I saw Thailand on one of the lists here.
I was there for the past two weeks. I just returned to the US yesterday (which was today in Thailand

).
I couldn't really seriously consider trading from there myself due to my family situation, but I could see how it would be very appealing for a younger and single guy.
As mentioned, the people are extremely friendly. The women are
incredibly beautiful, and the cost of living is very low.
Drawbacks seemed to be that in Bangkok the traffic is horrible, and the pollution is beyond belief. The very visible contrast between prosperity and poverty is kind of depressing for an American to have to witness constantly, but that is reality in most of the world I guess.
The time difference is a major inconvenience as well if you want to trade US markets. I do not know if they used daylight savings time or not there, but either way, trading basically the opposite hours (AM/PM) would be kind of tough for most people....(US markets 8:30 pm - 3 am). But I guess that could be gotten used to. And of course there are always different markets to trade.
I left Bangkok and flew for a 3 day excursion to Phuket, which is a beautiful (parts I saw) beach island about 450 miles south of Bangkok. I could see living there as I would imagine most people would find it appealing to live in a beach "paradise." It was similar to Hawaii, and also reminded me a lot of Jamaica topographically.
I was able to connect to the internet on a slow ADSL line from my hotel in Bangkok. In Phuket, I tried the dial up service that was offered in the hotel. It was so bad I gave up and asked for a refund. But, just out of curiosity I put my bank card in an ATM machine and I was able to withdraw cash from my Florida bank virtually instantly, so obviously there are ways to get "wired" if you are willing to pay. It is more expensive than it is here in the US however. I saw an ad in Bangkok for DSL for what worked out to be approximately $75 US a month....which is relatively steep, but not a big enough factor to affect one's bottom line as a trader. (At least it shouldn't be).
As a tourist, I did not get a good feel for the cost of permanent housing in Thailand. I have to guess it is pretty low since the cost of everything else was low. The taxi to the airport from downtown Bangkok was less than $10. The same ride here would have been closer to $50 plus tip.
Full body massage for 2 hours was $7.50, and a 45 minute foot massage was about $4 in Bangkok. I assume the same in Phuket. Great way to relieve stress after a session of trading for sure!! (legitimate massages....I am sure you can get a "happy ending" for a small bit extra, or a shorter duration massage if that is what you want).
Language was not a problem for English speaking people. Most Thais speak a little English at least.
Learning Thai would come in handy but I think it is a tough language to learn. The language is unique to Thailand, as is their writing. The computer keyboards shift between our alphabet and theirs, but since Microsoft is so essential to technology, using computers there (as I guess is the case anywhere) is easy. Just as English is the universal language of aviation, apparently it is the language of technology worldwide also.
Put your hands together, bow slightly, smile, and say "Sawasdee" (Thai greeting) and everyone is your friend. Truly a peaceful and friendly country that has never been colonized or invaded or war torn as all it's neighboring nations have been. It really is a warm (literally and figuratively) and beautiful country.
Again, if I were young and single, I would certainly consider trading from Thailand seriously. Of course it is probably easier to fantasize about it than to actually do it. It is a hard thing to leave your own culture and live in a completely different one. But it sure seems like an ideal location in so many ways.
I will be going back in November again hopefully. The trip is staggering in length.....over 30 hours with layovers from Florida. I did not do it continuously. I stopped in Chicago both going and returning. Still it was over 24 hours both ways from Chicago with brief stops in Minnesota and Tokyo....and doing it in coach was the pits. But the airfare was a small fraction of what it would be with a comfortable seat in first or business class (cost less than $800 round trip from Chicago). But if you go there to trade, then the "commute" is not really a factor once you make the move permanent.
I am not sure what the deal is with a work visa. No visa at all was required to stay for a short visit like mine. But I am sure it is a do-able thing if you are determined to stay there.
Peace (Sawasdee),

RS