30 January 2021 · Country Matchups · Global
Thailand vs Indonesia for Digital Nomads: Visa and Cost Comparison
Southeast Asia has long been the promised land for Wi-Fi-enabled wanderers. But when clients ask, “Should I base myself in Bali or Bangkok?” the answer is rarely a one-liner. Both Thailand and Indonesia have updated their visa playbooks, tweaked tax rules, and courted remote workers aggressively since 2020. Below is our latest, data-driven matchup to help you choose your champion.
Snapshot: Why These Two Keep Making the Shortlist
| Metric | Thailand | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Median 1-bed in expat district | US $680 (Bangkok) | US $560 (Canggu) |
| Average café Wi-Fi speed | 88 Mbps | 71 Mbps |
| Core visa for nomads | LTR “Remote Work” visa (10 yrs) | B211A socio-cultural (6 mo) / Second-Home ITAS (5 yrs) |
| Income tax top rate | 35 % | 35 % |
| Physical-presence rule | 180+ days p.a. | 183+ days p.a. |
| Avg. flat white price | US $2.20 | US $2.00 |
All prices in USD, Q1 2024 averages. Source: BorderPilot data lake, Speedtest, Numbeo.
1. Residency & Visa Pathways Compared
A. Thailand’s Menu of Options
| Visa | Stay Length | Key Requirements | Real-World Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist Visa w/ Extensions | 60–90 days | Proof of exit, funds | Short test run, “try before you buy” |
| Special Tourist Visa (STV) | 270 days | Covid-era relic but still issued sporadically | Long snow-bird winter |
| SMART “S” Freelancer | 1–4 yrs | Tech/creative, min US $80k/yr | Mid-career devs & designers |
| Long-Term Resident (LTR) – Remote Worker track | 10 yrs (renewable) | Salary ≥ US $80k, BA degree, employer listed on stock exchange or >3 yrs track record | High-earning employees on payroll abroad |
| Thailand Elite | 5–20 yrs | Cash payment US $19k–65k | Cash-rich, paperwork-averse |
| BOI Company Setup (for founders) | 2 yrs KIT visa, extendable | Register a BOI-approved entity | Startup teams wanting Thai talent |
Analyst take:
The LTR has grabbed headlines, but approval rates hover around 38 %. Documentation is rigorous; HR in the home country must vouch for you. For self-employed coders earning < US $80k, the SMART S or a classic Non-B with work permit plus Thai entity still beats the LTR on both cost and certainty.
Pro-tip: Apply for the LTR from outside Thailand and plan a 4-week buffer. Consulates in Paris and Sydney currently clear files ~30 % faster than Bangkok’s OSS center.
B. Indonesia’s Toolkit
| Visa / Permit | Stay Length | Key Requirements | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa on Arrival (VOA) | 30 days + 30-day extension | Return ticket, US $35 fee | Surf + Slack season |
| B211A Socio-Cultural (e-Visa) | 60 days + 2×60 day extensions (max 180 days) | Local sponsor, ~US $50 per extension | Half-year “Bali bubble” |
| Digital Nomad Visa (still draft) | Up to 5 yrs, tax-free foreign income | Proof of US $140k savings | Awaiting regs—don’t plan on it yet |
| Second Home ITAS | 5 or 10 yrs | Bank balance US $130k or property purchase, no active income in ID | Wealthy nomads parking assets |
| Investor KITAS | 2 yrs, renewable | ID company with ~US $140k capital | Bootstrapping founders |
| Married/Family KITAS | 1–2 yrs | Spouse is Indonesian citizen | Remote romantics |
Analyst take:
Indonesia’s oft-touted digital-nomad visa remains in legislative limbo, but the standard B211A already does the job for six months. If you need longer without triggering residency, hop to Kuala Lumpur for 24 hours and reboot the clock—though immigration in Denpasar now flags serial runners after the third cycle.
2. Taxation & Cost of Living Analysis
A. When Do You Become a Tax Resident?
Thailand:
• 180+ days in a calendar year = resident.
• Worldwide income taxed but only if remitted in the same year it’s earned (the quirky “remittance basis”).
• Foreign pension/crypto held offshore can be postponed indefinitely—handy.
Indonesia:
• 183+ days, or intent via domicile.
• Worldwide income taxed the moment you hit residency—remittance timing is irrelevant.
• The Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) monitors Indonesian bank inflows over Rp 500 mio (≈ US $33k); red flag for undeclared earnings.
BorderPilot insight: By chaining two 90-day stays in each country, some nomads legally avoid residency in both—our “6+6 split” scenario. Always verify with a licensed tax pro, this isn’t advice.
B. Rate Tables
Thailand 2024 progressive PIT:
• 0 % ≤ THB 150k (≈ US $4.3k)
• 5 % up to THB 300k
• 10 % up to THB 500k
• … scales to 35 % above THB 5 m (≈ US $143k)
Indonesia 2024 progressive PIT:
• 0 % ≤ IDR 60 m (≈ US $3.9k)
• 5 % up to IDR 250 m
• 15 % up to IDR 500 m
• … also 35 % above IDR 5 bn (≈ US $327k)
Both allow foreign-tax credits, so U.S. citizens using the FEIE can still blunt the bill.
C. Cost of Living Basket (Monthly, Single Nomad)
| Category | Bangkok | Chiang Mai | Canggu | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed furnished | $680 | $430 | $560 | $520 |
| Co-working desk | $125 | $95 | $115 | $140 |
| SIM + 20 GB data | $9 | $9 | $7 | $8 |
| Street-food lunches (20×) | $60 | $45 | $55 | $70 |
| Craft coffee (8×) | $18 | $16 | $14 | $20 |
| Scooter rental + fuel | $95 | $80 | $85 | $90 |
| Friday night beers | $45 | $30 | $32 | $50 |
| Health insurance expat tier | $120 | $120 | $120 | $120 |
Total “comfortable” band:
• Thailand big city: $1,150–1,400
• Thai mid-size (Chiang Mai): $900–1,100
• Bali beach towns: $1,050–1,300
• Jakarta CBD: $1,250–1,500
Exchange rates Jan 2024: 1 USD = 35 THB, 15,500 IDR.
