Agree with you pretty much on all fronts. the big draw of remote work/DNV for me is a lower cost of living. I've only been to airports in S. Korean and Japan, I loved Singapore, but again, really really expensive. And yes, there's a beauty in the organize chaos of places like Vietnam and Thailand that I love. If there weren't extreme problems with taking my dog I likely would be in that area of the world (Thailand's Golden Visa program is wild with them basically treating you like a king with limo services and country club perks).