What if a six-week vacation turned into a new life? In November 2021, I left my bartending job in Toronto for what I thought was a short escape to Thailand. At the time, Toronto was starting to feel different—the rising cost of living and growing social problems were hard to ignore. Twenty weeks later, I was still in Thailand, beginning a journey I never saw coming—one that took me from mixing cocktails to building websites in Southeast Asia.
Life in Toronto
I started working as a bartender in Toronto back in 2016. At first, I was a bar back, which took about a year before I finally got behind the bar. It was an exciting time—I was learning new skills and really building up my self-confidence. Over the years, I became more comfortable and skilled at bartending, and eventually, I expanded into brand ambassador work for various Scotch and liquor brands.
However, after a few years, I began to get restless. Working behind the bar until 4 a.m. each night started to wear on me, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed a change. I wasn’t trying to escape Toronto entirely at the time, but I was determined to find a way to get out during the brutal winter months. I spent a couple of years figuring out how to make that happen, and one of my attempts to find a sunny destination for the winter led to my trip to Thailand, which would end up changing everything.
At the same time, the situation in Toronto was starting to get difficult. Around 2020 and 2021, the city began to face a lot of social problems, and the cost of living kept rising. It was tough to see, especially since I had fallen in love with Toronto when I first moved there in 2013. Watching the changes in the city was difficult, and it added to my desire to find a way to escape the harsh winters.
While the technical skills I learned behind the bar didn’t transfer directly to web development, the confidence and sales experience did. These skills have proven to be invaluable as I transitioned into running my own business.
The Big Decision
In November 2021, I booked a six-week vacation to Thailand. After about 35 hours of flights, I landed in Bangkok, and something just clicked. I instantly fell in love with the place. Six weeks turned into 10, then 14, and then 22 weeks. During that time, I realized I didn’t want to return to Toronto at all. So, I asked my housemates in Canada to ship my belongings back to Dublin, and I’ve been in Southeast Asia ever since.
Getting into WordPress
My first steps into web development came from a volunteer project while I was living in Pai, a small mountain town in Northern Thailand. I was working with an animal charity called Pete’s Mission and asked the manager, Ryan, if we could add a crypto donation feature to their website. I had a bit of experience with crypto and wanted to help.
After connecting with their volunteer web developer, I found out the site was built on WordPress. That’s where my journey with WordPress began. I started exploring plugins that could support crypto donations, and from there, I began building sample websites on WordPress using page builders.
My first official website was for a local bar in Pai called Supermoon. I charged 5,000 baht (about 150 euro) for it, and that was the start of my new career as a web developer.
Building 3.2.Web Agency
The biggest challenge in starting my web agency, 3.2.Web, was finding clients. I was torn between targeting businesses in Thailand, Ireland, or back in Toronto. Eventually, I realized that while Thailand is a great place to live, there are barriers like language and budget constraints that make it harder to work with local companies. Finding the right target market was tough, but focusing on businesses that had the right budget and communication abilities became key to moving forward.
The Digital Nomad Life
Living and working in Southeast Asia as a digital nomad has been a unique experience. When you’re moving from place to place every few days, it’s incredibly hard to get work done. For example, my first trip to Vietnam in February 2023 was a month of bouncing between cities, staying in homestays and hostels from the south to the north. Getting anything done work-wise was a real struggle during that time.
I’ve found that if you want to be productive, it’s essential to settle down for at least a month in one spot. Having your own apartment gives you the time and space to really focus on your work. The key to balancing travel and work is finding moments where you can stay put and get things done.
One of the things you learn quickly in Southeast Asia is the need to do border runs. For instance, in Vietnam, the visa lasts 90 days. When it’s time to renew, I use it as an opportunity to travel. Whether it’s a quick trip to Thailand, Laos, or even Singapore, these breaks allow me to explore while also resetting my visa. It’s a good way to strike a balance between work and the temptation to explore new places.
Conclusion
If you’re thinking about becoming a digital nomad, I highly recommend coming over to Southeast Asia for a month or two to test it out. It’s important to figure out if the lifestyle suits you because, while it can be rewarding, it’s also challenging and can get lonely at times.
One of the best things about this side of the world is how far a Western wage goes. You can live comfortably, even luxuriously, in places like Vietnam on a thousand US dollars a month. It’s a lifestyle that offers freedom and adventure, but it also requires discipline and a willingness to adapt.