Best cities for remote work in Southeast Asia 2026?

How long are you planning to stay in each place, or are you thinking of doing a longer stretch in one city? I'd say Chiang Mai is still the go-to for remote workers - solid WiFi, tons of coworking spaces, and your money goes crazy far. Vietnam's great too, though from what friends have told me recently Hanoi's internet can be a bit sketchy in some areas while Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang are more reliable. Cambodia's cheaper but the infrastructure's a step down unless you're in Phnom Penh, and honestly unless you've got work that's super flexible on connectivity I'd lean toward Thailand or Vietnam for a 3-4 month stretch where you actually need to be productive.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have gotten way better for remote work infrastructure-wise, though internet can be spotty in older neighborhoods so pick your accommodation carefully. One thing I'd suggest that most people overlook: rent a local SIM with a mobile hotspot as backup before relying solely on WiFi - costs like three bucks a month and saved me multiple times when cafe or coworking connections dropped. What's your actual internet needs like, are you doing video calls constantly or mostly async work? That'll matter a lot for whether somewhere like Siem Reap works for you versus needing a bigger city with more redundancy.

Get a local SIM card as soon as you land - it's way cheaper than relying on your home provider and gives you a backup if your main WiFi dies. I spent two months in Da Nang last year working from a small apartment and honestly the internet was reliable enough, but I'd pick a place within walking distance of a cafe with backup power because brownouts happen. Chiang Mai's probably your safest bet if you want the most established remote worker community and consistent infrastructure, but if you want something less touristy and cheaper, Siem Reap's actually stepped up its game - just scout your accommodation's WiFi situation before committing since quality varies wildly block to block.

Skip the really trendy spots like Bali or Phuket if stable internet is your main priority - tourism infrastructure doesn't always equal reliable connectivity for actual work. Something nobody seems to mention: scope out your accommodation's WiFi quality *before* booking by asking the landlord for a speed test result or joining local Facebook groups where remote workers post real reviews of specific buildings. Vietnam's definitely solid, but I'd also throw Penang, Malaysia into your consideration since the coworking scene there rivals places like Chiang Mai without feeling as saturated with digital nomads, plus the food is incredible if that matters to you 😄

The internet reliability story nobody mentions is that you need to test your connection during peak evening hours before committing to any place, since that's when most digital nomads are online and speeds tank. I edited a full 4K project timeline from Hoi An back in 2023 and had zero issues because I specifically chose accommodation with fiber, but then watched colleagues get stuck in "cheap and cheerful" places where upload times killed their deadlines. Vietnam's your solid bet for what you want - both Hanoi and HCMC have matured way past where they were even 3-4 years ago, though honestly Da Nang and Hoi An punch above their weight for actually keeping things running smoothly while being half the cost. Consider spending your first week testing coworking spaces and different neighborhoods rather than locking into month-long stays immediately, since what looks good on a listing might have power issues or shared bandwidth problems that'll tank your work.

Vietnam and Cambodia are solid picks, and if you end up in either one definitely scout out your accommodation's WiFi before committing - ask the landlord or previous tenants about actual speeds during peak hours, not just what they claim. One thing that saved me tons of headache when I was working through some longer gigs abroad: download offline maps and find a backup coworking space within walking distance of your place, because even in decent neighborhoods the internet can tank randomly and you don't want to be scrambling during client calls.