Thailand Coffee: Unique Brews in the Land of Smiles!

The first time I tasted Thailand coffee, I was perched on a tiny plastic stool in Chiang Mai’s bustling Sunday market. The vendor, an older woman with a beautiful smile, handed me a tall glass of oliang – Thai iced coffee.

That first sip was a revelation: Punchy, fruity and sweet. It wasn’t like anything I was used to: The Italian-style espresso I’d built my coffee career around or the pour-over I often enjoy at home. But what it did was awaken my taste buds to something new.

That moment changed everything for me. As an ardent coffee aficionado (who’s spent decades evaluating beans from South America to Africa) I’d somehow overlooked one of Asia’s most exciting origins. Because Thailand’s coffee culture isn’t just about the brew. It’s about community, innovation, centuries of history and a fascinating tradition.

Thai coffee tells the story of a nation finding its unique voice in the global coffee scene. That’s the story I would like to tell you today.

A Brief History of Thailand Coffee

Thailand’s coffee story is quite the journey! It all began in the 1780s when King Rama III first planted coffee in his palace gardens. These tiny plantations laid the groundwork for the establishment of coffee in Thailand, aided by, among others, the French.

By the early 1900s, coffee had gained in popularity as a beverage, even competing with tea. At first, Thailand coffee was all about Robusta, which thrived in the southern lowland regions.

However, in the 1960s King Bhumibol Adulyadej encouraged northern farmers to grow Arabica. All this was part of a broader strategy to combat poverty in the “Golden Triangle.” It also weaned farmers off the profitable but harmful opium poppy industry.

By the 1970s, Thailand had established itself as a coffee exporter. The government supported these efforts through farmer education initiatives and agricultural research. They also offered development grants and encouraged women’s empowerment through coffee.

Then came the 1980s, which marked a significant turning point. The formation of the Thai Coffee Association in 1982 helped to regulate and promote the industry.

This period also saw an increase in domestic coffee consumption. Importantly, there was a shift toward specialty coffee and away from the widely available commercial blends and cheaper instant coffee.

Thailand Coffee Production Today

Today, Robusta still makes up the majority of coffee production in Thailand. But increasingly, the country’s high-quality Arabica has got experts talking. In 2023, Thailand exported 900,000 60-kilogram bags of green coffee to countries including the US, Canada, Japan, Cambodia and the Netherlands.

Like Tanzania, this Asian country has embraced organic and shade-grown coffee. As a result, specialty coffee exports have exponentially increased. At home, the effects are positive: improved local biodiversity and booming regional economies.

In the 1990s, partly driven by economic recovery following the 1997 Tom Yum Kung crisis, people began opening modern cafés. This led to a burgeoning coffee culture across Bangkok, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai.

There was a notable shift from “just coffee” to freshly brewed single-origin options. So much so that when Luckin Coffee tried to enter the Thai market they found the name already trademarked by the local 50R Group. This led to a Luckin Coffee Thailand vs China legal spat, which is still ongoing.

Thailand now ranks as a top 25 coffee producer worldwide. Its exports include rare coffees like Thai Black Ivory. In 2024, the country expects to sell 55.1 metric tons of green coffee, generating approximately $2.6 billion abroad and $711.7 million at home.

Indeed, the future of Thailand coffee looks promising. There are efforts to expand high-altitude growing areas and introduce new Arabica varieties. All these efforts should further improve Thai coffee’s reputation in the specialty markets.

Thailand Coffee Growing Regions

Thailand’s coffee landscape is as diverse as its culture. The country has distinct terroirs that lend unique characteristics to its beans. These regions span the mist-shrouded northern mountains to the tropical southern lowlands, and include:

The Northern Arabica Highlands

The northern highlands consist of the following provinces:

These regions are especially suited for picky Arabica plants. High elevations averaging 2624-5249 feet (800-1600 meters) and rich volcanic soils provide perfect growing conditions.

Here, flowers bloom in February, with cherry development occurring in April-October. After this, a harvest kicks off from November-February. Then, farmers carry out mostly washed coffee processing from December-March. Uniquely, in Doi Chaang producers favor honey processing to highlight local flavors.

Each province has its own coffee personality. Chiang Mai’s Doi Saket, Doi Chaang and Mae Wang produce elegant, floral coffees. These boast a light body, bright acidity and clean finish.

Meanwhile, in Chiang Rai’s Doi Tung, Doi Mae Salong and Wawee areas, Thailand coffee beans come out smooth, sweet and full-bodied. These beans have a complex acidity and chocolatey, nutty undertones.

And let’s not forget the terroirs of Pang Ma Pha and Pai District in Mae Hong Son. The coffee here has a unique honeyed sweetness with a medium body. It boasts a balanced acidity and curious herbal notes.

The Southern Robusta Belt

The Southern Robusta-growing regions cover two provinces:

Here, coffee enjoys a tropical climate with year-round rainfall. In addition, the low altitudes of 656-1968 feet (200-600 meters) and clay loam soils favor Robusta.

In these regions, flowering and cherry development occurs year-round. The main harvest occurs in December-March with a secondary harvest in June-August. After harvest, coffee undergoes mostly natural, washed and semi-washed processing. Interestingly, some farmers sun-dry their beans for quick storage or roasting.

Chumphon’s main growing areas, Tha Sae and Lang Suan, produce Robusta with a strong body and low acidity. This coffee is earthy with pronounced chocolate notes. The other Robusta strongholds, Kra Buri and Lau-un in Ranong province, also produce full-bodied Robusta beans. These beans are also low in acidity, but offer spicy and woody undertones.

