Nimmanhaemin Road in Chiang Mai is one of the coolest streets in Thailand. The Nimman area is near Chiang Mai University, so it’s infused it with a youthful vibe. The Nimman area is also a digital nomad hotspot, and as I explain in this article, it was most likely the world’s first digital nomad neighbourhood.
This article is part of the Southeast Asia Hoods series, where I profile neighbourhoods from around Southeast Asia.
Nimmanhaemin Road location
Nimmanhaemin Road is west of the Old City in the subdistrict of Suthep, between the moat and the mountain (Doi Suthep). The Nimman area refers to the streets around Nimmanhaemin Road, between Huay Kaew Rd and Chiang Mai University.
Nimmanhaemin Road is an important major road in Chiang Mai as it becomes Highway 11 after Huay Kaew Rd (better known as the Chiang Mai Super Highway.
[Map of Nimman area in Chiang Mai.]
The Nimman grid
The Nimman area gets its name from Nimmanhaemin Road, but the magic of Nimman is in the side streets (the sois).
[Nimmanhaemin Lane 9.]
The Nimman area has a gridded street layout on the east side of Nimmanhaemin Road. This is unusual for Thailand, where roads are laid out in a haphazard fashion. The streets on the west side of Nimmanhaemin Road are a typical example of a street pattern in Thailand.
[The Nimman area, as defined by Google Maps.]
There are business directories at the entrance of each soi, offering a menu of places to consider.
[List of businesses in Nimman Soi 11.]
The Nimman mini grid is easy to walk around, and you can switch between streets without a long detour. It’s in these streets where the Nimman area has flourished. There are many cafes, restaurants, and other interesting little shops.
The small streets in this area limit the size of the buildings, so the hotels are small boutique-style accommodation.
Nimman the digital nomad hotspot
Digital nomads are drawn to Chiang Mai for the cheap cost of living and international lifestyle. Chiang Mai is more affordable than Bangkok, and it has a large international community that you would not usually associate with an inland provincial city.
I was in Chiang Mai in 2010 when the digital nomad movement started taking off. I was digital nomadding in 2000s and there was no sign of nomads in Chiang Mai at that point.
I published a digital nomad history that tracked the rise of digital nomad culture. Chiang Mai was the first city that was being written about as a place for digital nomads, and Nimman was the epicentre of the digital nomad movement. Cafes with wifi appeared all over the city, and coworking spaces became a popular place to meet fellow nomads.
Chinese tourists and long-termers
While the digital nomad scene established itself in the early 2010s, a new wave of visitors started arriving after the blockbuster success of Lost In Thailand in China. The movie came out in 2012, and it became the highest-grossing Chinese-language film at that time
The film is set mostly in Chiang Mai, with Chiang Mai University being featured in the film. There was a noticeable uptick of Chinese tourists to Chiang Mai visiting the sights of the film. The Nimman area adapted to this influx with more shops catering to Chinese speakers.
A new wave of Chinese visitors have been arriving since then who are looking for a more relaxed and liberal place to live.
My digital nomad history is heavily skewed towards the Western experience, mainly because the amount of articles written in English. I read with interest this article about Chinese tech bros, moms and stoners seeking freedom in Chiang Mai, and this is evident in Nimman.
The Nimman intersection
The Nimman area is the new side of Chiang Mai, so you won’t find the ancient temples and old teak houses like in the Old City.
The big intersection at Nimmanhaemin Road, Huay Kaew Rd, and the Superhighway is the modern face of Chiang Mai. Those who live here know this as the intersection with the long waits between green lights. If you miss a walk signal you have to wait 5 minutes for the next one.
[Nimmanhaemin and Huay Kaew intersection. Some say they are still waiting to cross.]
On one corner of this intersection is the MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center.
It’s technically not in the Nimman area, but it’s spiritually part of the Nimman experience.
[The Nimman intersection as viewed from MAYA (not CHICKEN for my Malay/Indonesian readers.]
This is a useful mall as it has a cinema, and the rooftop is a great place to view the mountain at sunset.
[Mountain sunset as viewed from MAYA.]
MAYA has cafes, including C.A.M.P (Creative and Meeting Place) co-working cafe.
On the opposite corner is the Eastin Hotel. The area surrounding the hotel has been turned into a Little Tokyo area, complete with a fake metro entrance and replica of the Sibuya dog statue. (There is no urban rail transit system in Chiang Mai, but there are plans for a light rail at some point.)
