How I Stay Productive Working Remotely from Bangkok
April 9, 2025 · 3 min read · by Richie
Working remotely from Bangkok while aligned to U.S. Pacific Time (PDT) sounds dreamy — until your shift starts at 10 pm local time.
Working for a U.S.-based tech company, I’m no stranger to the graveyard shift. I’ve learned how to embrace it and stay productive, even when the city sleeps. Here’s how I manage it.
🧠 Embracing the Overnight Flow
Bangkok runs on energy — and it turns out, so do I. My typical workday starts around 10 PM and ends around 8 AM. At first, it was brutal. But once I embraced the inevitable and adjusted my habits, I found how to make it work.
☕ Caffeine Is My Coworker
Not proud, but honest: my bloodstream might be 30% Red Bull and M-150 at this point.
- Coffee starts my shift — strong, iced, Tao Bin coffee (Since we have one in our building)
- Red Bull (Thai version) — is my go-to energy booster around 2 AM. It’s cheap and effective.
🛋️ My Setup
My “office” is a small desk in my condo with decent Wi-Fi and surprisingly quiet neighbors (at times…).
The essentials:
- External monitor + laptop
- Bluetooth noise-canceling earbuds
- A soft light to reduce eye strain
I keep things minimal — less to fidget with, more to focus on.
🌒 What’s Great About Working Nights
- Bangkok is calm. There’s a peaceful hum to the city at 2 AM. Some cars or bikes driving by, but nothing crazy.
- Daytime is mine. I hit the gym, run errands, or grab food with my wife.
🛏️ Sleep, Schedules & Sanity
I won’t pretend it’s easy. My body fights it some days. But here’s what helps:
- Blackout curtains – total game changer. Without them, forget sleeping past 10 AM.
- A/C – keeps the air moving and helps me block out the city noise, plus… sleeping in a room when its 30°c at 8 am is not fun.
- No Slack, no emails, no screens once I get into bed. I treat sleep like a deadline — it’s non-negotiable.
💡 Final Thoughts
Working U.S. hours from Bangkok isn’t for everyone — but it works for me. With the right caffeine mix and a nice setup, it’s actually kind of awesome.
If you’re considering remote work from Thailand, just know it is possible to make overnights work… you’ll just need a fridge stocked with Red Bull and a few coffee runs.
– Richie