Best Coworking Spaces in Chiang Mai – Digital Nomad Guide

Chiang Mai is a digital nomad hub in northern Thailand and one that I have now made my base. I always work from coworking spaces when I travel and Chiang Mai has a lot of them to choose from!

When I first arrived, I wanted to try out as many of the coworking spaces as I could before finally deciding on one that I would use on a more permanent basis.

Every coworking space below I have personally tried, some for a week or two and some for just a day pass. I will give the pros and cons of each as I know that everyone looks for something different in a coworking space. Some people want something akin to a business centre whereas others prefer something more social and slightly cheaper.

Background on me and what I look for

Before I give you my picks on the best coworking spaces in Chiang Mai, I think it is a valid point to explain how I work and what I look for in a coworking space as everybody looks for different things.

I work 40 hours per week and I like to have a comfortable desk chair and table to work from. I don’t work well from coffee shops as I like to “lock in” for 8 hours per day. I always choose a hot desk as I normally like to move around a bit.

I only have a couple of calls per week, but they are normally 1 to 1’s so I like a place that has call booths or somewhere private to take the calls.

I also work on this blog at all hours of the day and have some late calls, so somewhere that is open 24 hours (or at least has extended hours) is a benefit to me.

Coffee and food on site are perks but not essential. I have a lot of friends in Chiang Mai already so I don’t need it to be a social place, but I do think it is a good choice to have social events in a coworking for newcomers.

You may be different and value other things more so I have tried to be as objective as possible whilst still tailoring it to how I found the work space.

Check out my complete digital nomad guide to Chiang Mai!

The 9 best coworking spaces in Chiang Mai

Yellow coworking

Yellow is actually the coworking space that I ended up working in longer term.

It isn’t the most social of coworking spaces and it is very quiet when you walk in with almost everyone having headphones on.

However, that means that everyone is getting down and working hard. The internet is fast, the tables and work surfaces are large with ample sockets all over. The image at the top of this post is also from Yellow coworking and you can see how large the tables are and how plentiful the sockets are. There is a quiet zone upstairs that is enforced, but there are also a lot of call booths around if you have any Zoom meetings you need to attend. There is space outside if you want a break from working indoors.

If you are on a longer term plan (weekly plus) it is open for 24 hours and you get one free coffee per day.

If there is a downside, it is that all the call booths are standing room only and can get quite warm, which can be an issue if you have some longer calls.

Punspace

Punspace has two locations in Chiang Mai and I only visited the site at Punspace Wiang Kaew. There is another location in the east of the city at Punspace Tha Phae Gate.

Punspace has a great outdoor area that is great for socialising or working with others and has a coffee stand on site. The office hours are 9am-6pm but has 24 hour access for members.

The desks in the main building are very comfortable and the wifi fast. They also offer community events and have links with food and drink options close by which they encourage you to take advantage of.

Weave/ Smart&Start

The Weave Artisan Society, an event space that serves good coffee and regularly hosts community events and even has a chocolate factory at the rear, has just opened the Smart&Start coworking space above the coffee shop.

I have worked here before it was officially open but have been to the Weave building for events a few times. The upstairs coworking area is large, open and comfortable and also has call booths.

CAMP – Inside Maya Mall

CAMP is large library like area on the top floor of Maya Mall in Nimman.

I have been there a few times just to buy a coffee and get some work done for a few hours. I feel that the food is overpriced and isn’t the best, but the coffee and other soft drinks are fine. You need to spend a minimum of ฿50 and you get a code for 2 hours worth of internet.

It is mostly filled with students from the local university but there are a few western digital nomads in there when I’ve been.

Brick Coworking

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I have never actually worked from Brick for a longer period but I do attend regular events there and I am actually tempted to try it as a workplace.

There are many desks that are adjustable if standing desks are your thing and the space is large and has plenty of natural light. The wifi has been fast and the guy on reception has been friendly each time I have been there.

Life Space

Life Space is more like a large library-cum-coffee shop with seating arranged in small desks that look towards where they serve their coffee.

I think this would be a great place to work if you just want to come in for a day session every now and again, but I wouldn’t choose to work from here full time.

There is an area that is almost like a soft play area for children with lots of weird shaped cushions to work from if you like working in strange positions. The coffee was good when I was there but it was lacking plug sockets and I had to move a couple of times before I found a desk that had suitable power.

Socialer

Socialer is a small coworking space that is attached to a hostel that also doubles as a coliving, that is in Santitham and a very close to where I was living.

I only went for one day and didn’t really feel the vibe of it. The tables are fine and the wifi was fast, but the furniture was a hodgepodge of tables and chair with no pattern or theme.

I don’t mean to sound disparaging, but this is definitely a hostel with a small workspace attached more than a serious work environment. I asked for a receipt once I had paid and they couldn’t give it to me.

This would be a great space for someone that is backpacking around and just wants somewhere to do a little bit of work but I wouldn’t choose it as a base for someone like me that works full time.

Alt_Chiang Mai

I worked at Alt_Chiang Mai for two weeks as I really enjoyed it there.

There are actually two branches in the city with Alt_Ping River being a newly opened, and slightly more modern, alternative.

I loved the work spaces, the upstairs quiet area and the really good coffee shop that is attached to it. As a coliving, there is also an active community with events and meet ups going on regularly.

The desks are good, the wifi was fast, the seats were comfy and there were lots of great people in the building. What else could you ask for?

Hub53

I worked in Hub53 for a week but just didn’t get along with it. It was recommended to me by a friend that gave it rave reviews but I didn’t have the same opinion.

It is a good coworking space but I felt the tables were quite small and cramped into the room. As you can see from the image, I’m not sure how 4 people are meant to work on those tables….

Close by, there are some great street food places for affordable lunch and dinners within a 2 minute walk.

It is also a coliving space. And although I can’t comment on the bedrooms, the common area and kitchen was quite nice. It is a bit cheaper than other places and has an active WhatsApp community so if you are on a budget and want a social experience then I would recommend it but it wasn’t my favourite place to work from.

And if all else fails….

Starbucks

There are a few Starbucks coffee shops all over Chiang Mai. I don’t recommend them as they are another multinational company and your money won’t be going to locals. But Starbucks is always my backup, backup plan when travelling somewhere new as they serve coffee (I’ll let you decide on the quality!) and have good wifi in every country in the world.

Summing up the best coworking spaces in Chiang Mai

Being such a major hub for digital nomads, there are an abundance of coworking spaces in Chiang Mai.

This list isn’t exhaustive by any means and I know there are a few that I haven’t been to, as well as smaller ones popping up all the time. Most of these are in the Nimman and Old Town area as those are the parts of Chiang Mai I have explored most intensively but there are spaces all over the city, no matter where you are staying.

If you’re thinking of becoming a digital nomad in Chiang Mai, or moving to the city permanently, know that there is a coworking space that will suit your style. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably choose Yellow, Alt_Chiang Mai or Punspace as these are the ones that I resonated with most but know that even if you are on a budget, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Dan

Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.