Coworking pass vs coffee shop hopping - one is a trap

I spent 3 months bouncing between coffee shops in Chiang Mai. $5 lattes, bad wifi, hunting for outlets. Then I dropped $150 on a monthly coworking pass at Punspace. Stable internet, free water, actual desks. My output doubled easy. The coffee shop route seems cheaper but you buy drinks and snacks all day. Anyone else make the switch and notice the same thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamhill6d ago

$150 for Punspace seems a bit high, I think their standard monthly pass is more like $120 these days. But yeah, I hear you on the coffee shop trap. I did the same thing in Bali for two months and realized I was spending $8-10 a day just on drinks and snacks to justify sitting there. Plus the anxiety of getting the stink eye if you don't order every hour. Coworking spaces make more sense if you look at total cost including the free water and coffee they usually throw in. That said, some coffee shops here in Bangkok have basic coworking setups built in now for like $5 a day if you just need a spot for a few hours.

wrenh655d agoMost Upvoted

lol the coffee shop guilt is so real. I did the same thing in Chiang Mai, ended up buying like three iced lattes a day and still felt like the barista was giving me side eye every time I went to the bathroom. Then I found this tiny coworking spot near the old city that was literally 100 baht for the whole day, like $3 bucks, and it came with free toast and jam in the morning. Totally changed my game. But honestly sometimes you just need that coffee shop vibe with the good music and random people watching, even if you spend more than you should. The stink eye tax is brutal though.