The real experiences of Web3 digital nomads in Chiang Mai, Thailand

What does a digital nomad look like in Chiang Mai, Thailand? This article confronts a scholar who dives deep into theory and a practitioner who trades hands, each of whom interprets the most precious free asset of choice on the digital future of BUIDL. This article was written by angelilu, Foresight News. (Synopsis: After experiencing the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, what I saw and heard about the digital nomad in Chiang Mai, Thailand) (Background added: Why are more and more people choosing to leave Web3? How to stabilize the mentality in a market downturn Chiang Mai, an ancient city surrounded by verdant mountains, was once just a paradise for bag pickers and leisure travelers. But under the in-depth investigation of wave after wave of digital nomads, Chiang Mai, which has been dominating the livable place for digital nomads for many years, is slowly attracting digital nomads in the Web3 field, silent changes are happening quietly, more and more frequent Web3 activities occur, USDT deposits can be seen on takeaway software, roadside exchange points may be able to provide cryptocurrency exchanges・・・・・・ this small city in northern Thailand has become one of the gathering places for Web3 practitioners in East Asia. However, since 2025, with the safety concerns of Chinese actors fermented after being tied up in Thailand, the Myanmar-Thailand earthquake, and the reduction of large-scale Web3 activities in Thailand, some people in the industry believe that "Web3 is no longer available in Chiang Mai"! What is the situation? What has Chiang Mai's Web3 ecosystem become? Does Chiang Mai continue to appeal to the Web3 crowd? What's the story here? And can the Chiang Mai experience be replicated elsewhere? With these questions in mind, I had an in-depth conversation with two Web3 practitioners based in Chiang Mai to learn their stories and the story of Chiang Mai. Therefore, this article does not focus on the big names in the Web3 field, does not tell the story of the founders of multi-million dollar projects, and does not trace the technological breakthroughs that changed the landscape of the industry. Instead, we're looking at ordinary practitioners, ordinary people who are reinventing their lives with Web3 ideas. Perhaps their stories are closer to reality, more universal and inspiring. When I met the first interviewer, Jason, on my way to BUIDL Web3, the hot season in Chiang Mai had begun, and the sun was baking the streets hot, but when I walked into the Chiang Mai University Library, I felt the air conditioning rushing to my face. When I met, I found that unlike me, he wore long-sleeved trousers, as if isolated from the outside world for two seasons. "The library is so air-conditioned that I'm used to it," he explains with a smile, "and besides, long clothes can also protect against the sun." The reason for meeting Jason here is simple, this is his base, he stays here every day, and the Chiang Mai University Library is a good office space for local digital nomads, it is open to the public, the price-effectiveness ratio is very high, 20 plants (less than 5 yuan) can stay for a day, 200 plants (about 43 yuan) can do an annual pass, the environment is also very beautiful, outside the window is lush tropical plants, but inside the window is a cool space focused on future technology. A few years ago, he was an engineer in a large domestic factory, but now he chose to pursue a doctorate in blockchain technology in Chiang Mai, and actively participated in several Web3 developer communities, such as PlanckerDAO. He said that he has been busy with papers recently, which are related to AA accounts. Chiang Mai University will have summer vacation right away, but this holiday he chose not to go back, but to continue to finish his thesis, I asked him if he was stressed, and his answer was that there must be pressure, "but sometimes when you study, you completely lose track of time," Jason chuckled, "When I didn't pay attention, it was three or four o'clock in the afternoon, and my stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten lunch yet." It's a pleasure to some extent. "The tuition fee for the all-English doctoral program costs more than 200,000 baht a year, but fortunately, the cost of living here is almost negligible." Most of his daily diet is solved in the school cafeteria, and the most luxurious option is to order a steak with more than 200 plants once in a while. He also recommended me to try DQ ice cream, which costs only 12 plants per ball, which is less than 3 yuan. Many prices are much cheaper than in China. Jason's life trajectory in Chiang Mai is surprisingly simple, with a library and rented apartment making up his daily journey. He joked that he was a "voluntary academic prisoner" but that the "cell" had an excellent view. He loves the university environment, which allows him to explore Web3 in his own way. When it comes to the price performance of the crypto market, Jason shakes his head, his tone is clearly calm, "I haven't traded very much recently," but he immediately stretched his brows, "But from a technical research point of view, I still think that Ethereum is the core innovation community of the blockchain, and there is no one." He added, "Despite all the challenges, Ethereum remains a major driver of technological innovation in this industry." This separation of market volatility and technical value is the essential difference between researchers and speculators. As the conversation deepened into the direction of his research, Jason's expression became focused, and his words became thoughtful and profound. Instead of discussing simple technical specifications, he explores the fundamental problems of social distribution mechanisms, and even talks about the collaborative model of fungal networks, thinking about the deep relationship between money and the value of life. "The definition of 'value' in modern society is too narrow, and everything is quantified as money. But human creativity, willingness to cooperate, and intrinsic motivation are far more complex than that. We need more diverse 'ledgers' to record and reward contributions in all their forms. These seemingly unrelated areas actually point to the core raison d'être of Web3." "I firmly believe that Web3 represents the future that humanity wants," his voice calm but full of conviction, "maybe my personal strength is limited, but it is worth taking a small step forward." He not only stopped at theoretical exploration, but also put ideas into practice by participating in various hackathons. "When theories are too macrographic, it's easy to get lost in concepts. My approach is to split a huge theory into different small sections, and then test, modify, and test one by one until a closed loop is formed." "Recently I was testing a 'Play to B to earn' game mechanic," he said, flashing the experimenter's excitement in his eyes, "and there are already preliminary results." He says it's a great pleasure to be able to work on the subjects that interest him the most, "For me, it's both a job and a core part of life." He paused, "In an environment like Chiang Mai University, there is not much social distraction, and thinking becomes more pure." When talking about organizing blockchain events in Chiang Mai, Jason said that occasionally he will participate in events held by everyone when he is free, but it is observed that events with the theme of coin speculation can attract more participants. Communication with local Thais is rather limited, and they seem reluctant to spend their time on such activities, he sighs, "I applied to set up a blockchain association under the academy, and the approval process took a whole year." Exchange ability for accommodation, Web3 gives me the right to explore in life Autumn and autumn came over, and we met in a coworking space. I was stunned when I saw her, she actually came barefoot, although most of Chiang Mai indoor requires to take off shoes, but it is not common to not wear shoes directly. Even after we walked outside for ten minutes to a nearby restaurant, she was barefoot, which was not the norm for her, but it was a small thing, free and casual. This meeting was purely serendipitous. The digital nomad she shared when I was scrolling through Little Red Book...