Bangkok ranks poorly for remote working

A tourist enjoys a spectacular vista of Bangkok from the Mahanakhon Skywalk, one of the capital's tallest buildings. (Photo: Patipat Janthong)
A tourist enjoys a spectacular vista of Bangkok from the Mahanakhon Skywalk, one of the capital's tallest buildings. (Photo: Patipat Janthong)

Bangkok was ranked 68th out of 80 global cities for remote working, according to a study.

The study by WorkMotion, a global HR platform, ranked Melbourne first, followed by Montreal, Sydney and Wellington.

The study ranks global cities as most accessible and attractive for remote workers by assessing factors related to employment compliance, living costs, infrastructure and liveability.

Many companies are beginning to look further afield when hiring employees, comfortable with the idea that the best person for the job might be located in a different country.

According to WorkMotion, only 11 cities in the study offer a digital nomad visa, which is a specific document that allows remote workers to continue their employment in the country of relocation.

Referring to Bangkok, WorkMotion's managing director said the capital has areas to improve.

"Bangkok is currently being held back by its employment compliance rules, which makes it hard for companies to easily employ remote workers based elsewhere," he said.

Bangkok was placed 70th out of 80 for access to housing, meaning it is difficult to find appropriate accommodation, he said.

It also has room to improve in the category of civic infrastructure. Bangkok was placed 77th out of 80 for political stability, 68th for LGBT+ equality and 73rd for gender equality.

He said he is aware that the Thai government has recently taken steps to improve by proposing a digital nomad visa.

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Vocabulary

  • appropriate: suitable or right for a particular situation or purpose - ที่เหมาะสม
  • aware (adj): knowing that something exists, or to have knowledge or experience of a particular thing - ทราบ, รับรู้
  • civic (adj): relating to the people who live in a town or city or the duties and responsibilities that they have as citizens - เกี่ยวกับพลเมือง
  • compliance: the practice of obeying a law, rule, or request - การยอมทำตาม
  • digital nomad: a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing -
  • equality: the state of being equal, especially in having the same rights, status and opportunities - ความเสมอภาค
  • further afield: farther away -
  • gender: the fact of being either male or female. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female. - เพศ
  • infrastructure: the set of systems within a place or organisation that affect how well it operates, for example the transport and communication systems in a country - ระบบสาํธารนูปโภค
  • poorly: not done very well -
  • remote: far away from other cities, towns, or people - ที่ห่างไกล 
  • stability: a situation in which things happen as they should and there are no harmful changes; when something is not likely to move or change - ความมั่นคง, เสถียรภาพ
  • study: a project that looks at some subject in great detail and produces a report to share the information - งานวิจัย
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