Koh Lanta coworking spaces are way too Instagram-focused now

I was in Koh Lanta last month trying to get work done and every spot I tried had more pastel walls and fake plants than actual desks with power outlets. Has anyone found a decent place there that doesn't feel like a photo studio first and a workspace second?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakeb252mo ago

Man that place has gone full influencer bait huh. I actually went to a spot behind the main strip near Long Beach that was all rough wood and mismatched chairs, barely any wifi signal but nobody was there so I got all the bandwidth. What kills me is the coworking spaces are copying the cafes but the cafes are copying the coworking spaces, it's like this weird loop where nobody actually wants to work. The real hack is going to a random hotel lobby around Saladan at like 10am when checkout is happening, they'll let you sit for hours if you buy one overpriced coconut and the outlets are everywhere.

rowanellis1mo ago

See I actually disagree with the "weird loop" thing. I think the pastel walls and fake plants WORK for a lot of people, even if they look copy-paste. Not everyone needs a generator hum to concentrate, some folks actually LIKE that sterile aesthetic because it feels like a fresh start for their brain. The real problem isn't the decor, it's that nobody tells you most of those spots have terrible wifi during peak hours no matter how cute they look. I went to a pastel wall place near Long Beach last month and couldn't even load a Google Doc at 2pm. So yeah the hotel lobby hack is better for actual work, but the influencer spots have their place for people who just need to sit somewhere and feel inspired for an hour.

david_rivera42mo ago

Nah you're right about the fake plants thing... saw a spot with a whole monstera wall that looked like it came from IKEA, no way that helps anyone focus. Actually though the hotel lobby hack is smart but you gotta time it right cause some of those places near Saladan kick you out after noon for the lunch crowd. The real hidden gem was this little café near the southern end of Long Beach, wooden tables powered by a generator that hums loud enough to drown out the instagram crowd... just gotta bring a power strip cause there's only one outlet. Also gotta say the whole "pastel walls" thing is funny cause most of those coworking spots copied that from a place in Bangkok that went under last year.