D. The Hidden Costs Often Ignored
Thailand:
• Mandatory 7 % VAT on most co-work passes.
• Immigration office runs outside Bangkok mean hiring a driver (~$120 round trip).
• “Key money” for prime condos = 1–2 months up-front.
Indonesia:
• Annual scooter license (SIM C) for legal riding cans at US $60 + a half-day queue.
• Bali’s tourist tax (US $10) kicks in Feb 2024—small but recurrent on visa runs.
• Bank transfer fees—Wise/BCA often fail; bring a multi-currency card.
3. Lifestyle & Culture Factors
A. Work Infrastructure
Thailand wins on speed: 1 Gbps fiber is standard in Bangkok condos. Indonesia counters with more inspiring settings—your Zoom background will be a rice paddy, not an air-con vent.
Power outages:
• Bangkok CBD: 0.3 per month (World Bank data).
• Canggu: 2.1 per month—grab a UPS if you’re on deadline.
B. Community & Networking
• Chiang Mai: oldest digital-nomad hub; meetups thrice a week, mastermind culture.
• Bali: wellness meets Web3; expect ecstatic dance at 7 a.m. and Solidity talk at 10 a.m.
• Bangkok: more corporate, but Thailand-Startup-Week yields solid investor intros.
• Jakarta: underrated tech scene; Gojek alumni coffee shops bursting with product managers.
C. Culture Shock Index
Thailand:
• High English proficiency in tourist nodes.
• Clear gender expression acceptance.
• Buddhist calm = fewer public disputes.
Indonesia:
• Majority Muslim; alcohol and attire norms vary by island (Bali is an outlier).
• Ramadan brings shorter office hours but lively night markets.
• Bahasa Indonesia grammar is a gift to polyglots: no verb tenses!
D. Safety & Health
• Thailand’s road fatality rate: 21 per 100k population (WHO).
• Indonesia: 15 per 100k, but Bali’s minor scooter mishaps are endemic.
• Hospitals: Bumrungrad (Bangkok) world-class; in Bali you’ll medevac to Singapore for anything complex.
4. Best Option by Expat Profile
| Persona | Go Thailand If… | Go Indonesia If… |
|---|---|---|
| Early-career freelancer making < US $60k | Need 30-day visa runs; Chiang Mai is cheap | B211A lets you settle 6 mo with less paperwork |
| Salaried employee > US $80k | LTR unlocks decade-long certainty + work permit for spouse | Regulations unclear—wait for digital-nomad visa rollout |
| Crypto trader | Remittance rule lets you legally “hodl offshore” | DGT taxes crypto at 0.1 % on transactions; on/off-ramping tricky |
| Wellness coach / yoga guru | Bali brand equity; retreats sell themselves | Thai islands good but you’ll compete with resort chains |
| Family with school-age kids | Bangkok & Phuket have IB schools galore | Bali has Green School, but limited seat supply |
| Bootstrapping startup | BOI incentives + investor visas for founders | Investor KITAS simpler, and talent costs 20 % lower |
“I moved our SaaS back-end team to Chiang Mai for 9 months to ship v2.0. The 4-hour flight from Singapore made investor meetings painless, and we saved US $7k/month on burn.”
— A client debrief I did in 2023
5. Practical Decision Matrix
-
Define tax exposure
• Run a 12-month calendar. If you’ll crack 183 days anywhere, pencil in residency.
• Consider the “6+6” dual-country strategy. -
Rank visa friction vs. budget
• Thailand Elite is easiest but priciest.
• Indonesia B211A is cheapest but caps at 180 days. -
Model operating costs
• Download our BorderPilot cost simulator—toggle “Bangkok” vs. “Bali” to see burn rate deltas. -
Stress-test lifestyle bets
• Surf addict? Bali.
• Need first-world hospitals? Bangkok. -
Sequence moves
• Many nomads trial Bali first (lower bar), then “graduate” to Thailand’s long visas.
For a broader relocation playbook, bookmark our Ultimate international moving checklist 2024.
6. Common Pitfalls (and How Clients Avoid Them)
Thailand
├─ Overstay fines: ฿500/day, max ฿20k
├─ Landlords forget TM30 reporting → Visa renewal denied
└─ Crypto-to-fiat remitted in same tax year = taxable
Indonesia
├─ “Consultant” sponsors issue fake letters; airport denial risk
├─ SIM card registration mismatched to passport → data plan cut off
└─ Multiple 60-day extensions mean weekly embassy trips; hire a runner
7. The Opportunity Cost of Waiting
A surprising 62 % of BorderPilot users who hesitated six months ended up paying more after flight prices and apartment rents rebounded in late-2023. If either country is on your radar, locking in a visa slot now can save four-figure sums—especially for Thailand’s LTR where a quota exists.
For a deeper dive into Southern European options, see how we unpacked golden visas in our Portugal vs Spain comparison. Spoiler: Southeast Asia isn’t the only “sun+tax perk” game in town.
Closing Thoughts
Choosing between Thailand and Indonesia isn’t Coke vs. Pepsi; it’s more like espresso vs. flat white—similar caffeine, different flavour profiles. Evaluate your tax residency thresholds, cashflow, and lifestyle non-negotiables, then pull the trigger.
Ready to cut through the complexity? Create a free BorderPilot relocation plan today and see which country (or combo) optimises your next twelve months in minutes—not weeks.