Post: #1

I'm curious if there's such a thing as a 'top' city for networking and finding real 'digital nomads' (as cliche and lame as that sounds) in Southeast Asia.

I know Chiang Mai gets a lot of attention, etc but when you dig deeper into it and research the city, most of the expat scene there is apparently comprised of smelly dreadlock hippy scum who are barely making ends meet, let alone running successful online businesses.

What city would you all think is best for networking with and finding guys who are running serious online businesses and killing it in the passive income game?

Post: #2

Saigon and Đà Nẵng, plus Nha Trang, all in Vietnam are budding Hotspots for digital nomads. I'm working on making my way there next year. Already another forum member in Đà Nẵng doing that if you want to do a meet up.

Post: #3

I have met quite a few guys in Manila who have serious businesses with employees, office space etc. I guess the Philippines attracts people with online businesses looking to hire cheap English speaking staff and isn't really on people's radars as a place to come and live cheaply and start an online business for some reason. I came here with nothing to try and start working online but haven't run into anyone in a similar situation, but have met quite a few very established guys who inspired me. I haven't really mixed with expats in other Asian cities though so cannot compare.

Post: #4

Manilla is certainly a place to find expats who are into the nomad lifestyle. Look around the Makati area, as that's where all the businessmen expats hang out.

Post: #5

I recall Cleanslate telling me that there is a decent scene (including some forum members) in Bangkok. However, he's moved onto Vietnam as the visa situation is getting less ideal for Thailand, whereas it's pretty easy to exist for a long period of time doing visa runs in Vietnam.

Post: #6

(08-20-2017 03:43 AM)Suits Wrote:  I recall Cleanslate telling me that there is a decent scene (including some forum members) in Bangkok. However, he's moved onto Vietnam as the visa situation is getting less ideal for Thailand, whereas it's pretty easy to exist for a long period of time doing visa runs in Vietnam.

Is it getting harder to get a visa on arrival in Thailand? The last time I was there they told me I need a real visa next time (u.s.a passport have been to thailand only 5 times lifetime), but i am an obvious tourist if they look at my history.

Post: #7

(08-20-2017 04:29 AM)Freebird Flying Wrote:  Is it getting harder to get a visa on arrival in Thailand?

Yes.

Post: #8

Best ones I've been to are Saigon, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Bali (around Canggu).

Jaded disclaimer: most online business owners I know who have actually made something of themselves don't actively go looking to "network with digital nomads", which translates as "n00bs with nothing going on who want to vampirize me".

There's also the breed of gonads who go to coworking spaces to "be around likeminded people", which really means "do fuck all, disturb people who are actually busy working for a living, and talk about Bitcoins and Tim Ferriss."

I'm jaded what I can say. I got tired of self styled digital nomads after about a week in Chiang Mai. Too many geeks with bad attitudes. I preferred staying in Phuket and dealing with fighters and just doing my work at home or in a cafe where nobody knew me or cared to know me.

But cynicism aside, there are some legitimate networking opportunities in the city I mentioned with some very smart people. If you care to meet them, befriend them, learn from them, and potentially strike some kind of business partnership with them, I'd recommend avoiding any and all references to "digital nomad".

Post: #9

Don't be too surprised to see these visa policies you see in Thailand eventually replicated throughout southeast asia. The word is out now about the permanent work holiday types and a lot of locals around SEA are more or less getting tired of foreigners. South Koreans have way more cultural cachet these days for many reasons.

Middle class urbanite SE asians are a growing demographic and they aren't stupid. They also tend to talk a lot and some are surprisingly well traveled,

Being a foreigner hasn't been a novelty for some time now unless you're exceptional somehow whether in hansum man status, fame, or fortune (or temp playboy fortune like rawmeo.)

For normal swinging dicks operating actual businesses looking at the long term then you must at least become acquainted with good local social circles which don't consist of cynical and bitter shaved head white dudes wearing soccer jerseys.

Post: #10

(08-20-2017 02:55 AM)asiaslayer Wrote:  I'm curious if there's such a thing as a 'top' city for networking and finding real 'digital nomads' (as cliche and lame as that sounds) in Southeast Asia.

What city would you all think is best for networking with and finding guys who are running serious online businesses and killing it in the passive income game?

It would be best if you could go into a little detail about what you have already achieved and what you expect to gain by "networking."

If I'm reading it correctly, the above original post actually says the following:

Quote:Hi guys. Earning a big location independent income from the Internet sounds cool. I have no idea how to get started and am aware of no skills I have that can be traded in exchange for money. If you could point me in the direction of a city where guys who have achieved everything that I want to achieve would be willing to hold my hand and walk me through the process because I don't have the slightest idea how to get started, that would be great.

Please note, that I don't intend to be insulting by posting this, but rather make it very clear the type of impression that your post makes. If you have already made some progress (which I define as having earned your first dollar online), then please share with us a little info on how you earned that money and what type of connections will serve a purpose in helping you expand the minor successes you've already had.

If you think moving to a city with a good entrepreneurial scene is going to be the secret ingredient that inspires you do what you can't currently achieve where you are right now, you'll be painfully disappointed.

You'll likely end up like one of the dudes VincentVinturi describes here.

(08-20-2017 08:35 AM)VincentVinturi Wrote:  There's also the breed of gonads who go to coworking spaces to "be around likeminded people", which really means "do fuck all, disturb people who are actually busy working for a living, and talk about Bitcoins and Tim Ferriss."

