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[title]If there’s one rumour about Chiang Mai that refuses to die, it’s that the city has somehow lost its digital-nomad magic. The reality? Quite the opposite. New coworking spaces are popping up every month, laptops are still hogging cafe tables and a steady stream of nomads continues to roll into town – many of them deciding to stick around rather than move on.
And if you’ve ever toyed with the idea of basing yourself in Chiang Mai – even temporarily – you’re in very good company. This weekend marks the return of Nomad Summit 2026, one of the city’s biggest digital-nomad meetups and, frankly, the closest thing laptop lovers have to their own Coachella.
More than a decade deep, this annual summit has long drawn founders, indie hackers, thought leaders, freelancers and the perpetually curious to the northern Thai capital to learn, connect and – let’s be honest – have a very good time while doing it.
Sure, the main focus is clearly about networking, big ideas and the odd late-night conversation about the good and evils of AI, but there’s way more to this event than just business. Here’s our run down of what’s on, how to sign up and where to go for the biggest pool party in the city.
What is the Nomad Summit?
This ‘aint no sterile corporate shindig – speakers and attendees join from a range of backgrounds and countries, from remote pros and founders to freelancers, investors and people who just really love the vibes.
This week-long event is designed as a playground for builders, remote-workers and those looking to create something new. Born from a simple idea to bring people together, it’s now one of the world’s most impressive nomad gatherings for anyone exploring life beyond a desk. Think hands-on sessions, big-idea talks and community meetups designed to spark connections, sharpen skills and fuel your next move.
And for nomads who have given up transience and have settled in Chiang Mai, the summit may feel a little old hat, but for newbies to the scene, it’s the best place this January to get connected.
What’s happening this year?
The summit kicks off with two focused days of expert-led talks and panels (Jan 17-18), featuring some of the industry’s biggest thinkers and success stories. Learn how to land remote work with Juliana Rabbi, understand branding with the founder of Supercharged, Nivit Kochhar, get personal with SaaS with the founder of Wired Minds, Vivanne Arnold and even learn the tricks behind retiring early.
Once the brain work’s done, the mood shifts to dinners, drinks and after-parties – and yes, we’re very much eyeing up the Shangri-La pool party.
By Monday, the community kicks in with ‘Nomad Week’ – essentially a seven-day platform for attendees to host and set-up workshops, coworking days, hikes, dinners, parties and much more. You bring the idea – they help make it happen.
How to get involved?
Getting involved with Nomad Summit is not exactly budget-backpacker cheap (but then again, you get what you pay for), with late-bird passes still up for grabs via the official website, priced at just over B10,000 (€296.65 to be exact) for the full week.
Once you’re in, you’ll get access to the full schedule of events, talks and activities, as well as entry into the wider Nomad Summit community – the kind of networks that tend to outlive the event itself. The main summit runs across the first weekend packed days of talks, workshops and networking, but we think sticking around for Nomad Week is where the real fun is.
In short: come for the sessions, stay for the connections, and don’t be surprised if your ‘short stay’ plans start to turn into long ones. Chiang Mai has a habit of convincing people to hang around.