How to Choose an Online Office for Thai Teams

Start with the problem, not a list of tools

Most teams don't wake up wanting an "online office". They start looking because they keep running into the same problems, such as:

• Not knowing who is free. Before asking a small question, you can't tell whether the other person is in a meeting or focused on their work.
• Scheduling a meeting for everything. A question that could be answered in one minute turns into a fifteen-minute calendar invite.
• Messages getting lost. Work messages in a LINE group get mixed in with everything else, and people miss them.
• Feeling distant from each other. This is especially true for new hires who don't know anyone yet.
• Managers struggling to follow progress. They can't see who is stuck.

Global research reflects this. Buffer's State of Remote Work 2023 report (3,000 respondents) found that 23% of remote workers named loneliness as one of their struggles, and 15% named difficulty with collaboration and communication. Microsoft's Work Trend Index (September 2022) found that 85% of leaders said hybrid work makes it harder to be confident that employees are being productive.

Before you compare any tools, write down which problem hurts your team the most, because each platform is strongest in a different area.

How is an online office different from a meeting tool?

A meeting tool such as Google Meet suits scheduled meetings. Participants join with a link or meeting code, and you can set up a meeting with an agenda and RSVPs. An online office, on the other hand, is a space your team keeps open throughout the day. Everyone has an avatar on the same map, can see who is where, and can walk over to talk right away.

The two don't replace each other, and many teams use both. Read more in What is an online office, and how is it different from Google Meet?

An 8-point checklist before you choose an online office

1. How easy is it to join? Can people use it in a browser, or do they have to install an app?
2. Language. Can your team comfortably use the interface in Thai or English?
3. Proximity-based audio and video. When you move close to someone, can you talk right away?
4. Team chat. Does it have channels, threads, and file sharing, or do you still need another chat app alongside it?
5. Space customization. Does it offer templates, rooms, and private zones that match how your team actually works?
6. Member management and security. Is it easy to invite members, set permissions, and revoke access? Is SSO available if your organization needs it?
7. Data privacy. Does it record audio or video? Where is data stored? How clear is the policy?
8. Pricing model. Is it priced per user, per space, or by the number of people online at the same time, and which fits your plans to grow the team? (See other articles on the Zyra blog.)

Popular online office platforms

Each platform below is a good choice for a different kind of team. All information comes from the providers' own web pages, checked on October 29, 2026. Prices and plans can change, so check the latest pricing page before you decide.

Zyra World

A virtual office that runs in the browser, with Thai and English interfaces. It is developed by Maximum Soft Co., Ltd. in Bangkok. It offers proximity-based audio and video, private rooms and zones, team chat (direct messages, channels, groups, threads, and file sharing), screen sharing in rooms, and a workspace builder. Its privacy policy states that it does not record audio, video, or screen sharing, and that core data is stored in Singapore.

• Pricing model: Start using Zyra for free for teams of up to 25 members.
• Best for: Thai teams that want a Thai-language interface, teams planning to grow, and organizations that value a no-recording policy.

Gather

One of the best-known virtual office platforms. Gather's pricing page lists features such as meeting recording, AI transcription and meeting notes, integrations with Google Calendar, GitHub, and Spotify, and space decoration with more than 200 objects.

• Pricing model: Per member, with a 30-day free trial and a Custom plan for larger teams.
• Best for: Teams that want built-in meeting recording and AI notes, and teams that rely mainly on Google Calendar or GitHub.

Kumospace

A virtual office with both desktop and mobile apps (iOS and Android). The Business plan supports multiple floors, recording, and usage analytics.

• Pricing model: A free plan for up to 5 members, a Business plan priced per member, and a 14-day free trial.
• Best for: Small teams that want to start for free, and teams that need a mobile app.

oVice

A platform with an Entry plan priced as a flat rate per space based on size and the number of people online at the same time, and a Business Starter plan priced per user. It integrates with Google Calendar and Microsoft Teams, and offers a one-time plan for events.

• Best for: Organizations that use Microsoft Teams, and teams that occasionally host online events.

SoWork

A virtual office focused on a full team chat suite, AI meeting summaries, and team analytics. It has iOS and Android apps.

• Pricing model: Per member, with a free plan for up to 25 members and a 7-day free trial.
• Best for: Teams that want AI meeting summaries and a team analytics dashboard.

WorkAdventure

A game-style, map-based virtual office. It has a free plan for up to 25 concurrent users, and a self-hosting option for organizations that want to install it on their own servers.

• Best for: Educational institutions, events, and organizations that want to control their own infrastructure.

Quick summary: which platform suits which team

Why Zyra, and how is it different from Google Meet?

If your team's main problems are "not knowing who is free" and "scheduling a meeting for every small thing", Zyra is designed for exactly that.

• Google Meet is excellent for scheduled meetings. You join with a link or code, set an agenda, and easily invite people from outside your organization.
• Zyra is an office that stays open all day. Everyone can see each other's avatars and status. When you walk up to someone, audio and video connect automatically, with no link to send or time to schedule, and you can share your screen as soon as you enter a room.

Zyra's strengths for Thai teams are its Thai-language interface, a development team based in Bangkok, and a policy stating that users' audio, video, messages, and files are not used to train AI models or for advertising. Start using Zyra for free for teams of up to 25 members.

How to run a trial that works within 2 weeks

1. Pick 1–2 main problems from the list above.
2. Try it with a real team of 5–10 people, not just by yourself.
3. Set ground rules, such as keeping the office open during work hours and holding standups in the same room.
4. Measure simply, for example by counting how many short meetings you no longer need, or by running a short survey on how the team feels.
5. Decide based on data, not on the first-day impression.

For other tools that remote teams use alongside these, see Remote work tools for SMEs.

Frequently asked questions

Where should a small team of 5–10 people start?

Start with the free plan or trial of the platform you are interested in. Try it on real work for two weeks, then see whether it solves your team's main problem. Zyra has a Free plan for up to 25 members.

Which is better: per-user pricing or a flat price per space?

Neither is always better. Per-user pricing suits a small, stable team. A flat price per space suits a team that is growing or has members who come and go often.

Do we still need Google Meet if we use an online office?

Many teams use both. Use Google Meet for meetings with clients and people outside your team, and use the online office for your team's day-to-day work.

What should we look at for privacy?

Check whether the system records audio or video, which country the data is stored in, and whether your data is used to train AI or for advertising. Read each provider's privacy policy before you decide.

Try opening an online office for your team

If your team wants to see each other and talk right away during the day, start using Zyra for free for teams of up to 25 members.

Start using Zyra for free