We are live! | Issue #0001

We’re happy you’re here 🎉 You will forever be a founding reader of The Digital Nomad, produced in partnership with Yellow Coworking.

This is issue #1 of our weekly newsletter delivering the latest news, services, fun content, and resources for Digital Nomads, wherever you are.

There’ll also be events, community news, and places to go in our very own Chiang Mai, as well as the hot - and not-yet-hot - spots around the world. In this first issue, you’ll see our Chiang Mai bias, but the newsletter will be for readers globally once we’ve given you the feels for this DN mecca this week.

We’re community-first, so want to hear from you if you can or want to contribute with your experience and knowledge. Check out how later.

This week:

 📍 The best Digital Nomad visa yet?
 🥗 Healthy eating on the road
🏝️ If Chiang Mai had a beach…
🗓️ Events happening here this week
🌎 What is your nomad geography knowledge like?

Happy reading!

NEWS
Finally, a viable DN visa for Thailand?

Digital Nomad visas are a hot topic. And we can’t not start with the one close to home that could be HUGE news for digital nomads everywhere. 

Thailand – and especially Chiang Mai – is a mainstay on the digital nomad map. But, with nearby countries making it a bit easier to stay a little longer in recent times, the Thai government has had to act.

The DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) is the talk of the town, and TAT (Tourist Authority of Thailand) even came to town recently to launch it live - specifically targeting digital nomads. It is promising to offer an easy route for digital nomads to stay in Thailand a lot longer, and enjoy the riches the country has in abundance.

Contact your nearest Thai consulate for more information, or check out this YouTube video from RWFY, who interviewed a consulate representative to clear up some of the MANY questions there have been.

WHAT ELSE…

Where is best: There isn’t a “best city for digital nomads”, but plenty of websites and publications like to rank them. Nomadic Matt has been around for a while, and we like his simple take on choosing one. Though we’d argue Chiang Mai should rank top in Thailand in his updated list!

A visa misstep? Türkiye rolled out a digital nomad visa this year. BUT they are also introducing new taxes on goods shipped into the country, which might impact those who plan to set up camp there. It has even prompted a massive brand to suspend online sales to the country.

Meeting the one: Don’t ask us how or why, but this account popped up on our IG feed. If you’re out on the road on your own and are ready to meet someone, then Nomad Soul Mates has amassed a community of single people worldwide, and even has a retreat in the pipeline for single nomads.

FEATURE: HEALTHY EATING ON THE ROAD
The services offering healthy for zero-effort

We speak to A LOT of digital nomads, listen to DN-based podcasts, and read their blogs. A conversation can barely go by without someone talking about the challenge of staying healthy while moving from place to place.

Chiang Mai is a well-established digital nomad destination, and the food scene adapts quickly to trends with plenty of healthy eating spots. This includes meal prep services, which have taken off in the last year or two.

Ones we love include Chef Fuji, who has lived and cooked all over the world, and delivers macro-focused meals around the city, or Meal Prep Chiang Mai, who also offer a range of healthy dishes.

When we had Chef Fuji in to discuss holding a dining event at Yellow, we got chatting with him about his food ethos. As a health freak himself, he wanted to provide - in his words - “effortless, healthy, and creative meal prep and be the ultimate convenience”.

He also has a restaurant in the south of the city, Rosy Cheeks, which sources local produce and creates Thai and western-inspired dishes with a heavy emphasis on fresh and healthy.

He brings this to his food prep service too, offering a range of prepped meals that hit the macros you need to stay on track, as well as tasting great.

If there is one thing Thai chefs know, it’s making food taste incredible!

Seek out meal prep services wherever you are. It’ll save you time, and keep your diet on track!

EVENTS
What is stopping you being more successful?

Alex Friedman is a work and productivity coach and digital nomad, and he’s running a workshop specifically focusing on procrastination and techniques he successfully uses with clients.

Scan the QR code, or see the event details here to register. It’s on 3^rd September at Yellow in the conference room, and seats are limited.

Binance Thailand are in town on the 4^th September. They’ll be in the covered back garden with food and a talk about the new rules on owning crypto in Thailand as a foreigner.

Register in advance at the café in Yellow - you’ll even get a free drink on the night when you do!

SPREAD THE WORD

Do you have friends who are planning to hit up Chiang Mai, or are just 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.

DESTINATIONS
Far more than just Chiang Mai on the beach!

We think Chiang Mai is the godfather of digital nomad destinations but, by nature, you love going to different parts of the world, so we’re happy to concede that other places exist!

Just through conversations with new members who roll into town, we get the very latest on where is hot and where is not.

If it is not on your list yet then Da Nang - on the central Vietnamese coast - needs adding to it.

While it has been talked about for some time as an up-and-coming digital nomad destination, it has officially up-and-come in 2024. We have members who went last Spring and loved the quiet vibe around the beach areas, yet this year they returned in March and April and got a very different experience.

Meetups nearly every day, cafés full of nomads on laptops, ice baths on the beach, and the signs of more modern coworking spaces becoming a thing in the near future.

A more amenable visa system, the beach, highly affordable living, investment in the My An area after a few years of limited visitor numbers, and easy flights in and out of an airport just 10 minutes from the beach, all contribute to the makings of a mainstay on the digital nomad circuit.

You’re also only 30 minutes from Hoi An, a chilled, historic town with beach clubs, a coworking hub, great coffee, and plenty of food and activities servicing the waves of tourists that visit.

