Today, Thailand, and especially Chiang Mai, has become a top destination for digital nomads. The beautiful Northern Thai city attracts thousands and thousands of travelers every year, and a lot of these visitors are remote workers.

As it happens, Chiang Mai has the biggest digital nomads’ community in the world. I’ve lived there for three months this year, and as a remote worker myself, I completely understood why people liked it so much. For those who have chosen the same lifestyle as me, Chiang Mai offers many perks. Superfast internet, a cheap cost of living, and great food are only a few of them, as this Thai gem is more than just a hub for those of us who have left the 9 to 5 life behind.

So, without further ado, here are 6 reasons why Chiang Mai is the go-to destinations for digital nomads, and why you should make it your next home base for a couple of months (or years).

It's laid back

If you’re tired of the busy life in Bangkok and other giant cities, Chiang Mai is the place for you. Calm and laid back, life here is extremely relaxing. You might think it passes by you, but it doesn’t. Instead, you’ll have the time and energy to enjoy every little moment. I have never been as relaxed as during those 3 fantastic months I spent there.

I suffer from anxiety disorder and even the smallest things can stress me out and send me into a spiral, but living in Chiang Mai taught me to take it easy and not fret about the complications of everyday life.

“What does that have to do with being a digital nomad?”, you might ask. Well, it has everything to with it, my friend! Working as a freelancer can take a toll on your mental health, as you can never be sure when your next paycheck is coming, or if your clients will want to work with you again. So, living in Chiang Mai helps you stay zen when you’re trying not to freak out about work.

It has a booming digital nomad community

One thing about freelance work is that it’s lonely. When I first started, the one thing I missed the most about working in an office was the sense of community that I felt while working alongside colleagues.

Living in a new country and discovering a different culture is extremely exciting, but if you spend too much time by yourself, you’ll start to get a bit bored with your own company. This is definitely not what happens in Chiang Mai though. As soon as I moved there, I looked up online communities and ended up meeting a number of interesting people, from successful entrepreneurs to like-minded writers who left everything behind for the sake of adventure.

Since there are so many remote workers living in Chiang Mai, you’ll get back that sense of community without having to let go of the freedom of freelance work.

It doesn't cost much to live there

One of the best things about living in Thailand, and especially Chiang Mai, is the cost of living. You can live there for about 600$ a month, without being too frugal. Accommodation is widely available and is sometimes extremely cheap since the rent can cost as little as 100$ per month. Wi-Fi is also super fast and available everywhere, from coffee shops to coworking spaces, and data plans are inexpensive.

Chiang Mai is perfect for those who want to live a good life without splurging too much, while also saving money on the side. Living in Thailand for three months gave me the opportunity to save enough money to move to a much more expensive country, South Korea.

Cafes and coworking spaces are everywhere

If you’re like me, then you really don’t like staying home and working on your laptop all day. I’ve always preferred going out and breathing in the fresh air, meeting new faces and mingling with people.

Cafés and coworking spaces gave me the perfect opportunity to do that. Chiang Mai hosts a number of coworking spaces, with some of them being pretty famous. And if you’re not much of a coworking space kind of person, don’t worry. Nice cafés are easy to find in Chiang Mai, and there will always be another digital nomad there busying themselves with work.

I met many people who became friends and business cooperators only by sitting in a coffee shop and working. So, hit the streets, enjoy that organic Thai coffee and that fast internet, and get some work done!

The food is heavenly

One of the reasons while I’m traveling (besides, you know, meeting interesting people, visiting cool places, and discovering new cultures) is trying exotic food. And boy, does Chiang Mai have a lot to offer when it comes to food! From Pad Thai to Green Curry to the Northern Thai specialty Khao Soi, the city is a haven for all foodies out there. It doesn’t hurt either that eating out in Chiang Mai is extremely cheap, as you can get a meal in a food stall for less than 1$.

The weather is fantastic and the scenery is mesmerizing

Coming from a hot country myself (Morocco), I am not much of a winter fan. This made Chiang Mai the perfect destination for a summer lover like me. For 4 months a year (November to February), the weather in the city is nothing but perfect. The days are usually hot but not humid, which is more than I can say about the weather in a lot of other South East Asian cities.

Let’s not forget the landscape either, as Chiang Mai is located in the mountains, and offers a lot to see for nature lovers out there. Forests, rice fields, waterfalls, caves, and lakes turn the scenery into a lavish painting.