we were eating. Some places did salads and healthier foods but in Thailand, most places still manage to put the sweet in everything!

So, you’re different to other healthy food restaurants?
What I wanted, and our customers seem to like, is to be able to customise a meal without a fuss. Some can be picky about eating out - especially when it is healthy food - but that’s ok…they can just design their own here! There is still a full menu of dishes to choose from, of course. We don’t keep sugar in the restaurant, or cook things in oil, so you know you are getting a healthy meal, however they choose to have it.

What are the most popular things on the menu?
Easy - the chicken tenders. Everyone loves fried chicken, but we make ours without oil, so they are almost guilt-free. We also sell a lot of the Charles Salad - my partner used to ask for it all the time, so we just put his name on it and put it on the menu!

New restaurants open up all the time in Chiang Mai. Why do you think you stay so busy? (btw, we had to sit outside for this chat!)
It’s repeat customers. Yes, we see new people as digital nomads are always coming to Chiang Mai, but most customers are regulars. We have learnt to make it easy for them to order or get their favorites.

Ah, so how do you do that?
We are popular on Grab, delivering all around the city. We even had to open another kitchen across the street for it. But for regulars, we have a wallet system that gets them a discount, we deliver free locally, but most popular is that customers can order in advance. If they are busy working, they can send us a message and it will be ready for them to eat in or take out when they arrive.

We know you love to try out other restaurants in the city. Any that digital nomads shouldn’t miss, other than Healthy Junk of course?
Greensmoked is probably my favorite. For Thai food (which is obviously the best!), they should go to Khao Tom Baht Diao. It’s only a short walk away.

If you are new in town and crave some healthy Thai and Western food, that tastes great, drop in and see Mean here. Or, just check out their IG.

Mean also operates Wave - a protein shake, smoothie and acai bar just one street over in Soi 7.

FARAWAY DESTINATIONS
Are you ready to settle…and be paid to?

This isn’t new. Countries like Italy and Japan have offered this in the past, even some islands.

But, if you are a digital nomad, freelancer or remote employee in tech, you could get paid to move to Spain as they jump on the train.

The autonomous region of Extremadura, on the Portuguese border, is one of several initiatives in Spain to bring more people to less-travelled parts of the country. It is part of a push to attract more digital nomads to the country.

You could bag up to €15,000 if you make the move, though.

It would need a commitment of six months, a look into the tax implications of course, and you’d need to be accepted into their Digital Nomad scheme. But the grant can fund relocation, housing, coworking spaces and business growth support. If Spain is on your radar, then this could be a very economical way in.

There is more information in this article from Forbes, or go straight to the application site here.

If this appeals, but Spain doesn’t, other countries offer similar schemes too.

BRAIN FOOD
What we’ve been recommended this week

Book: Shoe Dog, Phil Knight. The likelihood is you wear something this guy manufactured on a regular basis. Get some inspiration or motivation for your business and growth - or listen if you’re an audiobooker!

TV: Kaos. A Netflix series that retells some Greek mythology through some contemporary characters. Strangely fun.

YouTube: Lauren Razavi came up in last week’s issue as she is heading up the Plumia arm of Safety Wing. She recently held a talk on internet countries and network states.

Drop us an email at [email protected] if you have any recommendations we should share!

COWORKING IN CHIANG MAI

If you are in the city, or heading over soon, then check out the current packages - from day passes to monthly or annual memberships - here.

Or, to find out about coworking at Yellow, email Mickey and the team at [email protected].

CONNECT TO CHIANG MAI
Fill your social calendar in Chiang Mai

Steve’s Email: A weekly resource and email for events around the city. Steve’s away for a couple of weeks, but there are events this week, and at least bookmark it for next week!

Digital Nomad WhatsApp: A long-standing group that spawned a range of sub-groups for almost any niche and interest in the city.

Chiang Mai Professionals, Expats and DNs WhatsApp: Another network of groups that has quickly grown for visitors and residents.

Yellow Coworking Telegram: For more about what is happening at Yellow, and to be part of their conversation, join here.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

@timisremote

One of the biggest draws to the travelling lifestyle is the colors, food, people, and markets you discover around the world. All four are captured in this one from @timisremote.

This could have been taken almost anywhere in Southeast Asia, but this particular was at a local market in a village in Krabi province.

Drop us an email with a photo from your travels, spectacular workplaces, or just you and new friends to [email protected].

QUIZ
What do you know?

These are anagrams for popular terms used by digital nomads (so, unmix all the letters to make another word or phrase!)

  1. Great kid mingling.

  2. Damaging for invalids.

  3. Peacock swings.

  4. A long shady guile.

  5. Wry looking metre.

  6. Adele demonstrating whittle.

Answers below.

COMMUNITY
Get seen by digital nomads everywhere

We would love to hear from you if you have some valuable knowledge, a product, information, or just a fun or crazy digital nomad story.

Or, if you want some extra eyes on your platform or business, or just like to write or share information with other nomads in our community, then drop an email [email protected] if you:

  • have a travel blog, channel or platform that we can spotlight

  • took a photo worthy of our photo of the week

  • have a product or service that could help other digital nomads

  • know a great event or place in Chiang Mai we might have missed

  • …just have a great digital nomad story!

NEXT WEEK

 🛂 What IS and what ISN’T a “digital nomad visa”
 🪑 A mobility specialist talks combating sitting at your desk all day
 🤝 A new networking event for entrepreneurs and businesses

…and news and events we spot for digital nomads everywhere.

See you then.

ANSWERS
Check your knowledge…

  1. Digital marketing

  2. Digital nomad visa

  3. Coworking space

  4. Hand luggage only

  5. Working remotely

  6. The digital nomad newsletter

How did you do?

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WHAT DID YOU MISS?

If you are new to The Digital Nomad, or just want to go back and read a previous issue, then you can find them all here.