Tried coworking at a hostel in Chiang Mai for a month and productivity tanked

I figured I'd save money and meet people by working from the common area at a hostel in Chiang Mai instead of a proper coworking space. But the constant noise and people asking where I'm from every 10 minutes killed my flow, I got maybe 3 hours of real work done each day. Has anyone else found that cheaper spots end up costing more in lost focus?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley_wells662mo ago

Bruh I feel this so hard but for a different reason. Tried working from a coffee shop in Saigon once and the owner kept bringing me free tastings of every new drink they made. Like bro I appreciate the hospitality but I can't code on a sugar high from four passion fruit smoothies. Ended up just giving up and going back to my room which had a desk the size of a lunch tray.

ryanj6018d ago

Man, that owner sounds like he meant well but totally derailed your flow. I've had similar stuff happen in Vietnam where the hospitality is so over the top it becomes a distraction. One time in Hanoi a barista kept bringing me samples of egg coffee and I couldn't focus on anything for an hour. Your mileage may vary but sometimes you gotta just pick a spot and tell them "no more drinks please" even if it feels rude. That tiny desk struggle is real too.

mason_flores212mo ago

Did you try noise canceling headphones or just raw dog the noise? Hostel common rooms during the day are basically a social experiment, not a workspace. That 3 hours might be generous depending on the crowd.