I've been to Thailand and Singapore and I don't know what you mean about fetishization. If anything it was embarrassing being white and was pleasant when you were ignored.

> I suspect in the next 5-10 years there's going to be a big backlash against people from western countries exploiting their economic privilege by living in developing countries.

What kind of backlash are you thinking of? When I think of a digital nomad, I'm thinking of a rich white kid spending their money in a holiday destination year round.

It's international gentrification isn't it? Replacing facilities that locals would use with Western style overpriced apartment rentals, overpriced coffee, and overpriced, insufficiently spicy food.

Some digital nomads chafe at being charged "farang prices"(foreigner's prices) but the alternative is that locals are priced out.

Rent, property and living prices being adjusted to the purchasing power of the western visitors driving the original low income population away from whichever region gets more popular.

Its similar to what I call hipsterization. Rich and privileged persons moving to an undeveloped area they deem cool, fancy cafes are opened and real state prices skyrocket.

FYI, hipsterization is called "gentrification" by most people talking about the phenomenon of original communities being displaced by an influx of wealthier workers (and they are, by and large, hipsters in the areas where I've seen it first hand)

Its not always a phenomenon anymore, afaik it's a known tactic for developers now

This. I don't think they are seeing as taking advantage of something. I am pretty sure they are seen as tourists.

Yes, the locals who work in industries that directly benefit from the influx of foreign spending love it. The criticism will come from a few directions I think:

1. The same people who are highly concerned about economic inequality and "social justice" within western countries today.

2. Locals of developing countries who do no benefit from the foreign spending or are even hurt by it (e.g., middle or upper class locals who lose their relatively privaleged status to foreigners).

3. Local men who see foreigners as "stealing" their women.

4. Governments trying to secure tax revenue of those dodging.

Isn't it more rich kid working in a country, possibly very successful, without paying local taxes?

Without paying local income tax. Local sales tax (if any) is still being paid.

This. Tbh I think most Nomads would be glad to adhere to some form of "nomadic" taxation system, contributing to the communities they're visiting. This would require a massive coordination between so many different countries with different interests. I don't think we'll achieve anything like this in our lifetimes.