Sadly for us, direct flights from Chiang Mai stopped earlier this year, but it just gives you an excuse to visit Bangkok, Hanoi or HCMC en route!

We started following Dian when she was in Chiang Mia last year, and she headed off to Da Nang and put this video out as a short guide of what to expect there.

WHO’S WHO: 7 QUESTIONS
Yellow Coworking doesn’t run by itself

The Boss For our first issue, we’ve gone straight to the top and put director and manager Mickey on the spot. She’s been the face of Yellow Coworking since taking over last year and you’ll almost certainly see her when you are here.

Where is home for you?
Now it is Chiang Mai, just down the road actually. I am from Bangkok, but moved north two years ago and absolutely love it - I couldn't go back! I’m trying hard to convince my daughter to join me…and bring the dogs too.

When is the best time to come to Yellow?
The digital nomads here seem to like a lie-in so it’s quiet in the mornings. We have a lot of seats though, so there is always room. High season can get very busy though.

What’s your favorite part of running Yellow?
We meet a lot of people around the world. I’m very proud of Thailand though and love cooking Thai food, so am often out in the kitchen at lunchtime. I love sharing it to see visitors try the spice in our food!

How is Yellow connecting with the community these days?
Well, lately we’ve started rolling out more events. Recently we had a web3 talk, a collaboration with a well-known local burger restaurant, and our team has cooked up Thai barbecues and a lunch buffet for anyone to come along to. Our conference room gets used by our members and visitors to hold talks and workshops too. And now, of course, the newsletter!

Why do you think digital nomads choose Yellow as their coworking space when they visit Chiang Mai?
We have a range of seating - booths, shared tables, outdoor seats, quiet zones, beanbags. We’re also the largest in the city with a great facility, plus being in the middle of Nimman means we get a lot of visitors. And we’re a friendly team!

What do you see most digital nomads here doing in their downtime?
Honestly? Sleep! Many of them put in a lot of hours here. They definitely seem to like the restaurants around Nimman too, but many get motorbikes and get out of the city to go hiking and see the outdoors at the weekend.

We can’t talk Chiang Mai and not ask about food. Your favorite spot?
At my house!! I love to cook, and often bring home-cooked food in for people to try. But for digital nomads visiting they should try an authentic Thai place that Thais go to. I usually go to Sai Ping - great Thai food on the riverside - or Jen Moy, where the beef dishes are the best in the city!

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, just get in touch with Mickey or the team at Yellow Coworking at [email protected].

BRAIN FOOD
What members are consuming this week

Book: 🧠 Mindset, Karol Dweck. A relative oldie-but-goldie perhaps, but it’s standing the test of time in what is now a very crowded genre!

Podcast: The Diary of a CEO has blown up over the last year or two, but this recent episode about sleep (we love to sleep!) was fascinating 💤.

TV: 🧸 The Bear. Maybe we’re late to the party with this one, but it’s funny, heart-breaking, and cover-your-eyes viewing all at once.

YouTube: Naval, How to get rich. A modern-day Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It’s more a podcast, but it’s time better spent than binging Love Island! 💰

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

CONNECT TO CHIANG MAI
Meet people and fill your calendar in Chiang Mai

Steve’s Email: A weekly resource and email for events around the city from a long-time expat here. Check it out!

Digital Nomad WhatsApp: A long-standing group that has spawned a variety of sub-groups for almost any niche and interest.

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

We are in the mountains here, so we thought it only right to share an image of them.

David Sala is a professional photographer and captured these birds circling a lake in the mountains in Mae On, just a few km east of Chiang Mai.

In his day job, he’s a portrait photographer and has been booked by many digital nomads passing through for their portfolios or professional shots. He has an incredible, unique style, and his attention to detail in his images is out of the top drawer.

Check out his IG and this portfolio site to see more of him. Shoot him a message if you want to chat about having some images made of you - or just like the look of his work.

If you've got an image from wherever you are or have been that you think deserves to be photo of the week, and maybe a portfolio or IG you want more eyes on, then email us with it at [email protected].

QUIZ
What do you know?

Take a couple of minutes more and see how you measure up with our 6 questions of the week.

This week, you’ll need to know your places. Have you been to any of these?

1. What country is known as the “cockpit of Europe”?

2. How many US states have a border with Canada?

3. The capital of Jamaica is…

4. Which is the driest continent on Earth?

5. Name the world’s northernmost capital city.

6. The Kalahari Dessert is found in which country?

Answers below.

COMMUNITY
We need you!

The digital nomad community is at the centre of this newsletter, especially if you have been a member of or visited Yellow.

We would love to hear from you if you have valuable knowledge, products, information, or anything at all that changed your digital nomad experience.

Drop us an email at [email protected] if you:

• have a travel or digital nomad platform

• took a photo worthy of our photo of the week

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

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

• …or just have a great digital nomad take or story!

ANSWERS
Check your knowledge…

1. Belgium

2. 13

3. Kingston (think UB40!)

4. Antarctica

5. Reykjavik, Iceland

6. Botswana

NEXT WEEK

🌎 The most promising global digital nomad visa program yet?
🏙️ A positive of the fast-changing face of a digital nomad city
 🌞 Get paid to move to a place in the sun
 
…and anything that happens between now and then for digital nomads, everywhere.

See you then.