Where to hire › Southeast Asia
Offshore Hiring in Southeast Asia
A broad region with strong engineering and creative communities, working the opposite side of the clock from the US, which suits work that can run overnight.
Strengths
- Established software development and outsourcing sectors, particularly in Vietnam and Malaysia.
- Design, video and creative talent across the region.
- Work done in the US night is ready by the US morning.
Time-zone overlap with the US
| Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta and Bangkok | UTC+7, no daylight saving. 12 hours ahead of US Eastern in winter, 11 in summer. |
|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur and Singapore | UTC+8, no daylight saving. 13 hours ahead of US Eastern in winter, 12 in summer. |
Almost no natural daytime overlap: plan for async work with a short overlap at the start or end of someone's day. It is a strength for QA, overnight support and handoff-based engineering.
Typical role fit
- Software developers: Handoff-based work with a short daily overlap.
- QA testers: Testing overnight what shipped during the US day.
- Designers and video editors: Deliverables ready by the US morning.
Role guides: Software developer · QA tester
What to consider
- English fluency varies more by country and person than in the Philippines; test written and spoken English for the role.
- Async habits matter more than usual: write clear briefs and expect written updates.
- Each country has its own labor law, currency and holidays.
Where to verify
- Current time differences: timeanddate.com.
- Labor and contractor rules: each country's labor ministry, or local counsel through your provider.
- English level: a written and spoken test in your own interview.
Hiring here
The route matters as much as the region. For a dedicated, full-time hire, the top-ranked option is a managed staffing hire through Hire Overseas, which recruits in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. See all six routes, ranked.