This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Francis Coultier, 39, who is originally from Canada but now lives in Bangkok. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
The first time I learned about about digital nomadism, I was around 29 and living in Canada.
I remember seeing people on the internet working remotely or starting businesses in places like Chiang Mai, Thailand. I started following some of them online and knew I wanted to find a way to do it, too.
At that time, I was working in corporate sales and ended up starting my own furniture business in Toronto. I hoped to scale it enough to manage remotely, but because it was a physical business, I had to be on-site.
I eventually sold my share to my business partner and got a job at a marketing software startup based in Toronto instead.
The company was fully remote and didn’t have an office, so that’s when I started traveling.
I didn’t inform anyone at my company. A few months later, after a strong performance review, I finally told my boss that I’d been working from Peru.
He went, “Oh, OK, cool.” And we never really talked about it after. I just kept working remotely and became a full-time nomad, traveling mostly through South America the next several years, visiting places like Argentina and Colombia.
Provided by Francis Cloutier.
Thailand had been on my radar since the beginning, but back then, I worried that if I hated it and wanted to come back, I’d be so far from home.
Then, about a year and a half ago, a friend living in Bangkok invited me over for a visit.
I’d worked evenings while traveling in Europe before, and figured I could handle working nights in Thailand for a few months.
Bangkok won me over
I ended up falling in love with Bangkok. It was my first time in Asia, and about a month in, I knew I wanted to spend more time here.
It’s super convenient, and the public transit is fantastic. I go to nightclubs and don’t have to constantly watch for pickpockets or worry about where I’ll end up.
Provided by Francis Cloutier.
As I settled into life in Bangkok, I found another reason to stay: I met my then-girlfriend at the bar where she worked as a bartender.
We got married, and in April, moved into a two-bedroom condo together in central Bangkok.
After nearly seven years of nomadic living, including my first months in Bangkok, hopping between Airbnb rentals, I wanted a place that felt more like home.
My priorities were a modern apartment on a fairly high floor, easy access to public transit, and at least two bedrooms so I could have a dedicated home office.
I’ve spent years working at kitchen tables on tiny chairs, so I now have a proper setup.
Rent is 30,000 Thai baht, or about $900, a month, and the building has a pool, gym, coworking space, and rooftop area that doubles as a viewing deck.
Provided by Francis Cloutier.
In Toronto, I was paying 1,350 Canadian dollars, or about $970, a month for a one-bedroom basement apartment outside the city.
Working US hours in Asia
When most people in Bangkok are winding down for the day, I’m just getting to work.
My clients are based in North America, so I keep US Eastern business hours, which means I typically work from around 8 or 9 p.m. until 4 or 5 a.m. in Bangkok. I go to sleep as soon as I finish work. By the time I wake up, it’s 2 or 3 p.m., so I still get some sunlight.
Provided by Francis Cloutier.
I was always a night owl, and it also works out well because my partner is still a bartender, so she has the same schedule. She gets home around 3:30 a.m.
It helps that Bangkok is a city that never sleeps. Everything’s available at pretty much any hour.
I have a general idea of my monthly expenses. I mostly eat out or order in, so I spend about $1,000 on food. Utilities and internet are another $200 or so, because we use quite a bit of air conditioning. My health insurance is about $50 a month.
Provided by Francis Cloutier.
For the lifestyle I live here, I would be living paycheck to paycheck in North America. My quality of life by pretty much every metric is higher than it was back there.
The only downside is the air quality in this city.
I don’t think I’ll ever move back to Canada. I hate winter. I would prefer sweating in the tropical heat to snow and de-icing my car in the morning.
I usually go back once a year. I try to time my visits around Christmas or my mother’s birthday so I can be there for those times.
My mom is getting older. I’m her only son, so if she needs me, I’m either going to have to move her to wherever I settle down or spend some time in Canada.
I’m not 100% sure yet what that will look like yet.
