Wrote something for a guest post that never materialized, so figured I'd drop it here instead, where it may be of use to those of you who work online and want to visit Bangkok.
Places to work in Bangkok
Starbucks
First on the list is the everywhere present global coffee chain Starbucks that has chains all over Thailand (find them here: http://www.starbucks.co.th/) and tons in Bangkok in particular. Like Starbucks everywhere, there are always freelancers, startup people, novelists and other self-employed people working out of there. One of the reasons why, is Starbucks’ conscious decision not to hurry people out the door. You can pretty much sit down and do your thing for as long as you like, as long as you buy a cup of coffee or something else to drink or eat of course. Most Starbucks also have comfortable fabric chairs and couches that allow you to sit and work for hours on end.
On the negative side of course is the fact that, despite the defacto use as, Starbucks really is not an office, so there will always be some noise, chatter and distractions going on. You will likely also feel pressured to spend more on coffee that you would if you had paid for a co-working or office space, where coffee is often free or heavily discounted. Since a cup of Americano costs about 100 baht in Thailand and assuming you drink two of those a day, that puts you at 4000 THB for a month, which is pretty close to what you can get a seat at a co-working space for – including coffee (not as good coffee, but still).
Starbucks in Thailand does not have free internet, but you can buy their hotspot package, which works in all Starbucks for 1 hour, 1 day or 1 month. The monthly package costs about 500 THB or $15, which is definitely the only package worth buying, even if you do not think you will use it that much.
Overall, Starbucks is a good choice, but not conductive to get really productive. There is too much noise, too many and too many distractions and in the end, you will get tired of working in a coffee shop. I did at least, but of course, it might be different for you. It is a great place to work on the go or if you are just passing through a city for a shorter period.
Honorable mention to the Thai knock off coffee chain Coffee World, which offers free Wifi and cheaper coffee, but is often found in malls and other noisy locations.
If you are in Bangkok and around the Sukhumvit area, I would recommend the Starbucks found on Thonglor, the one on the left hand side coming from Sukhumvit road.
Co-working spaces
For those who are not aware, a co-working space is like a shared office but often with less of a formal atmosphere, which makes it perfect for the self-employed, the digital nomad or the startup. When I first got to Bangkok, I tried out the working lounge at the Regus in Asoke, but quickly found out that the official shared offices are not very inspiring if you are an online entrepreneur. The formal setting and the shirt and tie culture is not very inspiring. For that reason, I went on the lookout for co-working spaces more aimed at the more creative fields and for online businesses in particular. I found and tried several worth recommending:
Third Place – Thonglor
Third Place (http://www.thirdplacebangkok.com/) is a co-working space or more accurately co-working café in the Thonglor Area. It isn’t a full-fledged co-working space and you probably won’t find someone to finance your start-up or project here nor should you expect to be greeted and introduced by the owners. It is more of a café where you can go to work with other freelancers and self-employed people. It is mostly foreigners working here and some thais. It is also the cheapest I have found at only 900 baht a month, which includes free wifi (which can be a bit slow at times) and discounts on coffee. It is a good compromise between price and features, particularly if you’re not going to be there every day. The location is excellent if you live around Thonglor or Ekamai, nestled in between both at Thonglor Soi 10 for easy access after work to restaurants, bars, massage places and everything else the areas has to offer. There’s probably quite a few online marketers and other one man operations working out of there. It would probably be my first choice if you’re an affiliate marketer, freelancer or something else of the sort and you don’t need others to spar with or you’re only in Bangkok for a shorter. There are people working out of that place with their businesses though.
