GuideBali vs Thailand
Bali or Thailand? It is one of the most common questions when people plan their first long-haul workation. I have done both: a month in Bali and a month in Thailand, each time combining two weeks of remote work with two weeks of holiday. Here is how they compare, based on what I actually experienced.
Bali
I started with two weeks of holiday through Bali, Gili Trawangan, Lombok and Nusa Penida. Then I returned to Bali for two workweeks: the first in Ubud at Clan Living – The Founder, the second in Canggu at Tribal Bali Coworking Hostel.
Thailand
I worked the first week from Bangkok at W22 by Burasari, travelled for two weeks through Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Khao Sok, Krabi and Phuket, and finished with a workweek in Chiang Mai at ISTY Design Hotel.
Both trips worked for the same reason: I split them into a clear holiday part and clear work weeks, instead of mixing travel and work every day.
In Bali, both of my stays were built around remote work. Clan Living in Ubud had a coworking space by the pool and a private room with a desk and a real office chair. Every morning the host texted me that breakfast was ready. Tribal Bali in Canggu is literally designed for digital nomads, with a lively coworking area, quieter private spaces, an infinity pool and community events. Still today, I cannot name a stay that topped it.
In Thailand, I stayed in hotels that happened to be very good for work. W22 by Burasari in Bangkok's Chinatown had a spacious room with a private desk, fast WiFi, free coffee and extra workspaces in the lobby, on the second floor and in an indoor garden. ISTY Design Hotel in Chiang Mai was modern and peaceful, with a pool bar where I took some of my first calls and a room private enough for my performance review.
Verdict on stays: Bali has more places that are purpose-built for remote workers and their community. Thailand has great hotels that make working easy, but less of a built-in remote work scene around you.
Bali felt practical and easy to live in. Returning to Bali after my holiday felt like coming home. I could have good breakfasts, go out for coffee, explore a bit and still keep up with work, without the trip turning into a normal week at home. Ubud was calm and grounded; Canggu was close to the beach and more social.
Thailand felt more like a journey. Bangkok gave me energy, movement and variety, from street food outside my hotel to working for hours at % Arabica on the 55th floor of The Empire Tower. Chiang Mai gave me calm, and the islands in between were a proper holiday.
Wondering which part of Bali suits you? Read my comparison of Canggu and Ubud.
In both countries, my stays had internet that was good enough for a full workweek of meetings. In Bangkok, the hotel WiFi was even faster than my internet at home. In Bali, both stays had fast internet across the property, which is exactly why I chose them.
The difference is outside those stays. Research and other remote workers' reports show that Bali's internet varies more from place to place than Thailand's, so check any stay carefully before you book. In both countries, having mobile data from the moment you land makes arrival much easier; I would arrange an eSIM before you leave.
This is the biggest practical difference. Thailand is six hours ahead of CET in European winter (five in summer); Bali is seven hours ahead (six in summer).
In Thailand, my mornings were often quiet from a work perspective, which gave me time to explore before work. I had a lot of online meetings, so I adjusted my hours towards European office hours, and it felt easier and more flexible than I expected.
Bali's extra hour means the European afternoon lands later in your evening. If you have many meetings late in the European day, that hour matters.
Read how I handle time zones on workations for my practical approach.
Both countries are perfect for combining a workation with a real holiday, but in different ways.
In Bali, the holiday part took me to the Gili Islands, Lombok and Nusa Penida, all a short boat ride away, before I settled in one place for work. In Thailand, cheap domestic flights made it easy to move between a city, the islands, a national park and the north, so the trip itself became more of an adventure.
In both cases, the most important thing was the structure: first a real holiday or a real workweek, never both at the same time.
Entry
Since 15 September 2026, EU citizens get 30 days visa-free in Thailand, extendable once. For Bali, you need a 30-day visa on arrival or e-VOA (IDR 500,000), extendable once, plus a IDR 150,000 tourism levy
Arrival forms
Thailand's TDAC and the All Indonesia arrival card are both free and must be submitted online shortly before arrival
Getting around
In Thailand I used a pre-booked airport driver and domestic flights; in Bali I stayed in one place per workweek, so I did not have to travel around too much while working
Both trips were among the best travel experiences I have had. But they suit different workations.
Choose Bali if…
Choose Thailand if…
Want all the details? Read my Bali trip report and my Thailand trip report, or plan your own trip with my Bali and Thailand workation guides and my Southeast Asia guide.
