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- Alt_Newsletter #0008
Alt_Newsletter #0008
Now, we’re not exactly neutral when it comes to our bias toward Chiang Mai, but it can’t go unmentioned that March and April were NOT the “burning season” that many people had expected.
 | You know, the ones that ran off scared and missed out on sunny days, (and ok, perhaps a couple of weeks of sporadically unpleasant air), and a Songkran that brought fun and even clearer skies. Not to mention the city was super peaceful! |
All we’re saying is, remember this for next year!
In fact, even our summer isn’t as hot as it often can be, and May has brought more people through the doors than the last couple of years. This brings with it more opportunities to meet an even wider range of new friends, including at Alt_…
What’s in today’s Alt_Newsletter:
John is literally Spilling The Beans this week on podcasts, on stage, at summits…🎤
Get a free stay in Taipei (ooh, that rhymes! 😁)
Meet Alt_’s very own Wim Hof! 🌬️
The pics you see are not your average coliving/hotel hangings
Spilling The Beans
 The Out of Office pod | 🇧🇬 Not totally secret knowledge, but it’s only a month until John speaks at Bansko NomadFest. He still has a free ticket for someone if there is someone who wants to join him! 🎙️ John’s never out of office…except to appear ON the Out of Office pod 😁 Thanks to Milos for having him on! John and Safir - of The Digital Nomad Pass - had a lot of fun! 🗓️ In the case he has any voice left, hear John talk tomorrow online at the Asian Nomad Alliance Summit at 15:00 ICT. |
Wrap up the week…Taiwan-style!
The Digital Nomad BBQ was a huge success a couple of weeks ago, so we’re opening the doors again and inviting all you nomads in Chiang Mai back next Friday.
 | This time Taiwan Digital Nomad Association have partnered with us. The first 50 people to arrive who have subscribed to this newsletter will get FREE ENTRY. Just check-in when you arrive, but if the numbers last time are anything to go by, arrive early! |
It includes food, Taiwanese-style of course, so think pop chicken and dumplings 🥟. Drinks will be available to buy, and yes, there’ll of course be Taiwanese bubble tea!
Attendees will also get a voucher for a free stay of 2 nights and entry to Taiwan Digital Fest.
Share this newsletter subscription link with your friends so they can dodge the entry fee too!
Details: Alt_PingRiver; Friday May 30, 17:00-21:00.
Price (after the first 50): 200THB per person
Alt_Stories
Our very own Wim Hof!
Jason’s is a familiar face if you’ve visited Alt_. We mention him (or his workshops, at least) every newsletter, but realise some of you might not have benefitted from meeting him or attending one of his sessions yet.
 | Originally in the tech world, Jason was led down a path researching health and wellness after experiencing some scares of his own. Dave Asprey’s work on biohacking spoke to him, and - after years of certifications and teaching it - we get to benefit from it at Alt_ too! What is biohacking? I actually call it Zen Strength, it’s more accessible and represents the ethos more effectively. |
So what changed for you when you started practising it?
Everything changed. My energy improved, my sleep improved, and my gut health transformed. I used to think bloating and gas were normal, until they disappeared after switching to a cleaner, more anti-inflammatory diet. That was a wake-up call.
This can work for anyone. For example, an ice bath experience offers a rapid energy boost and mood lift. Most report feeling alert yet calm for hours afterwards.
You have a workshop today at Alt_ on sleep hacking (we can’t wait!), but when can residents - or anyone in Chiang Mai - find you here?
At Alt_, I run breathwork and ice bath sessions twice a week, but I run general health workshops as well as more specific ones - like the sleep masterclass!
What could someone do right now to improve their health?
A couple of things. Most people are deficient in magnesium, and it’s the one supplement I regularly take. Adding good quality salt, like a pink Himalayan or sea salt, to your water too - especially in a hot climate like here - is essential too. People underestimate how important those electrolytes are.
It sounds like you are building quite a community around wellness in Chiang Mai.
That wasn’t what I set out to do, but it is forming naturally. The goal is to create space for people to try these practices and connect with others, and feel better!
We had a MUCH longer conversation about all this with Jason, much of it eye-opening yet not at all unachievable.
You can find out more on his website where he lists all the workshops he runs (they are popular so you might need to book in!), see our Events page for his events at Alt_, or to keep up with him from afar subscribe to his newsletter.