Hubba - Ekamai
Hubba (http://hubbathailand.com/) is a proper start-up co-working space found on a soi to Ekamai road, right next to Bic C, with a focus on community and creativity. This is the place to go if you want to get to know and network with others in the Thai startup scene. The guys who own the place and the girls working the desk are very friendly and will introduce you to people around. Hubba is informal and creative, more of a place to work on your idea and first steps of your business than a place to really run a growing business, for which something like Launchpad would probably be better. You can definitely go there to work on whatever online business you do, even if you are not a proper startup. A benefit is that you are likely to find people like designers and coders, who might be available to hire for your projects or help you with what you are working on. Hubba also has a host of interesting courses and presentations going on including Thai language courses and coding classes. Price begins at 260 baht pr. day up to 4600 bath pr. month. Full of features, activities and cool people, this is probably my first choice for a serious co-working space in Bangkok. It also has an excellent location in Ekamai and if you snatch up a condo/apartment somewhere in the area, you will have work (Hubba), fun (Arena 10 clubs) and food/date places (Ekamai road and Ekamai/Sukhumvit intersection) all within a 10 baht motorcycle ride.
Launchpad – Sathorn
Where Hubba is aimed at the first steps of your online business, Launchpad (https://th-th.facebook.com/launchpadhq) is aimed at taking it to the next level. Launchpad is situated in Sathorn, which is quite a bit away from Sukhumvit and the usual expat hangouts, so unless you live in the area, you might not want to commute that far. Launchpad is huge though with plenty of space, desks and everything else. A lot of semi established businesses are working out of there, but you can easily go there to work, write or do whatever you do. If you’re looking for venture capital or a business partner, that is also a possibility. Launchpad has plenty of activities, just like Hubba, where you can learn and network. Price is between 4000-8000 baht depending on your package with daily and weekly offers as well.
Glowfish – Asoke
Glowfish (http://glowfishoffices.com/) is a coworking space and share offices in a very central location near Asoke. The place is more aimed at shared offices and businesses, but therer is a co-worksin space with high speed internet and VoIP phone system. The co-working space costs from 200 baht day to 5500 baht pr. month, while the shared offices cost about 20000 baht per month. Meeting rooms are also available.
63 Working Space
63 Working Space (http://www.63bangkok.com/) is a co-working space found in the boutique hotel 63 Bangkok right by the Ekamai BTS station. It is a new operation and with prices around 200 baht for one day and 5000 baht per month, it is not really cheaper or better than Hubba nearby. That does mean you can probably have the place more to yourself for a while though. As of this year – 2014 – the place does not seem very busy, but that could change. If you’re in Bangkok for a shorter period, it could be a possibility to live here as the rooms are around 1000 baht and seem good value for money with good location. Overall, I would say you would be better off at Hubba for the same price or Third Place at a much lower price.
Regus
Regus (http://regus.co.th/) is a worldwide shared office chain and has several locations in Bangkok. It is not a co-working space as such, but you can buy lounge access for a smaller sum. I wouldn’t recommend them as I found the lounge area lacking and the environment uninspiring and too professional. They do have a cheap worldwide membership to their lounges, but imo I’d rather go to Starbucks anyway.
Other workspaces
Libraries
When I first began working for myself, I used to set up shop in the local public library, which had free internet, peace and quiet and cheap coffee. I usually would not be the only working from there, as I’d notice the same regulars working away. Bangkok doesn’t have the same culture for public libraries if there even are any, but there are some good private libraries where you can find some solitude and get some work done.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is located just a kilometer down Ratchada road from Asoke BTS station and has a very popular library with looks of books on finance and economics. For that reason a lot of university and business school students go here to work on their projects. It is open to all though and you can for a small fee sign up for a membership. The library is called Maruey (http://www.maruey.com/) and has a website with more information and location, but don’t expect them to answer emails. Call them if you need to ask about something or better yet, just go in a taxi and figure things out.
Chulalongkorn University is one of the biggest and certainly most prestigious university in Bangkok. It is located right next to tourist trap mall MBK and Siam Square. The university has a library, which is open to the public if you register. I tried to find the library, but had to give up as there were protests in Bangkok during that time and much of that area was closed down. The website of the library is http://library.car.chula.ac.th/. If you live in the area, it might be something to check out. An added bonus is the thousands of uni girls in tight uniforms milling about, though that may be a distraction as well.
