Sek Suwichak on Building Connection Through Shared Spaces

For many runners and cyclists in Chiang Mai, TANN has quietly become part of the weekly rhythm.

A place to meet in the mornings.
A place to cool down after training.
A place where coffee, movement, and conversation naturally blend together.

What makes TANN interesting is that it never feels like it’s trying too hard to become part of running culture. It simply grew alongside it.

In this conversation, we sit down with Suwichak N (Sek), the owner and founder of TANN.

From opening his first café, FOHHIDE, to building spaces shaped by coffee, cycling, and running culture,
Sek shares how movement and community slowly became part of his everyday life and the atmosphere he wanted to create.

At doi, we believe spaces play a huge role in shaping community.

TANN is more than just a café. It’s part of a growing ecosystem in Chiang Mai where running, cycling, fashion, expression, and lifestyle continue to overlap.

This conversation with Sek is not just about coffee or sport. It’s about building environments where people can slow down, connect, and find inspiration through the people and culture around them.

1. Before we talk about the cafés, can you share your own relationship with running? When did running first become part of your life?

Sek: Honestly, over the past decade I'd run on a treadmill here and there, but after COVID I came back to open a café and got into cycling, so I drifted away from running for about five years.

Getting back into it came from a trip to Singapore in 2024. I had the chance to join a friend's run club there and experienced that vibe for the first time — pace groups, running with a pacer, then coffee at the shop after. That kind of atmosphere just didn't exist in Chiang Mai at the time.

2. I also know you’re a cyclist first. Do you see yourself more as a runner, a cyclist, a café owner, or someone who naturally sits between all of those worlds? Is there one you enjoy more and why?

Sek: I think of myself as a coffee person who can't really sit still. I genuinely enjoy every activity that's good for the body — running, cycling, even building a café. All of it connects to my lifestyle.

If you ask what I enjoy most, honestly, it's everything equally. Each one just gives me a different kind of mood and energy depending on the day.

3. For people who may not know your story, can you share how you first got into coffee and café culture? Also, what is your favorite coffee before you run or ride?

Sek: It started with my family's café business back in Lamphun. Then I had the chance to open something here in Chiang Mai.

I see Chiang Mai as one of the most interesting coffee cities in Thailand — the café culture, the people, the lifestyle, it all connects in a way that's really clear here. That's what makes it exciting to build something in this city.

Before a run or a ride, I keep it simple. Usually an espresso or an Americano.

4. You’ve built more than one café in Chiang Mai. Where did that journey begin, and what did you learn from your first café that shaped the next ones?

Sek: My first café was FOHHIDE, and that place was really special to me. It introduced me to so many people and opened up so many opportunities to build on my passions — cycling and running. It planted the seed for what came next.

At FOHHIDE, I started to see that a café doesn't have to just be a place to drink coffee. It can be a space that brings together people who share the same lifestyle or passion — coffee, cycling, running, all of it.

That was the big lesson from that first place: building atmosphere and community matters just as much as the coffee itself. That idea became the foundation for everything that followed, including TANN.

5. Was Tann always meant to be a place for runners and cyclists, or did that identity form naturally once people started showing up?

Sek: It was intentional from the start. I chose the word TANN from the Thai word for tanned skin — what happens naturally when you go outside and live in the sun. Whether it's running, cycling, or just being outdoors.

But it's not limited to sport either. It's more of a lifestyle — the kind of person who likes going outside, going on a picnic, walking their dog, drinking coffee in the open air, slowing down with the people and nature around them.

6. Tann hosts a weekly social run that our Doi Team loves joining. What made you want to start that, and what is your biggest learning from helping other clubs host events at your cafe?

Sek: It actually started because different run clubs would come and host events at the shop, mostly on weekends. Weekday runs were pretty rare back then. What I noticed was that a lot of the people showing up were brand new to running. So I decided to start the Wednesday social run — a relaxed pace, easy for anyone to join.

The biggest thing I've learned from working with different run clubs is that there are so many people out there who want to start running. They just need a community, or an environment that feels welcoming and not too high-pressure.

7. Tann also has this boutique running retail side, with brands like Satisfy, Portal, RIDAR sunglasses, and Calm. What made you want to bring that kind of product mix into the space?

Sek: The way I see it, each brand we carry isn't just making gear for running. They each have their own way of thinking, their own perspective, their own identity — around movement, outdoor culture, design, community. That fits the atmosphere of TANN and what's happening in Chiang Mai really well.

I also want people who walk in to find new inspiration — whether that's about running, how they dress, or just how they approach life outside.

8. Do you think boutique running fashion helps more people feel connected to the sport, or does it change the way people see running culture?

Sek: It connects people, for sure. Running today isn't just about performance or racing anymore — it's become part of a lifestyle. A lot of boutique brands have made running feel more accessible, more fun, more like something you can express yourself through, whether through what you wear or the culture you're drawn to.

In another sense, it has shifted how running culture looks — from something very serious and athletic to something that now includes fashion, coffee, music, art, and community. I think that's a good thing. It brings more kinds of people into running.

9. What do you think makes a good running boutique brand? Is it design, is it technical fabrics, is it their story? What is your favorite running brand at the moment?

Sek: I think it has to be everything working together — design, function, material quality, and the brand's story. The best brands are intentional about all of it and build their own culture into what they make.

My personal favorite right now is Portal. The design, the function, the color palette — it just communicates nature in the most genuine way.

10. At Doi Trail Research, we think that Earth-made and Man-made challenges allow us to research more about ourselves. Through running, cycling, coffee, and building spaces for people to gather, what do you feel like you’re researching or learning about yourself this year?

Sek: Lately, I've been thinking a lot more about balance. I used to focus too heavily on work as the main goal, and everything felt rushed. But more recently I've started to feel that going for a run, getting on the bike, or even just sitting down for a coffee and a conversation — it slows you down and brings you back to yourself.

I'm learning that not everything has to move fast. Some things can grow at their own pace, naturally — kind of like the vibe of Chiang Mai itself. And this year

I'm also planning to do UTMB, so it feels like another year of learning about my body, my mind, and how to balance everything at the same time.