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- Alt_Newsletter #0006
Alt_Newsletter #0006
You’ll be happy to know we have just started to dry off after several days of Songkran celebrations! Members joined us for a barbecue and a couple of trips into the city in the back of pick-up trucks and got VERY wet…
We’re kicking off today’s newsletter with a new feature for the mid-month catchup. John is “spilling the beans” in a new gossip column, where he shares what’s happening in the coliving and community space outside of Alt_…
Spilling The Beans
🇧🇹 Many countries are realising the benefits of welcoming digital nomads. One that is probably not on many of your radar, but I heard recently about the initiatives to attract new startups in Bhutan. Would you take in Bhutan?
🤝 As you know, community is a passion of mine whatever form it takes. I wrote about the connections I’ve made lately - including a conversation with the guy who organized Slush’D in Penang - and how difficult but rewarding collaborating can be.
💳 We want to reward you beyond what we hope you get from being part of our community. Watch this space (especially if you want one of those t-shirts) as loyalty means a lot to us, and we want to repay it with actual rewards. A new referall program is in the works, and we are just putting the finishing touches to it.
Until next time, John.
What’s in today’s Alt_Newsletter:
An all-comers-welcome barbecue for nomads in Chiang Mai (and win a free ticket to Bansko Nomadfest while you’re at it!)
See what you’ve missed out on at Alt_ lately
Running a dive company from the mountains of Chiang Mai
Is Alt_ haunted?
Last chance for to save on a spur-of-the-moment stay at Alt_
The Alt_PingRiver Digital Nomad BBQ
We recently had a great conversation with Safir at Global Nomad Pass, and it has resulted in them partnering up with us to bring together a bunch of digital nomads for a barbecue party next week.
 | Date & Time: April 25, from 18:00 Venue: Alt_PingRiver Price: 150THB (or FREE if you are one of the first 40 attendees to download the app and sign up for a 30-day FREE trial. You need to sign up at registration when you arrive to get this, so arrive in good time.) What do you need to bring? Just you, and your friends too! You might need some cash for drinks if you get thirsty - it’s a hot time of year so stay hydrated! - and wear your social hat…you’ll meet lots of new people. |
If you aren’t in town, forward this email to all of your friends who are!!
Entry includes all food (yes, we’ll be serving up vegetarian options) and a great way to connect with other nomads from all over Chiang Mai.
P.S. The barbecue is going to offer an extra opportunity to win a free ticket to Bansko Nomadfest. Follow our Instagram for more details in the coming days.
Songkran might be just finishing for another year, but you can still grab 10% off your stay if you check into Alt_PingRIver before the end of the month. Book on our website and enter the code below.
Alt_Stories
Making long-lasting friendships at Alt_
Kristy joined us last year and spent a month and a half at Alt_. She was one of the first to reach out wanting to share her experience at Alt_, and, despite Chiang Mai not exactly the ideal place for the core of her business, she walked away with a LOT…
What appealed to you about coliving?
What I love about coliving is that you meet people from different backgrounds, but with a shared lifestyle — most of them are digital nomads as well. It’s very different from, say, meeting people at a hostel or a typical tourist hotel. There’s an intentionality in coliving communities that really resonates with me.
How did staying at Alt_ impact your nomad journey?
Alt_ had a huge impact on me. Even though I’ve been a nomad for many years, Alt_ was actually my first proper coliving experience. I still remember when I first arrived — John appeared and started speaking Cantonese to me, which totally surprised me! We were both from Hong Kong.
I met so many great people — people I really clicked with on a deeper frequency. We had such a fun time. One of them actually became a close travel buddy, and we now travel together 3–4 months each year, in different parts of the world. That kind of connection is really rare and special.
Kristy at work (obviously not in Chiang Mai! 😅
What about your career? Where did your business go after staying here?
I run a diving travel agency — we organize dive trips and also offer scuba courses. I personally lead many of the trips, and I’m involved in everything from marketing to building the website, to managing the entire customer experience.
I also run a digital platform to promote the digital nomad lifestyle in Hong Kong, hoping to make this way of living more visible and accessible in Asia.
If you want to support an Alt_Fam member and you’re into diving, check out Kristy’s dive travel agency, Dive For Travel. You can also see more about her digital nomad life on her Insta.
If you have an Alt_ story to tell, or want to appear here and share your thing with the community, fill in this form.
What has happened at Alt_ this month?
 Songkran 4×4 crew  Dumpling overload! 🥟🥟🥟 | Alt_Songkran It was inevitable, but we got a soaking - and not just because of the unexpected thunderstorms that struck the city! Sunday was a day for Alt_Fam to gather for one of our legendary barbecues, a watergun shoot-out, taking in the traditional parade, and a trip around the city on the back of pick-up trucks. There were a lot of very wet - and happy - Alt_ members and friends by the end of the day! Dumpling Night A great turnout, and even better dumplings! We had no idea there were so many different variants 🙀 Dungeons & Dragons Meetup The second, and definitely not the last D&D meetup here. In fact one is scheduled for next week already. It’s not often you get to play and learn from a pro at anything! |
Get involved at Alt_
For the rest of April we’ve got plenty to do to keep you out of the heat of Chiang Mai:
All of our regular, recurring events - yoga, ice baths, AI Project Meetup - can be found here.
Alt_Recommends
We’ve accumulated a lot of recommendations from members over the years, and now realize that some of them might be useful to you. So, we’ve asked current and previous members for things that have helped them with their nomad and/or coliving lifestyle.
Alt_ regular, Sole (who just moved out for her next destination today 😢) gave us these:
Book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind; Yuval Noah Harari
Podcast Philosophize This!
Chiang Mai Hidden Gem Fern Forest Cafe, Old Town (“the French Toast is the best!!”)
Essential Travel Carry Tiger balm. The red one is great for neck pain!
If you’ve any recommendations other Alt_Fam people might benefit from, drop four of the best to us here.
Alt_Facts
Thailand is steeped in tradition, and Alt_PingRiver and Alt_ChiangMai are not exempt from these. In fact, when Alt_PingRiver was being built we held quite the unique event.
Our spiritual Aunty insisted on an extensive offering to the spirits of the house. As it’s an older building there were increased chances it was home to a less friendly “spirit coliver”.
  | We brought in a monk to bless the building, and served up a full service meal in offering to the spirits. Offering food and drink to the spirits of a building is common practice in Thailand. It keeps them happy so that they will protect the building for us. You’ll be glad to know that the food lad out was not wasted. Once the spirits had their share, we got to indulge in the leftovers! More importantly, thanks to our spirit house being blessed and the offerings we made, the building is protected for when you come and stay. |
Enjoy the rest of the month! You’ll hear from us again in a couple of weeks when our May newsletter hits the press.
John and the Alt_ team.