Places to work in Bangkok
Starbucks
First on the list is the everywhere present global coffee chain Starbucks that has chains all over Thailand (find them here: http://www.starbucks.co.th/) and tons in Bangkok in particular. Like Starbucks everywhere, there are always freelancers, startup people, novelists and other self-employed people working out of there. One of the reasons why, is Starbucks’ conscious decision not to hurry people out the door. You can pretty much sit down and do your thing for as long as you like, as long as you buy a cup of coffee or something else to drink or eat of course. Most Starbucks also have comfortable fabric chairs and couches that allow you to sit and work for hours on end.
On the negative side of course is the fact that, despite the defacto use as, Starbucks really is not an office, so there will always be some noise, chatter and distractions going on. You will likely also feel pressured to spend more on coffee that you would if you had paid for a co-working or office space, where coffee is often free or heavily discounted. Since a cup of Americano costs about 100 baht in Thailand and assuming you drink two of those a day, that puts you at 4000 THB for a month, which is pretty close to what you can get a seat at a co-working space for – including coffee (not as good coffee, but still).
Starbucks in Thailand does not have free internet, but you can buy their hotspot package, which works in all Starbucks for 1 hour, 1 day or 1 month. The monthly package costs about 500 THB or $15, which is definitely the only package worth buying, even if you do not think you will use it that much.
Overall, Starbucks is a good choice, but not conductive to get really productive. There is too much noise, too many and too many distractions and in the end, you will get tired of working in a coffee shop. I did at least, but of course, it might be different for you. It is a great place to work on the go or if you are just passing through a city for a shorter period.
Honorable mention to the Thai knock off coffee chain Coffee World, which offers free Wifi and cheaper coffee, but is often found in malls and other noisy locations.
If you are in Bangkok and around the Sukhumvit area, I would recommend the Starbucks found on Thonglor, the one on the left hand side coming from Sukhumvit road.
Co-working spaces
For those who are not aware, a co-working space is like a shared office but often with less of a formal atmosphere, which makes it perfect for the self-employed, the digital nomad or the startup. When I first got to Bangkok, I tried out the working lounge at the Regus in Asoke, but quickly found out that the official shared offices are not very inspiring if you are an online entrepreneur. The formal setting and the shirt and tie culture is not very inspiring. For that reason, I went on the lookout for co-working spaces more aimed at the more creative fields and for online businesses in particular. I found and tried several worth recommending:
Third Place – Thonglor
Third Place (http://www.thirdplacebangkok.com/) is a co-working space or more accurately co-working café in the Thonglor Area. It isn’t a full-fledged co-working space and you probably won’t find someone to finance your start-up or project here nor should you expect to be greeted and introduced by the owners. It is more of a café where you can go to work with other freelancers and self-employed people. It is mostly foreigners working here and some thais. It is also the cheapest I have found at only 900 baht a month, which includes free wifi (which can be a bit slow at times) and discounts on coffee. It is a good compromise between price and features, particularly if you’re not going to be there every day. The location is excellent if you live around Thonglor or Ekamai, nestled in between both at Thonglor Soi 10 for easy access after work to restaurants, bars, massage places and everything else the areas has to offer. There’s probably quite a few online marketers and other one man operations working out of there. It would probably be my first choice if you’re an affiliate marketer, freelancer or something else of the sort and you don’t need others to spar with or you’re only in Bangkok for a shorter. There are people working out of that place with their businesses though.