Success in business of any kind comes from having a good idea, a good plan and the ability to chip away at the work on a regular, daily basis.

No success has ever come from simply wanting to be a successful business person.

Post: #11

Bangkok or Saigon or the best options.

The Saigon online biz community is very solid and mainly consists of DC members. Quite welcoming.

Bangkok scene is a lot more splintered and harder to break in to. There is a massive affiliate marketing/media buying and crypto scene here with some seriously successful guys. Not very noob friendly though.

Most quality guys aren't 'digital nomads' though and they are mostly looked down upon as glorified backpackers.

Post: #12

^ What are DC members?

Post: #13

(08-20-2017 09:43 PM)the-dream Wrote:  ^ What are DC members?

DC = Dynamite Circle tropical mba members. It's an excellent location independent business community.

If you guys do go international make sure you hire a very very good tax attorney because if you do it right you will save an insane amount of money on both income tax and business/corp tax. I'm restructuring everything now and I'll save over $200k/yr on my $3m online business.

Post: #14

(08-20-2017 09:58 PM)delineator Wrote:  

(08-20-2017 09:43 PM)the-dream Wrote:  ^ What are DC members?

DC = Dynamite Circle tropical mba members. It's an excellent location independent business community.

If you guys do go international make sure you hire a very very good tax attorney because if you do it right you will save an insane amount of money on both income tax and business/corp tax. I'm restructuring everything now and I'll save over $200k/yr on my $3m online business.

You're making $3m online? If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing?

Post: #15

Like the others said, it depends on what kind of networking you want to do and with whom.

I don't care for the connotation associated with the term "digital nomad" and I don't call myself one. It's fine to call yourself an expat and network with other expats, but be careful who you associate with. Some expats are losers. Some expats are trouble makers (drugs, etc). Some expats are SJW idiots.

If you want to meet red pilled legitimate business expats who are actually doing well, the number of them is vanishingly few. I, unfortunately, have not met any non-RVF expats who are red pilled like us and have a legitimate business. Yet.

Post: #16

(08-20-2017 10:39 PM)Fortis Wrote:  

(08-20-2017 09:58 PM)delineator Wrote:  

(08-20-2017 09:43 PM)the-dream Wrote:  ^ What are DC members?

DC = Dynamite Circle tropical mba members. It's an excellent location independent business community.

If you guys do go international make sure you hire a very very good tax attorney because if you do it right you will save an insane amount of money on both income tax and business/corp tax. I'm restructuring everything now and I'll save over $200k/yr on my $3m online business.

You're making $3m online? If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing?

The first rule about bitcoin profits ISSSSS....

YOU DO NOT ASK ABOUT BITCOIN PROFITS!!!! :-D

(note to self, must get round to removing gmail header from my website ;-) ).

Post: #17

Bangkok, Saigon, Bali. Bangkok has lots of high level affiliates, and as others said, it'll be hard to "just meet" without knowing who they are already. You'll probably have to be introduced.

Post: #18

Another word on networking with other expats, or... ahem, "digital nomads", if you will -- you could go to coworking spaces where they congregate to work.

But don't think you'll actually be making lots of contacts at these coworking spaces. These spaces advertise networking opportunities, but I have yet to see any pan out the way they portray on their shiny websites. Most people are busy, just want to work and therefore keep to themselves. A few times I tried introducing myself to someone sitting next to me, they were polite enough but I could sense a bit of impatience because they didn't want to chat, they just want to work. So I ended almost every conversation with "well, uh, it was nice meeting you, I'll let you go back to work and I'll do the same."

I think better places to meet them are through friends, social circle, meetups (like Internations), and conferences.

Post: #19

You could meet in a night life environment, bars clubs , and briefly ask what they do. Build some rapport and get to know people through some circles as well. Most successful ones prob don't even work at co working spaces.

Post: #20

One of the things I always recommend as a networker is highly counterintuitive. I always try to ask as many deep questions as possible about the other person's business challenges. I try to make it about them as much as possible, not what I can get out of a deal. If you provide value up front, people are more likely to consider you a business partner or potential future customer/vendor to hook you up with. Go in with no expectations and be a great listener, then help those people find solutions. Do that enough and your name will have currency in the circles you travel in.

tl;dr...........Don't be greedy!

Post: #21

(08-22-2017 02:12 AM)worldtraveler3 Wrote:  Most successful ones prob don't even work at co working spaces.

The most successful ones probably get tired of people trying to "network" with them for free business advice.

If you intend to "network," it had best be clear in your own mind what value you offer. If you have no idea what you have to offer others, then you can be sure they'll have no clue either.

As I've begun to actually make progress in business, I've had less and less openness to "networking" and "meeting like-minded people."

I do want to meet people who have value to exchange for mine, but I've grown very suspicious of people who just want to "meet up for a coffee," as it usually means that they are trying to sell me something or trying to substitute circular business conversations for real action.

Post: #22

Great points Suits. Kind of reminds me of the meetup.com networking events that aren't even catered to a specific industry aka the events full of unemployed people trying to weasel their way into a job instead of working hard to find one.

Post: #23

Networking types are the ones who want to talk about work and being successful, sell you something or get free advice from you.

The real business people are working and keeping to themselves...

There's talkers, and doers....