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?
 Dumpling night was back! 🥟🥟🥟   Welcome back Navo! | Along with our regular spot at Sanpakoi market, what is becoming a regular dumpling night, and a load of spur-of-the-moment days and nights out so far this month, this happened… Alt_Adventures Getting out into nature is one of the joys of being in Chiang Mai, and those who went on the Raft & Elephant Escape definitely got their fix! Out in one of our favorite areas on the edge of Chiang Mai - Mae Wang - they got to it building rafts to meander down the river before taking a walk with some elephants and joining in bath time with them 🐘. Dungeons & Dragons Meetup Grammies Country Apple Pie was this month’s one-shot event, held at the Alt_ChiangMai War Room. It wasn’t as sugary sweet as it sounds! Returning Alt_Fam! We’re super happy to welcome back Navo, Kan & Han back to Alt_ 🥳. You’ll have spotted AV on our Instagram lately and the friendship he’s formed with team-member Ploy! How many more of you will we see back here this year?? |
They made our lives a lot easier!
We were very grateful for Safety Wing partnering with us for last month’s Alt_Popup - the first, and unlikely last in Japan!
We thought they deserved a shoutout, though, as they helped make the popup a huge success. SafetyWing’s mission is to provide affordable, flexible, borderless insurance - and their new Essential and Complete plans live up to this mission.
Get a free quote by clicking “Chose your plan” above
Essential covers the basics like emergency medical, while Complete brings full-scale healthcare, both with travel coverage.
Whether you're exploring short-term or setting up long-term abroad, there's a plan built for you. It’s a must-have for any traveler or nomad! ✈️
Get involved at Alt_
May is heating up, and that’s just the events at Alt_!
Founders Happy Hour is back this Friday, and we’re going big after a little break. Matt Diggity - who filled the rooftop last year - returns with Bottlenecks and Breakthroughs. He dropped some absolute marketing and SEO gold last time! Friday 23rd, 5pm. Register here to attend.
The Aligned Entrepreneur series continues tomorrow and next Thursday. They are designed to be as valuable as standalone workshops as they are as part of a series, so if the subject feels relevant to you feel free to sign up!
Around the World in a Cup ☕️- hosted by our cafe partners, Bella Goose - is back at Alt_PingRiver on May 24. Sign up here.
Dungeons & Dragons afternoons return with Theros:, No Silent Secret - also on 24 May. Limited spaces are available to join pro GM Joannah Stewart, so book here.
All of our regular, recurring events - yoga, Jason’s breathwork and ice baths, the 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!
This week we asked the team and members at Alt_PingRiver for their random recs over Tea Time:
Book: Half of the Yellow Sun; Chimamanda Nhozi Adichie
Podcast: Business Wars - Season 67 was an eye-opener about AirBnB!
TV: Santa Clarita Diet (not what you think it will be!!) & Andor, especially Season 2!
Chiang Mai Hidden Gems: Sushi-mai, Nimman; Alieno Pizza, Jed Yod; Baan Huai Hoi Waterfall, Mae Wang;
If you’ve any recommendations other Alt_Fam people might benefit from, drop your best here.
Alt_Facts
If you’ve stayed at Alt_PingRiver, you’ll have spotted some striking photography hanging in the coliving rooms and space. Well, we’re very lucky to have them, and there’s a story behind them.
 Peter took some incredible images of Alt_PingRiver before it opened | They were donated by a very famous photographer from Hong Kong. John - originally from Hong Kong of course - seems to make connections wherever he goes, and Peter Poon (known more widely as Peter Pan!), reached out to him when considering Chiang Mai as a new home. When they met and John showed him around Alt_, Peter very kindly offered a series of photographs from his collection that had recently been shown at an exhibition. |
These landscapes from around the world give each room a mini-theme, and hopefully offer a reminder to residents that there is beauty in every place they visit on their journeys (though, not quite as much as Chiang Mai obviously 😉).
Peter is a high-end, commercial photographer - the godfather of the field in Hong Kong - and very kindly took some photos of Alt_PingRiver before we opened. We’ll make them available soon, so watch this space!
And finally, for all those who got in touch about our Community Manager role, we are very grateful! Stay tuned as we are fast picking through all the applications…
John and the Alt_ team