Welcome to the Digital Nomad Newsletter

In this edition: a comparison of Da Nang and Nha Trang as nomad bases, a first-hand look at cutting costs by relocating to Chiang Mai, details on Slovenia’s upcoming one-year permit, and Kyrgyzstan’s new digital nomad visa. You’ll also find reflections on the hype around government visas, a podcast on the broader impact of nomadism on tourism, and some thoughts on handling decision fatigue while on the move.
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Thanks to Chris from Remotebase for some feedback on the length of the newsletter. Hopefully, it's a snappier read for everyone now. Feedback welcome!

The Better Digital Nomad Base: Da Nang or Nha Trang?

🔗 Nomadic Notes​

James Clark’s article in Nomadic Notes provides a straightforward comparison of Da Nang and Nha Trang, two Vietnamese coastal cities popular with digital nomads. This piece offers insights into the lived experience of each city, from typical tourist spots to daily routines, work environments, and residency. James looks at infrastructure, city planning, transport, and livability from a long-term traveler’s perspective.

Digital nomads will probably find Da Nang to be more suitable. It has better infrastructure, a more modern layout, fast-growing expat and remote work communities, and easy access to regional hubs like Hoi An and Hue. The city balances beach life with urban convenience, making it a viable base for months at a time. Nha Trang, by contrast, is more tourism-focused—with a slower pace and lower costs, but fewer coworking spaces, less community, and a layout that doesn’t support walkability or routine as well. Good for a break, less ideal for deep work.

Where your digital nomad funds go further

🔗 CNBC​

After being laid off from his role at Google in early 2024, Shao Chun Chen left Singapore and relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he now pays $460 USD per month for a fully furnished, 600-square-foot one-bedroom condo. The building includes amenities like a gym, co-working space, swimming pools, and a pilates studio. Compared to the $2,500 he was paying in Singapore for a smaller apartment, the move drastically reduced his living costs.

Chen now works independently, earning income from coaching, YouTube content, and past teaching roles, and lives off a seven-figure investment portfolio. Monthly utilities cost him around $20, and internet runs about $15. The move, he says, allowed him to slow down, reduce stress, and live more affordably without sacrificing comfort.

Slovenia’s One-Year Digital Nomad Permit (from November 21, 2025)

Slovenia will introduce a dedicated 12-month digital nomad residence permit on November 21, 2025, open to non‑EU/EEA nationals working remotely for foreign employers, clients, or through self-employment. This permit cannot be renewed, but applicants may reapply after a six-month hiatus.

Key requirements include proof of sufficient income via contracts, pay slips, or bank statements, and strict prohibition on local employment or business activity. Dependents (spouses and children) may accompany the primary visa holder but are also barred from working in Slovenia. Applications can be submitted at Slovenian diplomatic posts abroad or at local administrative units within Slovenia—with a temporary residence certificate issued to in-country applicants during processing.
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​Income Requirement: Proof of sufficient income is required—via contracts, pay slips, or bank statements. Exact threshold TBD Work must be exclusively for non-Slovenian entities.

I’m not including any links because there’s no official place to apply yet.

Kyrgyzstan digital nomad visa

The beautiful country of Kyrgyzstan now offers a digital nomad visa. But as with most of these arrangements, details are sketchy and the nomad blogs are pumping out the hype. I consider the official e-visa website of the Kyrgyzstan government to be the only true source of information. Citizens of many countries can get a 60-day visa without hassle. That might be enough if it’s your first time visiting. But if you want to stay longer, there’s a 6-month option.

Go to Services, click Apply for Visa. Fill in your passport details, and the Digital Nomad Visa (DN) option should appear in the the next field.

According to the website, "The Digital nomad (type “DN”) is issued by the DCS to a foreign citizen or a stateless person engaged in activities in the field of information and communication technologies and engaged in the development of software products, at the request of the authorized state body for the implementation of state policy in the field of digitalization and electronic management or the owner of the status “Digital Nomad” for up to 6 months."

🔗 Official e-visa website​

Digital nomad visas look good in press releases, but…

A digital visa won’t protect you from a city that’s already tired of seeing your face.

🔗 Reason.com

The problem isn’t that digital nomad visas are unpopular, it’s that they’re designed for an imaginary person. This imaginary worker has a six-figure income, a tax lawyer on command, and no desire to move around once they’ve landed.

Governments often pitch digital nomads as the opposite of mass tourism, the kind who stay longer, spend more locally, and skip the staged photo shoots. Yet the same tourist crackdowns, from Airbnb bans to daily fees and tighter entry rules, end up ensnaring them too.

