Not sure about the thriving intellectual community, but Chiang Mai certainly has a sizable digital nomad population, and is absolutely dirt cheap.
I rented a beautiful studio with a view of the Doi Suthep (mountain bordering the city) for $100 USD/month last winter. Since Buddhism reigns there are loads of monks, which means vegetarian fare is easy to come by, and is similarly cheap (anywhere from $1 to $5 for a meal). Everyone eats out, it's really hard not to meet people.
Internet is very fast (up to 500mb/sec) and power is stable (no power cuts in 3 months).
Of course the timezone difference is substantial if your employer is USA based, but if you can make that work Chiang Mai is hard to beat.
60-day visa + one 30 day renewal within Thailand; after that, a border run (to Vietnam, Laos, etc.) to get another 60-day.
Rinse, repeat.
You can get a business visa or a social visa (volunteer work) to avoid the hassle of border runs, but most just go with a tourist visa and periodically leave/take a break from Thailand.
I rented a beautiful studio with a view of the Doi Suthep (mountain bordering the city) for $100 USD/month last winter. Since Buddhism reigns there are loads of monks, which means vegetarian fare is easy to come by, and is similarly cheap (anywhere from $1 to $5 for a meal). Everyone eats out, it's really hard not to meet people.
Internet is very fast (up to 500mb/sec) and power is stable (no power cuts in 3 months).
Of course the timezone difference is substantial if your employer is USA based, but if you can make that work Chiang Mai is hard to beat.