What time do London and New York open across Asia?
London opens at 08:00 London time and New York at 08:00 New York time, so the local open in Asia depends only on your UTC offset and the time of year. Here are the numbers for the cities traders actually choose.
| City (UTC offset) | London open | New York open | Overlap ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai, Tbilisi (+4) | 12:00 / 11:00 | 17:00 / 16:00 | 21:00 / 20:00 |
| Goa, Colombo (+5:30) | 13:30 / 12:30 | 18:30 / 17:30 | 22:30 / 21:30 |
| Da Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi (+7) | 15:00 / 14:00 | 20:00 / 19:00 | 24:00 / 23:00 |
| Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket (+7) | 15:00 / 14:00 | 20:00 / 19:00 | 24:00 / 23:00 |
| Jakarta (+7) | 15:00 / 14:00 | 20:00 / 19:00 | 24:00 / 23:00 |
| Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila (+8) | 16:00 / 15:00 | 21:00 / 20:00 | 01:00 / 24:00 |
| Tokyo, Seoul (+9) | 17:00 / 16:00 | 22:00 / 21:00 | 02:00 / 01:00 |
First value: northern-hemisphere winter (early Nov to mid Mar). Second: summer (late Mar to late Oct). "Overlap ends" is London's 17:00 close. For a few weeks in March and around early November, only the US has changed its clocks; see our session time guide for those weeks.
Which time zone is best for trading London and New York from Asia?
UTC+4 is the easiest schedule, but in Southeast Asia UTC+7 is the sweet spot: free mornings, London after lunch and the overlap finished by midnight. Each step east costs you an hour of sleep.
- UTC+4: a normal working day. London at noon, New York at 17:00, done by 21:00. The catch is cost, and in Dubai, summer heat.
- UTC+7: you can trade London from 14:00–15:00, have dinner, trade the overlap, and still sleep before 01:00. Mornings are completely free.
- UTC+8: the overlap runs to midnight or 01:00. Fine for night owls; tiring for a whole year.
- UTC+9: you're trading New York's morning after 22:00. Most London–New York traders don't last long on this schedule.
How do Vietnam, Thailand, Bali and Malaysia compare for traders?
Vietnam and Thailand share the best time zone and low costs; Bali and Kuala Lumpur add an hour of late night for a different lifestyle; Singapore is the most expensive. Here's how they stack up on what matters for a trader.
| Base | Time zone | Cost of living | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Da Nang / Hoi An | UTC+7 | $ | Beach city, airport 15 min away, calm | Rainy season Sep–Dec |
| Chiang Mai | UTC+7 | $ | Big nomad scene, cafés, cool season | Burning-season smoke around Mar–Apr |
| Bangkok | UTC+7 | $$ | Infrastructure, flights everywhere | Traffic, heat, noise |
| Bali | UTC+8 | $$ | Lifestyle, community, coworking | Later nights, traffic in the south |
| Kuala Lumpur | UTC+8 | $$ | Modern city, strong trading community | Later nights |
| Singapore | UTC+8 | $$$ | Best infrastructure in the region | Cost |
| Dubai | UTC+4 | $$$ | Earliest finish, finance hub | Cost, summer heat |
Cost tiers are relative and depend a lot on how you live. Visa rules change often; check the official rules for your passport before you book.
For connectivity on the road, the rules are the same everywhere: two internet routes, a small UPS and stops already in the market. Our trading-from-Vietnam setup guide walks through it, and most of it applies anywhere in the region.
Why do so many traders end up in Vietnam?
Vietnam combines the UTC+7 schedule with low costs, a 90-day e-visa open to every nationality and beach cities where the airport is minutes from the sand.
Da Nang is the easiest place to start: a long city beach, an international airport inside the city and reliable fibre in most modern apartments. Hoi An, 40 minutes south, is slower and quieter. Our Da Nang guide compares the areas, best months and rough monthly costs.
If you mainly trade gold, the timing story is the same, with a couple of extra anchors worth knowing; see gold trading hours in Southeast Asia.
How do you avoid burning out on a late-night schedule?
Pick one session as your main one, protect your mornings for something physical, and set a hard stop time you don't trade past.
From UTC+7, many traders trade London properly and only take A+ setups in New York. From UTC+8 and later, trading only London is often the healthier choice. If you're already feeling the screens win, read the 9 signs of trader burnout.
FAQ
What is the best time zone in Asia for trading the London and New York sessions?
UTC+4 (Dubai, Tbilisi) gives the earliest finish, with the London–New York overlap ending around 20:00–21:00. In Southeast Asia, UTC+7 (Vietnam, Thailand, Jakarta) is the best balance: London opens mid-afternoon and the overlap ends at 23:00 or midnight.
Is Bali good for forex traders?
Bali is on UTC+8, so New York opens at 20:00 or 21:00 and the London–New York overlap runs until midnight or 01:00. It works if you're happy trading late; traders who want an earlier night usually prefer UTC+7 places like Vietnam or Thailand.
What time does New York open in Thailand and Vietnam?
Both are on UTC+7. New York opens at 20:00 local time from early November to mid March and at 19:00 from mid March to early November.
Is Tokyo a good base for trading London and New York?
Only if you don't mind late nights. In Tokyo (UTC+9), London opens at 16:00 or 17:00 and New York at 21:00 or 22:00, so the overlap runs until 01:00 or 02:00.
Which Asian city is cheapest for a trader to live in?
Among popular trader bases, Vietnam and Thailand outside Bangkok are usually the most affordable, Kuala Lumpur and Bali sit in the middle, and Singapore, Dubai and Tokyo are the most expensive. Costs depend heavily on how and where you live.
The bottom line
If you trade London and New York from Asia, choose UTC+7 for the best mix of schedule, cost and lifestyle, or UTC+4 if an early night matters more than budget. Write down your main session first, then pick the city.
Next: exact session times in Vietnam, or where to stay in Da Nang.
Session times are conventions and brokers may differ. Nothing here is financial, legal or visa advice.