Digital Nomads in Thailand: Lifeline, Mirage… or Just Latte Money?

We asked a Thai friend to share his take on the digital nomad wave — because behind the numbers, it’s locals who feel the change first.

In Chiang Mai’s Nimmanhaemin district, the coffee machines start earlier than the markets. By 8 a.m., cafés are already full — not with locals grabbing breakfast, but with foreigners on Zoom calls to Berlin or San Francisco, flat whites in hand.

At first glance, they look like free spirits. But for landlords, café owners, and policymakers, digital nomads…