kais67•2d ago

Coworking passes felt like a scam until I actually needed one in Chiang Mai

I was dead set against paying for coworking spaces. Thought they were just overpriced coffee shops with louder fans. Then last month my Airbnb internet went out for three days straight. I caved and bought a 10 day pass at Punspace for about $75. That first day I got more work done in 4 hours than I had in the whole week before. Has anyone else been burned by bad hostel or Airbnb wifi and had to scramble for a backup plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_perez2d ago

Oh I'm going the other way on this one completely. I've been using coworking spaces for years and I think a lot of them are just overpriced places to sit that don't actually help you work better. You paid $75 for ten days which is $7.50 a day. For that price you could have gone to any coffee shop in Chiang Mai for a few days bought a couple coffees and still had money left over. The internet at most cafes there is perfectly fine for normal work. And the Punspace crowd is full of people who are just trying to look busy on their laptops anyway. Plus you had to walk there and back every day which eats into your time. I'd rather just tether to my phone for the few days the Airbnb internet is down and save the cash for something more useful.

the_elizabeth1d ago

I'll push back on the "coffee shop internet is fine" part because that hasn't been my experience at all. In my experience, cafes in Chiang Mai get packed and the wifi tanks right when you need to join a video call or upload something, so having a dedicated coworking connection can be the difference between getting work done or wasting an afternoon.