Thailand's nomad hubs lead Southeast Asia on 5G. So why does a third of Chiang Mai's broadband miss the remote-work bar?

If you are choosing where in Southeast Asia to base a laptop job, Thailand's phone signal is about as good as it gets. Recent Speedtest data from Ookla shows Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai have the three highest 5G availability figures among 13 regional nomad hubs. The home broadband picture is less tidy, and it matters more once you have signed a lease.

Ookla's analysis compares Q2 2025 with Q2 2026 across destinations in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore. Its headline finding for Chiang Mai is the one remote workers should read twice: a fast median broadband speed, but roughly a third of fixed connections that fall short of a basic remote-work threshold. So is Thailand still the safe bet for nomads, and what should you check before you commit?

The numbers side by side

Where Thailand wins: time on 5G

5G availability measures how much of the time someone with a 5G phone actually stays on 5G. Ookla puts Phuket at 83.8%, Bangkok at 80.5% and Chiang Mai at 76.3%, the top three in the region. Bali sits at 42.3% and Penang in Malaysia at 40.0%. On raw mobile speed, Da Nang leads the group at 215.56 Mbps, with Phuket and Bangkok next at about 167 Mbps, both ahead of Singapore.

Bangkok also does well on 5G reliability. Ookla says 93.6% of its 5G tests cleared 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, second only to Da Nang at 95.7%. For anyone who tethers a laptop to a phone between meetings, that is a genuinely useful number.

Where it slips: the broadband behind your lease

Fixed broadband is where the hubs separate. Bangkok's median fixed download of 317.02 Mbps puts it near the top of the group, behind only Singapore in Ookla's fixed-speed chart and just ahead of Ho Chi Minh City. Yet only 79.8% of Bangkok's fixed tests cleared the 25/3 Mbps bar, against 92.8% in Ho Chi Minh City and 92.2% in Da Nang. Phuket managed 70.7%, and Chiang Mai 65.7%, the lowest of all 13 destinations.

In plain terms, the typical Chiang Mai connection is fast, but a sizeable minority is not. Ookla suggests this is probably down to a mix of fibre in the city core and older copper or fixed wireless further out, while noting that its data does not identify the access technology directly. The practical risk is the one it names: committing to an apartment sight unseen.

Thailand vs Vietnam vs Indonesia

Vietnam's hubs look the most consistent in this dataset, with Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City clearing the fixed threshold more than 92% of the time, although Ookla notes Vietnam has no dedicated nomad visa. Indonesia trails on fixed lines: Bali's median fixed download is 67.04 Mbps, and Ookla says 41.9% of Bali's reported Wi-Fi connections still run on older Wi-Fi 4 equipment. Thailand sits in between: excellent mobile coverage, fast but uneven home broadband.

The visa side matters too. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a five-year multiple-entry visa allowing stays of up to 180 days per entry, and Thai missions ask applicants to show funds of at least 500,000 baht. Ookla's report contrasts this with Indonesia's E33G remote worker visa, which it says requires a foreign employment contract and US$60,000 in annual income.

Before you sign: a five-minute internet check

1. Ask the landlord or agent which provider supplies the line and what package is installed, then ask for a recent screenshot of a speed test taken in the unit.
2. If you can view in person, run your own test on the property Wi-Fi in the evening, when shared networks are busiest.
3. Check the router. Ookla notes a Wi-Fi 6 laptop on a Wi-Fi 4 access point performs like a Wi-Fi 4 device.
4. Keep a 5G SIM or eSIM with a generous data allowance as backup, especially in Chiang Mai, where Ookla found 5G more dependable than fixed lines.
5. For calls you cannot afford to drop, a coworking desk with a business-grade connection is cheap insurance.