So, there’s a tonne of articles like this on the internet about Digital Nomad Friendly Cafes in Bangkok. What makes mine different? Well I’ve actually been to and work in these cafes often. It’s not just a regurgitated Google maps page. To prove it, the article is littered with original images, and speed tests to show you how fast the wifi is. So, are you ready for the no bullsh*t nomad friendly cafes guide to Bangkok? Then hop in with me.
The way I have ranked these is by looking at factors like:
- Number of plugs & desks available
- WiFi time limits
- Average cost
- WiFi speeds
- Aircon temperature
- Social nature
Best Digital Nomad Cafes Bangkok
Here’s a quick list of the best digital nomad cafes in Bangkok:
- Paper Plane Project (best workspace, menu & location, but most expensive)
- Le Cafe Phoenix (best for internet speed, good menu, but quite pricey)
- Coffee Club (best vibe, cafe & a bar, internet speed good, quite pricey)
- Oasis Coffee (worst internet, but best on price and workspace)
- Starbucks (pretty expensive, but decent WiFi & no one is going to bother you for hours)
- Artis (pretty expensive, WiFi pretty bad, small space, great menu, amazing coffee)
- Casa Lapin (cheapest, but worst workspace, no plugs etc.)
1. Paper Plane Project
This place is fantastic. 100% my favourite on the list and there’s good reason for that. The cafe is aimed particularly at nomads, so the drinks and food are priced fairly for the amount of allotted time you’ll get on the WiFi. With a purchase of a drink you’ll get 8 hours on the WiFi, and you can stay on 1 drink for that time. I usually don’t and order some food as well.
The workspaces are fantastic, there’s a library you can read in, a few private rooms for calls and chill-out areas for short breaks. The chairs on most of the desks are pretty basic and slightly broken, but other than that, that’s my only qualm with Paper Planes Project. The WiFi is decent, the space is good, there are more than enough plugs for everyone on every desk and each have a good space. Another plus is that the Aircon is not on full blast 24/7, so you don’t have to take a jacket to stay in there a while.
Food is fantastic, and coffee is great too. I would highly recommend the Crispy Pork Scrambled Eggs, and the English Breakfast is the closest I’ve found to home so far for the price.
Coming here will set you back about 330 baht for a meal ($9 USD), with your service charges included. For coffee you can expect 150-200 ($5-7 USD) baht depending on what you’re getting. With your order you’ll get a WiFi code receipt. For this price, you could easily purchase an entire day at a co-working space in Bangkok, so it could be worth looking into those if you want to come here. But I think coming here is worth it, it’s pretty great.
Later on the place turns into a bar where you can drink and socialise with people. To be honest with you, most people don’t do that here, but they do have live bands on Friday’s and weekends from 7-9pm onwards.
Internet Speed
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| 15.42 Mbps | 66.19 Mbps |
While the download speed might seem a bit low, the impressive upload speed makes this cafe an excellent choice for those who need to send large files or participate in video calls.
2. Le Café Phénix
Le Cafe Phenix has great WiFi speeds, a nice workspace, but only a few charging points in the cafe (there’s a designated area for this and it’s quite small). It can also get pretty busy here and it’s often not enough space for the amount of customers they get, despite the fact that the space is pretty large. With the purchase of a drink, you’ll get a WiFi code that lasts you 8 hours, so you can stay for a while. Drinks will cost you anywhere from 120-250 baht for a drink, and meals can range from 250-400 baht per meal.
For this price, again, you could most likely just purchase a seat for the day at a proper co-working space in Bangkok, so that might be worth considering.
The Aircon is not on a crazy cold setting, and the ambient temperature is nice. It’s cool, but not too cool and you won’t need a jacket to put on when you sit inside. Imagine sitting inside a cafe with a jacket on in the tropics of SEA eh?
Lot’s of other digital nomads come and work at this cafe, and it’s got quite a few regulars so you’ll be able to socialise and make friends if that’s something you want to do. If you’re an introvert like me, it will always be a little more difficult, but it’s possible!
Food is pretty great, there’s some nice western options and good range of Thai options too and the coffee is good too. It’s not on the same level as Artis, but it’ll do! Really you’re paying for the space here.
Internet Speed
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| 73.16 Mbps | 28.94 Mbps |
With impressive download and upload speeds, Le Cafe Phoenix is perfect for those who need to handle large files or engage in video conferencing.
3. Coffee Club
The Coffee Club is a fantastic nomad-friendly cafe to head to. They have multiple locations all throughout Bangkok, but the best is the Thong Lor branch. It’s spacious, has good WiFi, a lot of plug sockets, and definitely has the comfiest chairs, best desks and most welcoming vibe out of all of the cafes listed here. At about 100-150 ($3-4) baht per cup of coffee or tea, it’s also a hell of a lot cheaper than most listed here.
