Digital Nomad Guide to Chiang Mai (From Someone Living There Full Time!)

Chiang Mai is a hub for digital nomads and has been since the term first started getting popular over a decade ago.

The second largest city in Thailand now boasts one of the largest digital nomad communities in the world and has countless events throughout the year that attract remote workers for a short period of time.

There are a lot of other digital nomad guides to Chiang Mai but I now live in Chiang Mai (calling myself semi settled) so I feel more qualified than most to explain what it’s like to live in this city as a remote worker.

If you’re wondering if Chiang Mai is right for you, or have already made the decision to move to Chiang Mai but want more information, this guide is for you.

Where is Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is in the far north of Thailand, not too far from the border with Myanmar and Laos. With over 1 million inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Thailand and popular amongst foreign and local tourists

How to get to Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai airport is the most convenient way of getting to Chiang Mai for most foreign digital nomads. There are many daily flights from Bangkok but also direct flights from Chiang Mai to Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore and a number of cities in China.

There are also flights to various destinations in Thailand with flights to Phuket, Koh Samui, Rayong and Hua Hin.

How to get around Chiang Mai

Each area of Chiang Mai is very walkable. If you are in the Old Town, you can walk to any other spot in the Old Town quite easily. The same if you are staying in Nimman.

Getting between the different areas is easy if you have your own moped or motorbike you have bought or hired. Mopeds can be hired from 300 baht per day or 3000 baht per month with prices sometimes increasing during peak season or for bigger motorbikes.

Alternatively, using Grab (the Uber of South East Asia) is quick and affordable way of getting around. It can cost as low as 30 baht (USD$1/ £0.80) to get from Nimman to the Old Town on a motorbike taxi or 100 baht for a car.

There are also bright red songthaews that ply many routes around the city but I don’t personally know any digital nomads that use these regularly because having your own transport is most common for people staying more than a couple of weeks.

Visas and getting in

Thailand has a well known generous visa policy with many nationalities getting between 30-60 day visa on arrival stamp as long as you have a flight leaving the country. This can be extended for another 30 days at many immigration offices (at the airport or Central Festival Mall).

Note: Thai visa rules see to change frequently so always check the latest with your government or here.

Thailand now has the DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) which is ideal for digital nomads and is the visa that I have. It costs 10,000 baht (or a similar amount in local currency depending on where you apply) and is valid for 5 years. I had to show that I had a remote job

Where to work in Chiang Mai as a digital nomad

Chiang Mai has literally endless places to work! It’s one of the reasons it is so popular!

There are an abundance of coworking spaces all over the city catering to people that want to focus in an office environment, to those that like to use their workspace as a social space as well.

I have an entire guide to the best coworking spaces in Chiang Mai if you want to do a deep dive into all the ones all over the city.

I normally work at Yellow Coworking space as it seems a bit more professional to me with comfy desks and seating and in the perfect location in Nimman. For something more social, I would go to AltChiang Mai or Punspace.

There are also more coffee shops that you can count in Chiang Mai with almost everyone inside having an open laptop alongside their Americano. If you’re into coffee culture and want to fine tune the flavour of the bean profile whilst you work, Chiang Mai is the place for you.

Although I don’t often work at coffee shops, I can personally recommend:

What’s the internet like in Chiang Mai for digital nomads?

Chiang Mai is a city that has been designed around digital nomads and has excellent digital infrastructure. The internet in almost all accommodation options is extremely fast.

The wifi is excellent in every coworking space I’ve been into with speeds regularly 100mbps+ even with a VPN.

And even in smaller and more remote coffee shops, the internet has always been exceedingly fast. You won’t have any issues with the internet in Chiang Mai!

If you have an eSIM, speeds are still very quick and if you have a local sim card and can get 5G with speeds pushing 100mbps+

Where to stay in Chiang Mai as a digital nomad

The Nimman area is the main place for digital nomads to stay in Chiang Mai. Most first time visitors will stay in this area because of its great location for so many amenities for digital nomads.

The Old Town is another options, but I wouldn’t recommend it for longer term stays as it is very tourist heavy and may not be what digital nomads are looking for in Chiang Mai if staying longer term.

Close to Nimman are the neighbourhoods of Santitham and Jed Yod which offer slightly cheaper accommodation options than Nimman and also have more of a local feel. This is where I decided to live. There are also many students living in these areas due to its proximity to the university.

Near Central Festival Mall, in San Sai district, there are an abundance of condos offering affordable short and long term rentals to digital nomads.

If you’re looking for more of an expat vibe, Hang Dong to the south of the city is another excellent option.

I have only stayed in Santitham and I love it there but I know many people that live all over the city and each area has its pros and cons.

What to do in Chiang Mai

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t been to many tourist sites in Chiang Mai but that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to do! I’ve just been too busy!

The Old Town is a wonderful place to explore and to see some of the largest Buddhist temples in northern Thailand. There are a number of night markets in Chiang Mai with the largest being the Sunday night market that runs through Rachadamnoen Road in the centre of Chiang Mai from 4pm each week.

If shopping for souvenirs isn’t your thing, there are many other night markets all over the city where you can taste the delicious Thai food.

Of all the temples in Chiang Mai, the most impressive in my opinion is Wat Chedi Luang with Wat Phantao next door also worthy of a mention.

Visiting Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is also a must do, and get there at sunrise if possible.

Chiang Mai also has an incredible bar and nightlife scene. There is live music in so many bars, fine dining cocktail bars and shady street bars, jazz bars and Thai nightclubs and everything in between.

Once you’ve danced your feet off, enjoy one of the many foot massage places located all over the city. If you’re looking for a full Thai massage, I recommend going to one of the centres run by ex prisoners that now provide a job for those recently released as a way of giving back to the community. I’ve used this one a few times.

Or some things to see around the city:

Cost of living for digital nomads in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is one of the more affordable digital nomad destinations.

One of the main reasons for this is the abundance of accommodation that is still relatively cheap, even on short term lets. I pay 15,000 baht per month (£350/USD$450) for my one bedroom apartment but I have seen studio apartments go for as low a 7000 baht per month (£160/ USD$220) if signed on a yearly contract.

You can easily find places on AirBnB for around £400/USD$500 per month. And obviously, this can go as high as you’d like as I know friends that pay 50,000 baht for what would be considered a penthouse suite.

It was 3000 baht per month to hire a moped, it can be as low as 600 baht per week for a cleaner and a monthly coworking membership can be close to 3000 baht per month at the lower end. My guide to coworking spaces in Chiang Mai has exact figures.

Some example prices:

Overall, it is possible to live on less that £1000 or $1000 per month in Chiang Mai as a digital nomad if you decided to take the ultra budget option. For $/€/£1500-2000 you can have a very very good standard of living. But the cost of being a digital nomad can be as cheap or as expensive as your tastes desire.

Pros and cons of Chiang Mai for a digital nomad

Pros of Chiang Mai

Cons of Chiang Mai

My experience as a digital nomad in Chiang Mai

I chose Chiang Mai as my place to semi settle and to slow down my nomadic life. Before I arrived, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. To me, it seemed too touristy, too mainstream and there would be too many digital nomads. I like remote and adventurous destinations where few tourists go. Before Chiang Mai, I had been in Tashkent, Bishkek and Almaty.

So I arrived in Chiang Mai with trepidation, and I didn’t immediately fall in love with the place.

But now, I love Chiang Mai. I’m very happy here and can see myself making it my base for a while. There is a great community with so much going on with meet ups for every kind of skill, social group or sport. The people are very friendly and everything in the city is very convenient. It is big enough to have everything, but small enough for you to know places intimately.

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.