Chiangmai - Coffee Paradise

Chiangmai is a coffee lover's paradise. While the big chain cafes such as Starbucks mostly operate in the high traffic, tourist areas or in the big shopping centres, there is practically an independently owned cafe in every corner of Chiangmai, even in out of the way places and even in the mountains.

Many of these cafes are one to two owner establishments whose owners have spent some time working in a cafe.  Low rents and barriers to entry coupled with potential high profit margins make it worthwhile for many of them to strike out on their own.

These cafes often offer:

• Free Wi-Fi.
• Cakes, bread, and food (some of which are homemade or freshly baked).
• Interesting decor (classy/homely/quirky etc).
• Reading material such as books and newpapers.
• Charging points for your electronic devices.

Coffee in Chiangmai is really cheap compared to big establishments such as Starbucks. Prices for a latte or ice-blended coffee can start from about 40 baht (about USD 1.30).

The low material and labour costs also mean that setup costs for the cafe are low (but this also means that the owners often have no qualms about packing up and go if they think that the business is not making enough for them). This gives owners a lot of freedom to decorate the cafe whichever way they want. Many cafes are lavishly decorated with wooden interiors, furniture, and a lot of greenery. Some are even located beside man-made rivers as well (e.g. Baan Suan Cafe).

But regardless of what kind of cafe you like, Chiangmai will definitely have something for you.