Bangkok vs. Dubai for Remote Work
It’s been about 2 months in Dubai and almost 2 months in Thailand all within one year. I’ve decided to put down a little comparison of these two large cities with a focus on Remote Workers. With your remote cooperation, it doesn’t matter where you are. However, you want to be treated well. That’s why I try to visit most Digital Nomad & Expat hyped places to find out what works for me. Let’s zoom in on Bangkok, Thailand vs. Dubai, UAE today.
The first time, when I arrived in Dubai, I was fascinated in a good way. It was back in March 2021. It was hot and in the vibe of the pandemic, it was nice to be in a city without a curfew. I enjoyed late-night walks in the empty calm and secure city. I remember the joy I had from the 4 AM ice cream shopping. Just because I could.
I was excited about this 3+ million city with many expats. I felt welcomed and local. I couldn’t get enough of the entertainment the city offers. But, as I compare it below, it gets tiring. You get overstimulated by the marketing buzzword, perfection, everything artificial and fake. Small talks and cash. You do not want to travel another 2 hours to get to their local attractions. It’s 38 C outside and you’re happy to carry your water and find a shadow in the nearest shopping center. It gets boring over time. I missed nature.
I entered Bangkok pretty unexpectedly. It was my first time in Asia. I came there alone. For long, Thailand was more or less closed due to the pandemic. I entered in March 2022 with a ThaiPass — special approval to enter the country with a testing kit for about $115. Since then, many requirements have already been lifted. I am unable to keep my attention on the current requirements for the Thailand arrival. I had to stay for one night in a “quarantine hotel” until I got my PCR test result. Nothing to worry about. It was great to be in quarantine and to somehow accept that I am in Asia. I had a great sleep and moved to my first accommodation.
I entered Bangkok from Dubai. That’s why this article makes sense even more. Bangkok makes you quickly aware of its huge humidity. It’s amazing to enjoy the 30+ C temperatures in March. There was not much temperature difference between Dubai and Bangkok. Instead, it felt super humid. Here, you cannot have much clothing on yourself. In the first days, I went to a local market and bought two hand-made dresses for about 8 dollars.
I didn’t really have high expectations about Thailand. My first impression was this: “It feels like if Tbilisi & Dubai had a kid born in Asia.”. Even after almost two months, my opinion hasn’t changed. At first, you notice it is much greener. And, people aren’t that fake. Or if they are, they play it really well.
Yes, you may argue that even in Dubai you are respected, but there it feels fake. The hospitability feels much more real in Thailand. In Dubai, I rather have the “serving” impression. In Thailand, it feels more “I want you to feel great.”
“You get what you pay for.” works in both countries. The ratio of what you get for the same price is not much comparable. I have a monthly rental of a nice 30m2 studio in the central area, new building, pool & gym included. Green residency with balcony. Fully furnished with A/C. All this for $570 / month, including electricity and other utilities, 24/7 security, and all these things. This price is only for such a short-term stay. If you were staying for a year (which is pretty difficult considering local visa options), you could easily negotiate the price of 300–400$ / month or even lower if needed.
“Bangkok — It feels like if Tbilisi & Dubai had a kid born in Asia.”
In Dubai, it is easier to negotiate. The accommodation is a pretty painful part of your expenses there. I like the Deira location, which is cheaper. There are many Indians who have their own cheap services and restaurants around. So, if you want to make your stay cheaper, go there.
Lowering the accommodation costs in Dubai
When I was looking for accommodation first time there, I knew I will be staying for a whole month. It required some extra work and emails, but I contacted directly some hotels and asked for a discount due to a limited budget. I got to the price of about $1000 for the one-month stay, which is a great job, compared to the $2500+ prices on Airbnb.
Recommended steps:
- Find the area you want to stay in (see hoodmaps.com)
- List 10–20 places you’d consider staying. Check their pricing.
