The Influence of personal-relational and personal-communal identities on behavioral intentions among digital nomads in Thailand
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Abstract
The recent surge in digital nomadism has significantly altered global mobility, yet little empirical research addresses how these transient professionals negotiate their personal-relational and personal-communal and how this process dictates their travel decisions. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI), this study investigates the relationship between the personal-relational and personal-communal of digital nomads and their behavioral intentions (specifically the intention to depart and the intention to revisit) with Thailand research context. A mixed-methods design was implemented, comprising survey data from 195 non-Thai digital nomads analyzed via multiple linear regression, and ten semi-structured interviews evaluated through thematic analysis. The quantitative results demonstrate that personal-relational identity (the quality of daily interactions with locals) is the primary predictor of revisit intention. Conversely, personal-communal identity (the sense of integration within the community) reveals an integration paradox: while it positively predicts the intention to return, it also strongly predicts the intention to leave. The qualitative findings explain this contradiction by introducing the “experience completion” effect, where highly integrated nomads feel their cultural immersion is accomplished, thereby motivating onward travel. While the practical advantages of geo-arbitrage and a relaxed lifestyle encourage return visits, structural obstacles such as visa restrictions and the superficial limits of local social integration drive eventual departure. This research challenges the conventional assumption that community integration ensures retention. By distinguishing the factors that drive departure from those that encourage return, the study extends CTI to hyper-mobile populations and offers a framework for understanding the circular mobility patterns of modern remote workers.
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