Danish Sophie Schou Jensen and Mathias Lemvig Larsen had a great life in the town of Aarhus, Denmark but have always dreamt of a different working life and more freedom so the couple recently quit their jobs and traveled to Thailand where they currently live as digital nomads.
Sophie Schou Jensen says to BT, “during the pandemic, we started talking more and more about whether or not we should try to make our dream a reality rather than let it continue to be a dream.”
In January, they took the plunge and traveled to Thailand. After Thailand, Australia is the destination and who knows where they will end up after that. They live like digital nomads which means that they work digitally on assignments from Denmark so they can work from all over the world.
“We wanted out of the hamster wheel – to be our own boss in a way. We do not mind that we work for someone, but everyday life has become more driven by desire. If we want to take a swim during our break, we do it,” Sophie Schou Jensen says.
Mathias Lemvig Larsen has an agreement to do 20 hours of work a week for the company he is a content manager in. Sophie Schou delivers some articles every month and otherwise, she is a freelance journalist.
For now, Sophie Schou Jensen and Mathias Lemvig Larsen have planned to be away for a year.
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What the beautiful story does not say is that even with 3 vaccines at time of writing you still have to do an expensive PCR-RT test prior to leaving, then get ripped off by some Covid insurance (£300) then purchase a quarantine hotel package for another £100…when the normal rate for the same room is £20.. so that’s £400 gone. If you test positive on arrival (even with no symptom) then you get locked up in hospital with a £10K bill (hence the insurance)
They are likely on the 60 day tourist visa. Unfortunately Thailand don’t have a digital nomad visa yet but are working on one.
My husband and I are from Australia and were living in Thailand and a number of Asian countries as digital nomads before covid when visa runs were easy. We are now going to Greece which offers a 1 year digital nomad visa with the option to renew for a few years which is great.
As for the top comment by Karsten.. It is beautiful working on a laptop on the beach, you sit in the shade, at a table in nature sipping on a healthy ice cold juice/smoothie. I love dogs and children and sunscreen is a must anytime you are exposed to the sun.
Perhaps your 9-5 in a cubicle is most suitable. Best of luck.
Surely the photo is just a set-up for the story, as having done that; working with lap-top from a beach, I know that there is hardly more unpleasant environment. The heat, sun reflecting from the monitor, sand bits everywhere, ants, stray dogs, kids running, wind, sweat, sun cream in the buttons, etc etc etc.
No! The work requires a right environment and a beach is NOT such!
What kind of visa do they have ? All my digital nomad friends have to get illegal volunteer visa and lie that they volunteer at some company when in fact they just work for their company overseas
do they need workpermit in Thailand