Chiang Mai: Water, Cinema, Coworking

It is easy to see why Chiang Mai is home to so many expats, digital nomads and Thais.  It is a good sized city, with lots of things to see, and lots of food variety, and comfortable accommodation options.

Here’s a few more things I have learned:

Water in Chiang Mai

Although the tap water looks and smells clean, and is treated, it is still not recommended to drink (or boil).  I have been using it for cleaning my teeth only.

Rather than buying endless bottles of water from the local supermarkets, there are many “filtered water stations” around on the streets.

If you bring your own container, you can refill for only 1THB per litre.  Just put your bottle in, drop your coins in, and it starts filling.

Cinema in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has quite a few cinemas to choose from, and they clearly mark what language the films will be.  I visited SF Cinema at the top of the Maya Centre, mostly for convenience.

I saw The Legend of Tarzan for 150THB.  The seats were comfortable, but I can see why many do not buy popcorn at 130THB, it is very expensive and clearly the biggest money maker for the cinema.

Co-working in Chiang Mai

This town is a hotspot for digital nomads, looking to minimise their living expenses and maximise their online income.

Punspace Nimman is one such space that has opened up in recent years, offering all the facilities of an office, at a rent-a-desk price from 229THB per day.

Fresh Coffee in Chiang Mai

Yes, I’m a coffee snob. And luckily I am not alone in Chiang Mai.  My new favourite local is MingMitr Coffee.

However, I also tried Ristr8to in Nimman.  I had an Iced Coffee (68THB) and it was very good.  They also have a range of “fancy”/ alcoholic coffees, which looked tasty too.