If you order tea, you get a nice teapot that will see you through about 2, full cups of tea (I like to order tea most places I go).
The location in Thong Lor also serves Wine and Beer and becomes a lot more social at night, so it’s a good place to meet people, or just enjoy the chill setting while enjoying a beer or two after you’ve finished up work. Also the Aircon isn’t constantly blasted at a low temperature, so it’s comfortable to sit in for longer periods of time.
Internet Speed
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| 9.82 Mbps | 6.90 Mbps |
While not the fastest internet speeds on our list, Coffee Club’s connection is generally stable and sufficient for basic tasks like emailing and web browsing.
4. Oasis Coffee
Oasis is a fantastic place to work if you don’t need fast WiFi. They have multiple locations in Bangkok, but I’ll be focussing on the one near Victory Monument. You get 4 hours of WiFi time with a purchase of a drink or anything on the menu. Coffees and Teas will set you back around 90-150 baht per cup ($2.5-4 USD). There are loads of desks, and the place has 2 floors, with plugs on pretty much every desk. The chairs are a bit cheap and the desks sometimes a little low, but it’s a pretty awesome place to go and work.
Usually it gets very busy around 1-3pm, and it can be hard to find a desk, despite the large amount available so I’d recommend going earlier.
They have a wide range of snacks available, and some really delicious-looking carrot cake (not sure how good it is yet, will update when I try). Coffee was pretty average, just a standard Americano, nothing special, but nothing bad about it. They have a load of different frappe options, teas, and all types of drinks. I don’t really go for those fancy, creamy drinks, so I have no comment on them. The coffee is alright, the tea is good too.
The one drawback of Oasis is the horrifically low WiFi speeds.
Internet Speed
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| 4.69 Mbps | 7.69 Mbps |
The internet speeds at Oasis Coffee are on the lower end, but they can still support basic online tasks. If you need to do bandwidth-heavy work, you might want to consider other options.
Coffee and Menu
Oasis Coffee prides itself on serving organic, locally-sourced coffee. They offer a variety of brewing methods, including pour-over and cold brew. Their food menu is small but thoughtfully curated, featuring homemade cakes, light sandwiches, and healthy salads. Prices are very reasonable, with coffee ranging from 50-80 baht and food items from 100-180 baht.
Atmosphere and Amenities
The cafe has a cozy, homey feel with a mix of vintage and modern decor. Workspace options include:
- Comfortable sofas for a relaxed working environment
- Small tables perfect for individual work
- A small garden area for those who enjoy working outdoors
While power outlets are limited, the friendly staff is usually happy to help you find a spot near one if needed. The calm atmosphere and affordable prices make Oasis Coffee a hidden gem for digital nomads on a budget.
5. Starbucks
Love it or hate it Starbucks is a great place to just go, buy a couple drinks and just sit there for ages with no one disturbing you. There are so many around Bangkok, although a little pricey compared to other cafes, it’s a good option if you can’t be bothered to spend time looking for a good cafe. Starbucks always has a decent vibe, there are many plugs available and the WiFi is decent.
It’s also actually a pretty great place to meet other people. I’ve met a few people just sitting in Starbucks doing my work. Some will see what work you’re doing and come and say hi to you and ask what you do for work. Despite the high price, it’s always going to be a nice, decent place to work.
The one massive downside of Starbucks is the Aircon. They blast it so incredibly cold. So, if you’re going to stay for a while, make sure to take a jacket along with you.
Internet Speed
Internet speeds at Starbucks locations in Bangkok can vary widely depending on the specific store and time of day. Generally, you can expect speeds sufficient for basic tasks, but it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan for important calls or large file transfers.
6. Artis
Artis is fantastic if you want incredible-tasting coffee, but really not good for working in. It’s a tiny, locally run cafe, so setting up shop for hours there is a bit of a d*** move unless you’re buying a lot. There’s around 6-7 tables inside, and only one of the tables (the long bar style one) has plugs that you can use to charge your phone, laptop etc.
It’s a pretty great place for doing a few hours of work (maybe 1-2), having a really, high-quality cup of coffee and some decent food. I would highly recommend trying the pour-over speciality coffee. The Ethiopian variety they have is incredible, but will set you back around 180 baht for a cup ($5 USD)
The food options are pretty limited, but albeit tasty, and they have a great offer where you can get coffee, orange juice and a sandwich for 249 baht ($7 USD). This offer finishes at 11am.
As for working, the desks are pretty awful for this purpose, there aren’t many plugs, the WiFi speeds aren’t great and it’s really not a cafe aimed at people who want to do work there. For meeting people, however, it’s a great place to meet other like-minded nomads, as many love to hang out here, chat and drink coffee.