Host countries are learning that you can’t sell both exclusivity and openness at the same time.

The Real Impact of Digital Nomads on tourism

🔗 Podcast​

Digital nomadism is influencing travel behavior and local economies worldwide. In this podcast (from a show I’ve never heard of before this) Milos Pelucha offers his insights into the movement’s evolution and impact.

Some points:

1. Many “digital nomad visas” are PR exercises (I’ve been saying this for a long time. And very little has changed). They are not real pathways to living and working in another country. Thailand’s DTV visa, however, gets praise. And deservedly so. So far (after one year of the program) it appears to be working very well.
2. Young, mobile professionals in countries like Vietnam and China are doing internal migration rather than international relocation. This changes their own country’s demographics.
3. Most tourism authorities are unprepared or uninterested in digital nomads. Some don’t even understand their own digital nomad visa policies. This is a missed opportunity. According to Milos, nomads spend 26 times more than tourists. I’m not sure where he got that information from and I find it difficult to believe. I’ve seen plenty of digital nomads who are truly penny-pinching scroungers. Location must be a factor. There are probably plenty of bean- and ramen-eating optimizers in Vietnam, but I can’t imagine there are many poor digital nomads in the UAE.
4. There’s a global perception ‘split’: In Europe, nomads are often blamed for gentrification. In parts of Asia, they’re welcomed as an economic (and sometimes demographic) solution. Context matters.

Digital nomad decision fatigue

The concept of decision fatigue is something I’ve been thinking about a lot. Because I’ve probably “wasted” a lot of time trying to decide when there are so many options, all of which seem either exciting or prudent.

Maybe you have this problem too.

The core of the nomadic lifestyle is movement, which involves a series of decisions: choosing the next destination, finding transportation, understanding visa requirements and lengths of stay, and booking accommodation.

Then there’s the weird habit of trying to find the best restaurant, bar, gym, supermarket, and even accommodation so as to maximise the limited time you have in a new place. I’d like to think that I try make travel more about serendipity. My style of travel is to wander around looking for interesting things. But I still occasionally fall into the trap of trying to find the best “thing” at every moment, especially in countries where there are endless opportunities to experience new things.

Here are a few ideas to try to overcome this problem:

Develop habits, boring habits. Stick to routines, no matter what. Humans and animals seem to thrive on routines. They keep us sane and give us a sense of stability and predictability. Routines, by definition, are monotonous, but they create a system for productivity, mental health, and well-being. Habits give us permission to focus our energy on goals instead of constantly deciding what to do next.

There’s nothing wrong with going to the same coffee shop every day for a month if it gives you stability and saves time. It’s a trade-off. With the time and mental energy saved, you will be better able to do new things or expand your network after work is finished.

Getting Lost & Getting Work Done

Saw a post on the Digital Nomad Reddit about someone traveling Vietnam with just a map and compass. I must have travelled like this for 15–20 years before phones and Google Maps were any use.

It made travel more social and unpredictable. You met more people and it felt more exciting.

But I didn't run a business from a laptop then.

But as a digital nomad, with a business, a job, and deadlines, WiFi and routine might be priority over getting lost in some backwater. There isn’t always room for that kind of detour. It really depends on your business or projects.

I think it's probably healthy for digital nomads to do exploratory travel without being connected for a while. Leave the devices behind and go talk to some people. Get lost and just go with the flow. Then work hard when you reconnect.

If you found this newsletter useful or entertaining, you might want to take a look at these tools I recommend. They help the words flow.

Or just hit reply. I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts, whether it’s about the newsletter or travel in general.

• ​Nomad Flag digital nomad consulting service - relocation advice, visa guidance, business setup, destination research, and practical support for living and working abroad.
• ​Remotebase - a twice-monthly newsletter sharing vetted accommodation deals for digital nomads, often at significantly lower prices than standard platforms.
• ​Ratepunk - A Chrome extension that finds you the best prices on hotels, Airbnbs, and more
• ​Dollar Flight Club - Get the world’s best email on flights.
• ​Lingopie - Learn a language through real-world TV shows and movies. It’s one of my favourite platforms for picking up new languages while getting a genuine sense of the culture.
• ​Daily Drop - Track award flights and hotel redemptions across dozens of programs in one go. It’s a serious tool for travellers who want to use points without spending half their life on spreadsheets.
• ​Trusted House Sitters - a platform for slow-traveling digital nomads who want to cut accommodation costs while staying in lived-in, local homes.