Bangkok has been named the world’s best city for a workcation in the fourth edition of International Workplace Group (IWG)’s Work from Anywhere (WFA) Index, surpassing last year’s winner Tokyo to claim the top spot ahead of Barcelona and Porto. Other Asian cities recognised in this year’s rankings include Seoul, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, reflecting Asia’s growing prominence as a leading hub for flexible working and workcations.
The annual index ranks cities against a range of criteria designed to assess how well they support remote working while travelling, including climate, broadband speed, accommodation, transport, food, culture and the availability of flexible workspaces. It comes as new research from IWG demonstrates the growing popularity of work-from-anywhere policies, enabled by hybrid working and access to workspaces around the world.
Now in its fourth year, IWG’s Index has previously been topped by Barcelona, Budapest and Tokyo, with Bangkok taking the top spot in 2026.
2026 Top Workcation Cities
#1 Bangkok
#2 Tokyo
#3 Barcelona
#4 Porto
#5 Vancouver
#6 Budapest
#7 Naples
#8 Medellin
#9 Lisbon
#10 Seoul
Asia’s Workcation Advantage Continues to Grow
Asia continues to strengthen its position as a leading workcation region, with cities recognised for offering the connectivity, infrastructure and lifestyle increasingly sought after by today’s workforce. From established global business hubs to emerging destinations for remote professionals, the region offers a diverse range of locations that enable employees to seamlessly combine work and travel.
2026 Top Asian Workcation Cities
#1 Bangkok
#2 Tokyo
#10 Seoul
#17 Singapore
#21 Beijing
#32 Kuala Lumpur
#37 Manila
#38 Hong Kong
#41 Jakarta
#50 Mumbai
Bangkok Blooms from The White Lotus Effect
Bangkok takes the top spot for the first time this year, thanks to its outstanding combination of affordability, seamless connectivity, and vibrant culture. Whether it’s setting up for the day in a flexible workspace, exploring bustling street food markets, or unwinding after hours, the Thai capital makes it easy to blend productivity with leisure. The city’s global appeal has also received a recent boost from HBO’s The White Lotus, with Season 3 filmed across Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, helping drive a reported surge in international travel interest following the show’s release¹.
The ranking also highlights the growing variety of destinations now appealing to employees, from major Asian hubs and European city-break favourites to long-haul locations such as Vancouver and Medellin. Its mix of cities underlines how successful workcation destinations need to offer more than holiday appeal alone, combining strong connectivity, transport, accommodation and access to flexible workspace with the culture, food and lifestyle experiences that make extending a trip worthwhile.
Proof That Big Things Come in Small (City) Sizes
Singapore ranks 17th globally and 4th among Asian cities in this year’s Index, cementing its place among the region’s top workcation destinations – ahead of Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Mumbai. Compact in size but mighty in innovation, the city offers remote professionals everything they need in one place, and stands out for its world-class digital infrastructure, public safety and seamless connectivity. As the gateway to Southeast Asia, Singapore combines a highly connected business ecosystem with nationwide 5G coverage, and one of the world’s best-connected air hubs² through Changi Airport, keeping professionals seamlessly connected, whether they’re travelling across the region or working remotely from Singapore.
Complementing its business strengths is Singapore’s “City in Nature”³ vision, which integrates parks, nature reserves and green spaces throughout the urban landscape, allowing professionals to enjoy access to nature while remaining close to commercial districts and flexible workspaces.
³ Our Singapore Green Plan Vision, Singapore Green Plan (February 2026)
² Global Aviation Hub, Building Singapore’s connectivity to the world, Ministry of Transport (January 2026)
¹ The White Lotus Season 3 Drove a 300% Increase in Tourism to Thailand, People (May 2026)
Kuala Lumpur is Making Its Mark as a Work and Play Destination
Kuala Lumpur is a new entrant to this year’s Index, emerging as one of Asia’s most compelling workcation destinations. The Malaysian capital scored strongly for affordability across accommodation, food and transport, while delivering reliable digital connectivity and a growing network of flexible workspaces that keep professionals productive on the move.
