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@latch is right on about the bank coders. I was based in Asia for 12 years hiring web development and design teams. Six of my 12 years were in HK. Finding top

@latch is right on about the bank coders. I was based in Asia for 12 years hiring web development and design teams. Six of my 12 years were in HK. Finding top talent is very challenging there. I tended to hire young and train, anything else never worked out. HK is not a cheap city to live in. I realize that it can be done cheaply, but that loses its charm quickly. Like, goodbye farmers markets and even semi-affordable organic food. Also, if anyone else is considering HK, keep in mind that the investment model is almost purely driven by connections. Conversely, I knew several niche development companies that had set up shop in Thailand, outside of Bangkok, and had unbelievably low overhead and very talented developers. That was years ago, but it always struck me as a savvy model. Anyone else looking at Asia should consider Singapore as well. They have some amazing investment programs run by the government at any given time.

mbenjaminsmith 15y ago
There are quite a few software companies in Thailand. I know a guy with 100+ local staff building iOS software. The problem with doing business in Thailand is the foreign ownership laws (you can't own your company or the building it's in) and the amount of bureaucratic red tape. The rising cost of living is also making Thailand less attractive. I've read it's on par with Chicago now. I'm not sure how that's measured but I could certainly live comfortably in Chicago for what I spend in a month here. Import taxes are outrageous. I paid 150% for my car. I used to run a company in Thailand (not tech) but now I just live here and run a company offshore. I've become pretty negative about the place with all of its idiosyncrasies and don't think I'd set up another company here. I've currently got my eyes on HK. Friends of friends have established several business hiring locals (though not purely tech companies) there. Everything I've heard is that it's straightforward to get setup there. It's also easy to stay there with the various visa programs they have in place.

mbenjaminsmith 15y ago

There are quite a few software companies in Thailand. I know a guy with 100+ local staff building iOS software. The problem with doing business in Thailand is the foreign ownership laws (you can't own your company or the building it's in) and the amount of bureaucratic red tape. The rising cost of living is also making Thailand less attractive. I've read it's on par with Chicago now. I'm not sure how that's measured but I could certainly live comfortably in Chicago for what I spend in a month here. Import taxes are outrageous. I paid 150% for my car. I used to run a company in Thailand (not tech) but now I just live here and run a company offshore. I've become pretty negative about the place with all of its idiosyncrasies and don't think I'd set up another company here. I've currently got my eyes on HK. Friends of friends have established several business hiring locals (though not purely tech companies) there. Everything I've heard is that it's straightforward to get setup there. It's also easy to stay there with the various visa programs they have in place.