7. Casa Lapin
Casa Lapin is the cheapest on the list. They have multiple locations around Bangkok. Coffee is pretty good and it will set you back anywhere between 70-150 baht a cup ($2-4). Lot’s of digital nomads come to work in Casa Lapin, but I’m not sure quite why. The internet is not great and you have a 2hr time limit. The cafe isn’t really directed at nomads, so I’d generally avoid coming here if possible. If you’ve only got a bit of light work to do, it can be nice for a change of scenery.
The good thing about Casa Lapin is they don’t blast the Aircon too strong, in fact it can get a little too hot here (especially on really clear days). Food is pretty tasty, and reasonably priced, and the vibe in the cafes is a nice, mellow, wooden/kinda rustic feel.
Internet Speed
| Download Speed | Upload Speed |
|---|---|
| 40.19 Mbps | 46.27 Mbps |
Tips for Working from Cafes in Bangkok
Now that we’ve explored some of the best digital nomad cafes Bangkok has to offer, let’s discuss how to make the most of your cafe working experience:
Cafe Etiquette
- Purchase regularly: Most cafes are happy to host digital nomads, but it’s important to be a good customer. Buy a drink or snack every couple of hours.
- Be mindful of space: During busy times, try to take up only as much space as you need.
- Use headphones: If you need to take calls or listen to audio, always use headphones to avoid disturbing others.
- Tip when appropriate: While not always expected, tipping is appreciated, especially if you’ve been working for several hours.
Maximizing Productivity
- Bring a power bank: Even in cafes with plenty of outlets, it’s good to have a backup.
- Use a VPN: For added security when using public Wi-Fi.
- Try different cafes: Each place has its own vibe. Experiment to find what works best for you.
- Take breaks: Use your cafe time as an opportunity to people-watch or chat with locals.
Comparing Bangkok’s Digital Nomad Cafes
To help you choose the best cafe for your needs, here’s a quick comparison of the cafes we’ve discussed:
| Cafe | Internet Speed (Down/Up) | Price Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Plane Project | 15.42/66.19 Mbps | Mid-range | Uploading large files, video calls |
| Le Cafe Phoenix | 73.16/28.94 Mbps | Above average | Fast downloads, general work |
| Casa Lapin | 40.19/46.27 Mbps | Moderate | Balanced work needs, coffee enthusiasts |
| Coffee Club | 9.82/6.90 Mbps | Mid-range | Consistent experience, varied food options |
| Oasis Coffee | 4.69/7.69 Mbps | Budget-friendly | Relaxed atmosphere, basic online tasks |
| Starbucks | Variable | Above average | Familiarity, reliable amenities |
| Artis | Reported as fast | Mid-range | Trendy atmosphere, serious coffee |
Other Digital Nomad-Friendly Spots in Bangkok
While cafes are great for daily work, don’t forget to explore other options Bangkok offers for digital nomads:
Coworking Spaces
Bangkok has numerous coworking spaces that offer more structured environments, often with additional amenities like printers, meeting rooms, and networking events. Some popular options include:
- The Hive
- WeWork
- Hubba
Libraries
For a quiet, studious atmosphere, consider working from one of Bangkok’s public libraries. The National Library of Thailand and the Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) both offer free Wi-Fi and comfortable workspaces.
Malls
There are some fantastic malls outside of the centre of Bangkok, such as True Mall. These have free working spaces that you can use and often have chargers too. Lots of malls around Bangkok include these. Usually you’ll find them on the top floor of the mall of the floor just below the top floor.
There is also a mall called CASEAN mall, this has a free coworking space that is incredibly useful. There are quiet areas, focus zones, booths to take calls etc. All you have to do is sign up for an app, and scan yourself in. Parking at the CASEAN mall is also pretty cheap at 10 baht per hour.
Here’s a couple images from the True Digital mall. It’s located in Udom Suk, and just so happens to have one of the best barbers and Khao Soi shops nearby. Great place to go check out, brilliant area with loads of bars and craft beer options for after work too.
I’m Harry – and I was tired of the same old “10 best places I’ve never been but I’m writing about for some reason” blog posts. So… I’m a young traveller on a mission to travel the world and share my true, unfiltered experience, including all the gristly details. From packing my life into one bag for a year, to traveling Vietnam by motorbike, to sorting out Visas for specific countries – I’ve done it all, am doing it all and only give my advice on things I have done – not regurgitated cr*p from another source *cough* most publications *cough*. So bear with us! This project will take some time to grow, and will take a fair bit of money. But I’m determined to make it the single best source of information about traveling on the internet.
