Is anybody else worried about the inevitable post-COVID "digital nomad" explosion in Taiwan?

With the rise in “work from home” across the world coupled with Taiwan’s relatively strong post-COVID economy compared to the financial chaos in Europe and America, I think it’s inevitable that Taiwan will soon experience an influx of “digital nomads” staying for a few months before going to the next destination. Am I the only person who’s concerned about this?

Perhaps my image of digital nomads has been tainted by “begpackers” and stereotypical short-term English teachers who go to Asia just to party and give all “foreigners” a bad name, but I’m worried that the influx of digital nomads will bring with it a sharp rise in “foreign dickheads”. As a foreigner who genuinely loves Taiwan and wants to make it my home, I’m terrified. Should I be?

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Haha I don’t think this is going to be in the top 1000 problems we have living in Taiwan. There’s hardly any foreigners in Taiwan except for blue collar and foreign spouses. I think we need more!

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Is that envy?

If anything, this COVID bullshit is a pain in the ass for the nomads. The post-bullshit era can’t come soon enough for me.

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And what type of digital nomad dick heads do you expect to park up to a country that has no decent beaches and requires years of studying chinese to get by?

I don’t see Taiwan get an increase in digital nomads anytime ever.

Now english teachers might be a different case, with anyone in their right mind avoiding china from now onwards, taiwan should be the obvious alternative. I would say english teachers are more inclined to be dick heads too. At least the digital nomads have to actually be moderately successful at something to be able to live overseas from their work.

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Yes, I expect more than the usual “look what I found in Taiwan” after this is all over.

I don’t know how many more times I can listen to another person that found “stinky tofu” at a night market and needs to share this unique odd once in a lifetime find.

Or top 10 foods to eat at a Taiwan night market.

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What are you even talking about? The amount of westerners in Taiwan is almost embarrassingly low. Taiwan needs more immigrants。

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Agree with BHL. Unless you have ties, Taiwan just isn’t that high on westerners radar.

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Everybody knows Taiwan! It’s full of crazy bars with ping-pong shows, girls, ladyboys, and some beaches!

You get a hangover, sleep with a monkey, go home.

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No.

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Maybe not so much prior to 2020, but I think that will change as soon as regular flights resume. The “Taiwan Can Help” worldwide publicity has certainly got a lot more people talking about Taiwan.

No. I can’t say I’ve ever worried about this.

If this terrifies you, I think you may be worrying too much.

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@FatKaz i thought this was exactly your plan. You had a thread about getting a London job but it was remote and you could work from Asia?

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You’re comparing apples to Yubari King. On one hand you got drifters with no ambition and barely any skills; on the other, web developers and software engineers who got 4 to 6 years of technical education, work at US companies that will not tolerate any slacking off, or people who went through the trouble of building a professional network of companies who trust their expertise to work freelance. Any digital nomad I met in Taiwan comes off as a much more serious adult, more respectful of the locals, than your average English teacher. All of those I know are taking classes in Mandarin. Having more digital nomads would probably be a better thing for Taiwan.

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I guess it depends on what you mean by digital nomad. Also, it won’t even be possible until they start allowing tourists again, because there isn’t really a digital nomad visa option, unless they qualify for a Gold card through your nomad activities - and if they do, then why be worried about them?

Exactly. Digital nomads are definitely not begpackers. Then are generally financially independent, or at least have money saved up for travel, and are working at side gigs, etc…

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Might be a bit like driving a car: Everyone going slower than oneself must be a jerk who can’t drive and everyone going faster is a ruthless daredevil - just because it’s someone else doing it, doesn’t mean it will be bad :wink:

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Digital nomads are like everyone else: some have more money than others.

Assuming flights are more expensive and governments are a bit stricter about who enters their borders post-pandemic, digital nomadding will probably look different and might not be possible for a subset of nomads.

It’s highly unlikely a potential war zone will attract a bunch of trust fund babies.

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They will not come to Thaiwand [sic]. Their first choice will be Thailand.

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I actually have the same concern. Except that to me 1) it’s an extremely trivial concern and 2) I have no right to complain since this is essentially what I plan on doing.

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