Estonia has chosen Bangkok as one of four new global destinations where Thai business owners and digital nomads who want to expand their reach to the European market can pick up an Estonian e-residency card following a successful application.
E-residency is a government-issued digital identity offered to foreign nationals.
After signing up for the government's e-residency programme, successful applicants receive a starter kit containing digital identity cards that allow them to establish a company online in the EU and have access to a wide range of Estonia's public e-services, such as business banking and online tax filing.
E-residents can run a business from anywhere in the world, however e-residency does not provide citizenship or physical residency benefits, or the right to travel to Estonia or the EU.
Bangkok, along with Sao Paolo in Brazil, Singapore and Johannesburg in South Africa, have been selected as new destinations where e-residency cards can be obtained.
Almost 50 locations worldwide have been chosen as pick-up points.
"The global pandemic has made it very clear that even with physical lockdowns and travel restrictions, people need digital tools for cross-border business and work," Lauri Haav, managing director of the e-residency programme, told the Bangkok Post.
"We decided to reach out and provide improved convenience for the e-residency process."
Over 80,000 people from more than 170 countries have applied for the e-residency programme, with 16,000 firms established in Estonia, he said.
"We have a strong community of e-residents from all over the world, and about 40% of all e-residents are from other EU nations," said Mr Haav.
He regards Bangkok as an important centre for business and finance in Asean.
"It is also a very vibrant and attractive city for both international and local entrepreneurs," said Mr Haav.
"It was clear to us when we started planning our expansion that we needed to establish an Estonian e-residency card pick-up point in Bangkok. The city is a business hub where entrepreneurs from the whole region visit."
He said making Bangkok a pick-up point is expected to help entrepreneurs in both Thailand and neighbouring countries by providing an opportunity to grow their business.
Kersti Kaljulaid, the president of Estonia, said in a statement that even with the pandemic limiting people's ability to travel for work and do business across borders, "it has also accelerated digital transformations among governments, businesses and freelancers alike".
According to Mr Kaljulaid, Estonia is ready to welcome more freelancers, entrepreneurs, business owners and location-independent workers from around the world to join its e-residency programme.
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