Opposite Eastin is One Nimman. This shopping centre at 1 Nimmanhaemin Road is an amalgam of fake European architecture, including a Venetian clock tower.
There is a cobbled plaza in the shopping area, which is turned into a market and events space throughout the year.
These European-style arcades were built for shelter from cold winters, but they are also suitable for shelter from tropical downpours.
Food in Nimman
The food scene in the Nimman area reflects the international nature of the neighbourhood. Some people don’t like that Nimman feels like a bubble, and if you are visiting for a short time then you should be seeking local food. Having said that, there is a wide variety of Thai food ranging from lunchtime street vendors to Northern Thai restaurants in a fine-dining setting.
When I just want something quick and cheap I go to one of the restaurants on Nimman Soi 8.
[Nong Bee’s Burmese Restaurant and Library on Soi 8.]
The lane includes Nong Bee’s Burmese Restaurant and Library, Uncle Pan’s Thai food, and J-Yay Organic Vegetables.
[Tofu green curry at J-Yay – Organic Vegetables.]
Among all the hipster Instagram/TikTok-friendly restaurants, my favourite place is a ramshackle shed that specialises in chicken. If you love chicken then I defy to you walk by Roast Chicken Wichienbury without stopping.
[Roast Chicken Wichienbury in Nimman Soi 11.]
[Half chicken sticky rice combo for 100 THB ($2.75 USD) 2024 price.]
[Have an restaurant in the Nimman area? Contact me to find out how to be listed here.]
Cafes in Nimman
Chiang Mai is a cafe wonderland, and there enough cafes in the Nimman area to keep you trapped in this bubble until your next visa run.
Roast8ry serve lattes that a Melbourne coffee snob would approve of, and they now have two branches in the Nimman area.
FOHHIDE is another favourite, with its 5th-floor location and decor making you feel like you are in a Japanese cafe.
[Latte at FOHHIDE.]
Roastniyom is a Chiang Mai cafe chain that are a solid place to get work done.
I have a full list of Chiang Mai cafes sorted by area, so you can check out what is in and near the Nimman area.
Where to stay in Nimman Chiang Mai
[U Nimman Chiang Mai at One Nimman.].
There are numerous hotels and apartments on Nimmanhaemin Road and the surrounding sois. There are also apartments in the sois off Siri Mangkalajarn Rd. This area is considered part of the Nimman area, even if it’s not shown as such on the map.
There are new apartment blocks that have been built in the area, but there is a height restriction due to being in the flight path. The tallest buildings in Chiang Mai are on the east side of the city.
As with most hoods that I feature, Nimman is a better place to stay if you are staying for a longer visit and aren’t here to see the sights.
If you a first-timer to Chiang Mai then I recommend you stay in the Old City first. Here is my guide on where to stay in Chiang Mai.
Search for hotels near Nimmanhemin in Chiang Mai.
[Have an apartment for rent in the Nimman area? Contact me to find out how to be listed here.]
Nimman downsides: the CNX flight path
An unusual characteristic about Chiang Mai is how close the airport is to the city centre. While the airport isn’t noticeable from the Old City, Nimmanhaemin Road is in the flight path. The planes are loud, and that is an issue for some people.
There was a curfew at the airport, so flights could only operate from 6am until midnight. The curfew was lifted in 2023 (despite protests from residents) so that might mean more flights throughout the night. There hasn’t been a rush of overnight flights, but it’s now a possibility.
There are plans to build a second airport outside the city, but they are still keeping the old airport.
[Aircraft flying over Nimmanhaemin Road.]
Chiang Mai downsides: the burning season
This biggest downside about Chiang Mai is the annual burning season in Northern Thailand (and Laos and Myanmar). It has got to the point where Chiang Mai often ranks as the most polluted city in the world.
[You know it’s a bad day when the mountain disappears from view.]
I keep track of news about Chiang Mai burning season, including when it registers bad days and what is being done to try and control the burning.
I feel bad for residents of Chiang Mai who can’t leave when digital nomads flee. The burning season also affects tourism, with people now being aware that it’s not advisable to travel to Chiang Mai from February to May. Maybe if enough people stay away, authorities will be more compelled to crack down on fire starters.
Southeast Asia Hoods
This Nimman profile is part of the Nomadic Notes Southeast Asia Hoods series. I will be profiling more neighbourhoods in the future, and if you have a hood you would like to read about then let me know!