Further sweetening the deal is Kuala Lumpur’s DE Rantau Nomad Pass⁴, a Professional Visit Pass that lets eligible remote professionals live and work in the country for up to 12 months, with the option to renew for a further year. It’s a clear signal of Malaysia’s ambition to become a leading digital nomad destination, backed by the ecosystem to match, so professionals can make their ringgit and travels count for longer.
Work from Anywhere Policies Become Mainstream
New research⁵ commissioned by IWG, the world’s largest platform for work and provider of flexible workspace, found that more than half (51%) of workers say their employer already offers a work from anywhere policy. Its impact is overwhelmingly positive: 90% say WFA has improved their work-life balance, and 80% say it has improved productivity. The policy is also shaping career decisions, with 80% saying it would make a new role more attractive and 62% saying they would consider changing jobs for a better WFA policy.
The 2026 ranking comes against a backdrop of more established work from anywhere policies, with employees increasingly looking for destinations that can support them professionally as well as personally. Access to flexible workspace at the destination is an important part of that decision, cited by 38% as a key factor when choosing where to work remotely while travelling.
Flexibility is Helping Workers Extend Their Trips
Remote working is increasingly reshaping how people travel. Almost half (48%) of workers plan to extend a holiday or mini-break by working remotely in 2026, and 46% say they are more likely to do so than they were last year. The trend is already well underway, with 43% having worked remotely from a holiday destination without using annual leave.
Wellbeing, Family Time and Costs Are Driving Demand
Avoiding burnout and supporting wellbeing is the biggest reason workers want to extend trips through remote working, cited by 54%. This is closely followed by spending more time with family and friends (53%) and making annual leave go further (52%). Financial pressures are also influencing behaviour, with 51% saying the cost of living has made them more likely to use hybrid or WFA policies to extend holidays.
Connectivity Remains a Key Consideration
When choosing where to work remotely while travelling, reliable Wi-Fi is the clear priority, selected by 38% of respondents, ahead of high-quality accommodation, food and transport at 12%. More affordable travel and accommodation would motivate 46% to extend a trip by working remotely, underlining the importance of destinations that can combine practical working needs with value for money.
⁵ Research conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2000 hybrid office workers in the UK and US. The data was collected between 06.07.2026 – 09.07.2026.
⁴ Digital Nomad Pass, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (2022)
Employees Want Clear Employer Guidance on Workcations
The data also suggests that, while appetite for WFA travel is growing, employees still want reassurance that working remotely while travelling is accepted and supported by their employer. Clear guidance and confidence around expectations could help more workers make the leap, with 44% saying they would be motivated by knowing this would not affect how their work is perceived and 39% citing clearer employer guidance.
Mark Dixon, Executive Chairman and Founder of IWG, said: “We’re seeing more workers than ever extending their trips to work remotely or choosing to spend longer periods abroad as digital nomads. Thanks to hybrid working and cloud technology, employees now have the freedom to work wherever and whenever suits them best – whether that’s a local flexible workspace or a co-working centre on the other side of the world. For many, the days of long daily commutes are over, and there is more freedom to work in new locations.
This trend is here to stay, with many companies adopting flexible working and WFA policies, particularly over the summer months for the long term, which not only improves work-life balance and reduces burnout but also delivers significant productivity gains.”
The findings come as IWG continues to support hybrid and on-the-go professionals through new travel partnerships. This summer, Hotels.com, a subsidiary of Expedia Group, is partnering with IWG to provide U.S.-based IWG members with complimentary Hotels.com Gold loyalty status for a limited time, unlocking richer rewards, better pricing and VIP perks designed for today’s mobile workforce.
With over 5,000 flexible workspace locations in more than 120 countries, IWG’s network includes many of the world’s leading destinations for WFA travel, helping employees access professional workspaces wherever they choose to extend a trip.