Hubba - Ekamai
Hubba (http://hubbathailand.com/) is a proper start-up co-working space found on a soi to Ekamai road, right next to Bic C, with a focus on community and creativity. This is the place to go if you want to get to know and network with others in the Thai startup scene. The guys who own the place and the girls working the desk are very friendly and will introduce you to people around. Hubba is informal and creative, more of a place to work on your idea and first steps of your business than a place to really run a growing business, for which something like Launchpad would probably be better. You can definitely go there to work on whatever online business you do, even if you are not a proper startup. A benefit is that you are likely to find people like designers and coders, who might be available to hire for your projects or help you with what you are working on. Hubba also has a host of interesting courses and presentations going on including Thai language courses and coding classes. Price begins at 260 baht pr. day up to 4600 bath pr. month. Full of features, activities and cool people, this is probably my first choice for a serious co-working space in Bangkok. It also has an excellent location in Ekamai and if you snatch up a condo/apartment somewhere in the area, you will have work (Hubba), fun (Arena 10 clubs) and food/date places (Ekamai road and Ekamai/Sukhumvit intersection) all within a 10 baht motorcycle ride.
Launchpad – Sathorn
Where Hubba is aimed at the first steps of your online business, Launchpad (https://th-th.facebook.com/launchpadhq) is aimed at taking it to the next level. Launchpad is situated in Sathorn, which is quite a bit away from Sukhumvit and the usual expat hangouts, so unless you live in the area, you might not want to commute that far. Launchpad is huge though with plenty of space, desks and everything else. A lot of semi established businesses are working out of there, but you can easily go there to work, write or do whatever you do. If you’re looking for venture capital or a business partner, that is also a possibility. Launchpad has plenty of activities, just like Hubba, where you can learn and network. Price is between 4000-8000 baht depending on your package with daily and weekly offers as well.
Glowfish – Asoke
Glowfish (http://glowfishoffices.com/) is a coworking space and share offices in a very central location near Asoke. The place is more aimed at shared offices and businesses, but therer is a co-worksin space with high speed internet and VoIP phone system. The co-working space costs from 200 baht day to 5500 baht pr. month, while the shared offices cost about 20000 baht per month. Meeting rooms are also available.
63 Working Space
63 Working Space (http://www.63bangkok.com/) is a co-working space found in the boutique hotel 63 Bangkok right by the Ekamai BTS station. It is a new operation and with prices around 200 baht for one day and 5000 baht per month, it is not really cheaper or better than Hubba nearby. That does mean you can probably have the place more to yourself for a while though. As of this year – 2014 – the place does not seem very busy, but that could change. If you’re in Bangkok for a shorter period, it could be a possibility to live here as the rooms are around 1000 baht and seem good value for money with good location. Overall, I would say you would be better off at Hubba for the same price or Third Place at a much lower price.
Regus
Regus (http://regus.co.th/) is a worldwide shared office chain and has several locations in Bangkok. It is not a co-working space as such, but you can buy lounge access for a smaller sum. I wouldn’t recommend them as I found the lounge area lacking and the environment uninspiring and too professional. They do have a cheap worldwide membership to their lounges, but imo I’d rather go to Starbucks anyway.
Other workspaces
Libraries
When I first began working for myself, I used to set up shop in the local public library, which had free internet, peace and quiet and cheap coffee. I usually would not be the only working from there, as I’d notice the same regulars working away. Bangkok doesn’t have the same culture for public libraries if there even are any, but there are some good private libraries where you can find some solitude and get some work done.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is located just a kilometer down Ratchada road from Asoke BTS station and has a very popular library with looks of books on finance and economics. For that reason a lot of university and business school students go here to work on their projects. It is open to all though and you can for a small fee sign up for a membership. The library is called Maruey (http://www.maruey.com/) and has a website with more information and location, but don’t expect them to answer emails. Call them if you need to ask about something or better yet, just go in a taxi and figure things out.
Chulalongkorn University is one of the biggest and certainly most prestigious university in Bangkok. It is located right next to tourist trap mall MBK and Siam Square. The university has a library, which is open to the public if you register. I tried to find the library, but had to give up as there were protests in Bangkok during that time and much of that area was closed down. The website of the library is http://library.car.chula.ac.th/. If you live in the area, it might be something to check out. An added bonus is the thousands of uni girls in tight uniforms milling about, though that may be a distraction as well.
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