Impacts of COVID-19 on Coworking Spaces in Bangkok

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Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 on urban workplaces has led to an increasing demand for coworking spaces (CWSs) in Bangkok and has expanded CWSs into suburban areas. This study examines the impacts of COVID-19 on CWSs and focuses on the spatial pattern of CWSs in Bangkok. It seeks to answer the following question: Does the business operation of CWSs in Bangkok have a clustered pattern? Moran's I statistic was employed to investigate the spatial autocorrelation of CWSs in Bangkok before and during COVID-19. The locations and the business operational statuses of CWSs are the main variables.The results of spatial autocorrelation analysis of the CWSs in Bangkok show that before COVID-19, the overall CWSs in Bangkok were spatially clustered patterns with nearby CWSs. Surviving CWSs may not have been spatially related during the pandemic, while closed CWSs were spatially clustered patterns. Key findings show that the operational status of the overall CWSs and closed CWSs influenced nearby CWSs. However, the operational status of surviving CWSs may not have influenced nearby CWSs.The discussion of CWS spatial patterns and the impact of COVID-19 suggests that the spatial patterns of CWSs challenge the location theory. They blur the traditional workplace usage boundaries, particularly redefining the concept of third places, as people can now work from anywhere with flexibility. Furthermore, these patterns could influence future strategies for the development of urban workspace, infrastructure, and transportation network.

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