- Prepare an email and send it to the hotels. Say you’d love to stay there, but you have a limited budget of $$, if they would be able to offer you a stay within your budget. Name the budget.
- Wait.
- Follow-up.
- Choose where you stay.
Of course, if you are staying for three days, there is not a high probability this will work. If you have a nice social media reach, you may try to negotiate it for some little promotion. From what I understood, this is a pretty common part of the marketing strategy. I do not guarantee anything, but it may be a great option to save some coins.
Overall, it’s always possible to lower your costs, no matter where you are. However, I do not believe it should go against a certain level of your comfort zone. I am already too old to go for a room sharing for a month. Of course, this is just a question of personal preference. Lately, I am more aware of my personal security, because I consider it important. I do not take unnecessary risks. I think checking all the perspectives and options might be a good way to go.
✈️ Comparison: Performing Remote Work in Bangkok, Thailand vs. Dubai, UAE ✈️
💰 Cost: Thailand is about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of Prague. Dubai is about double Prague prices for the accommodation, the rest depends (taxi is cheaper, food varies).
If you live in Bangkok with $1000, you have a king’s life. You couldn’t survive in Dubai for this amount unless you shared a room in some remote area.
Overall, the price ratio in Thailand is amazing. You get a very good value for low prices.
🌳 Thailand is greener. Dubai is very artificial. That’s not very surprising, but it’s uplifting to be surrounded by natural parks.
👩🏻💻 Internet & Remote work: Both countries have some level of internet censorship. I find it worse in Dubai, where I couldn’t get to my VPN because the subnets are blocked 🤡. The internet is working pretty much fine in both countries. It’s cheaper in Thailand to get your eSIM with fast internet that you can share as a hotspot in any case. I am using dtac, but ais is better from what I’ve heard.
💅🏻 Leisure time: Much cheaper in Thailand. Thailand is much better / more interesting / has much more to offer. Surprisingly, the gym costs are pretty high. However, there are many one-week pass options for travelers. Dubai gets boring after the first month.
🚓 Both are safe and more or less clean. I find Dubai cleaner. But Bangkok is fine too. Since Thailand got well integrated with the tourists and expats, there are many luxury condos and residencies with 24/7 security and cleaning services. You will less likely live somewhere else, as the prices are funnily low.
🚘 Connection in both cities is amazing. The public transport is great. Taxi in both countries are cheap and comfortable, Thailand is cheaper, but Dubai is not that expensive.
🚰 In both places it’s recommended to buy bottled water, which I find frustrating. However, it’s only because I got used to the tap water in CZ / GE.
🤵🏼 Hospitality in Dubai is great. But in Thailand, it is honest & good too. I wouldn’t say that in Dubai, you necessarily get better care. In Thailand, it seems more like a dedication to serving others well.
🗣️ Both countries are fine with English. Dubai is more comfortable in this case — everyone speaks mostly well. In Thailand, it can be sometimes pretty painful. However, it’s not much harm to open the translator, when you see that the people really trying to help you and understand.
Overall personal description:
🏜️ Dubai, UAE — great for a month, business networking, it is closer to Europe (if needed), it’d a great winter shelter with amazing weather, good hospitality. Life there is organized, safe, and simple. I love it for its clean beaches, great service, and warm weather. I can imagine the cooperation with Dubai companies.
🏙️ Bangkok, Thailand — amazing price vs. value ratio. It’s green, honest, hospitable. It makes me feel free & alive. It’s very western, with a lot of high-quality services. If you’re ever there, I recommend taking the scooter taxi rides for the right vibing. 😎
My personal winner is Bangkok, Thailand. But I will be happy to return to Dubai again. 🎉 It’s not that I couldn’t afford to spend more, but I love to make use of the lower costs for better quality worldwide. My friend calls this a “global opportunist”.
Please note, that this comparison is based solely on my personal experience and you may have different. If so, it’s great. Please, share it in the comments, I will be glad to get a new perspective.
