Item — HN Reader

They'll terrorize someone who does the chores typical of a houseguest (doing one's own bedding, taking part in the chore rotation), but they never seem to give this treatment to tech bro "digital nomads" who enter on tourist visas in impoverished countries like Thailand or Vietnam and do remote work in the exact same fields that could enrich the populace.

Nobody was going to do that housework except the household, wheras someone coding from a cafe in Bangkok is arguably absolutely stealing local jobs.

3 comments

They also don't really go after the people who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

The "digital nomad" is typically employed, pays taxes etc in their home country. Locals don't have access to those jobs. They are accepted because they are economically just like tourists: they come and enjoy the ambience and spend their money, which comes from abroad.

How is me using my companies generous WFH rules and working from, say, Bangkok for a month a problem for Bangkok? How am I stealing a local job? What are you talking about?

I am living there for a month, paying taxes for lodging, food, transport...

If they'd crack down on digital nomads like me I simply will not come and they won't get any money from me. I don't need to be in Bangkok, if they decide to be hostile instead of friendly.

> How is me using my companies generous WFH rules and working from, say, Bangkok for a month a problem for Bangkok?

You price out locals from the housing market. The fact that you're not aware of this and you think that Thais should be eternally grateful for the generous gift of seeing your face proves how ignorant you are, Mr White Savior.

>You price out locals from the housing market.

Thanks, I think people forget about the market distorting effects of people with a high wage taking an extended holiday, often staying in AirBnBs rather than licensed hotels/hostels and thus further distorting the rental market.