Central Thailand

This Thailand coffee region spans Phetchabun Province (Nam Nao and Khao Kho). It enjoys an altitude of 2296-3937 feet (700-1200 meters) favorable for both Arabica and Robusta.

As such, both varieties from this region show balanced profiles. They boast a caramel sweetness, medium body and moderate acidity. While this is still an emerging region, the coffee production here prioritizes quality.

Coffee Culture in Thailand

Most travelers chase Thailand’s spicy street food and perfect beaches. Me? I fell in love with the coffee scene! It’s a wild and wonderful world where ancient traditions meet modern coffee craft.

Traditional Thailand coffee street vendors wielding sock filters ply their trade right alongside hip cafés. They mostly sell traditional brews like kafae boran, kafae yen and oliang.

These brews pack quite the punch. They consist of a unique mix of Robusta coffee, with some curious ingredients. These include corn kernels for sweetness, soybeans for body, sesame seeds for richness and brown sugar for caramelization. Often, vendors serve the coffee iced, plain or topped with lots of sweetened condensed milk.

Thailand, currently riding the fourth coffee wave, is now focused on making specialty coffee more inclusive and widely available. Cities like Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are spearheading this trend, with trendy cafés showcasing single-origin beans.

But to me, what’s really special is how Thailand manages to keep one foot in tradition and the other in the future. Accomplished Thai baristas like Biw Settakarn, Man Athip and Areephorn Kaeajaroen, among others are making waves with world-class brewing methods. The annual Thailand Coffee Brewer League also gives upcoming baristas a chance to shine. 

Likewise coffee roasters and producers are embracing sustainable practices and forging direct trade relationships. It’s the perfect brew of heritage and innovation, creating a coffee culture that’s uniquely and wonderfully Thai.

Thai Brewing Coffee Methods

Thai coffee-making is a beautiful dance of tradition where measuring cups take a backseat to intuition and time-honored wisdom. The secret? A delightful recipe that sometimes combines Robusta beans with corn, soybeans, rice, sesame seeds and more.

The South usually goes bold and dark with this blend, creating a glossy roast with added butter or oil. This roast profile results in a lower acidity than western-style coffee. Here, they love their coffee iced, sweet and full of sweetened condensed milk. Meanwhile, up North, they keep it lighter and spicier, brewing local Arabica beans with cinnamon and cardamom.

All this coffee wizardry happens using a special sock-and-metal filter called a tungdtom. As with Japanese brewing, centuries-old coffee ceremony meets modern precision brewing.

But Thai baristas are also coming up with curious combinations. Interestingly, Thai coffee with orange juice (iced fresh orange juice topped with hot espresso) Thai flash brews and “dirty Thailand coffee” (hot espresso over cold milk) are extremely popular. So are nitro cold brews, iced espresso and iced americanos. Clearly, in Thailand, es yen or cold coffee culture rules!

The Traditional Thai Brewing Process

Traditional Thai brewing is intricate but, oh, so worth it. To brew traditional Thai coffee: 

While this manual brewing method is time-consuming, it produces a strong, smooth, balanced and deliciously sweet cup. It’s a testament to Thai ingenuity and their deep understanding of coffee brewing, developed long before the advent of modern equipment.

At home, you could also serve light-roast, fully washed Thai beans as pour-over or drip, and medium-to-dark roast or natural-processed beans as French press, espresso or cold brew.

What Does Thailand Coffee Taste Like?

You thought Indonesia ruled the Southeast Asian coffee landscape? Well, say hello to Thailand coffee!

In this kingdom, two coffee personalities compete: Robusta vs Arabica. Robusta brings bold, earthy vibes with dark chocolate and whiskey notes. But it’s the Arabica that has experts talking.

These highland-grown beauties are smooth, silky and buttery with chocolate and nut notes. As the coffee opens up, you might catch whispers of tropical fruits like lychee or mango.

Unlike the Vietnamese, who love dark-roast Robusta, Thais (like Laotians) lean toward mellow Arabica. They love the rich, silky, earthy, spicy, savory and wild combo!

Notably, taste may vary depending on how producers process the coffee. Wet-processed Thailand coffee, like Kenya AA, tends to be clean and bright. Semi-washed beans, like Sumatra Mandheling, boast earthy, spicy and wild herbal flavors. And honey or dry-processed beans? These, like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, develop full bodies and wine-like fruit notes.

How to Buy Thailand Coffee

Navigating the Thai coffee market requires some insider knowledge. Authentic, good-quality Thai beans are challenging to source. Case in point: I had a look on Amazon. Brands like Pantainorasingh Oliang Powder, seem popular, but whole beans are hard to find. As such, direct-trade or fair-trade sources are the most reliable way to get high-quality Thai coffee.

Look for importers who work directly with farms in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. These areas produce some of Thailand’s finest Bourbon-derived Arabica beans. 

A direct relationship with producers from these areas also ensures bean quality. Producers like Phala Akha Coffee Farm and Dong Chai Coffee Farm have embraced sustainable practices and direct trade relationships. This is what we do at Coffeeness – working with farmers in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil to ensure we source only the best-quality beans.

Specialty online retailers are also a sure best. Look for sellers that specialize in single-origin, seasonal lots harvested November to March. In this regard, Thailand coffee roasters like Bannok and Gallery Drip Coffee have pretty good reputations.

Coffee grades also determine price, with peaberry commanding higher prices. And, while some luxury coffees abound, be wary of Kopi Luwak. If you do buy civet cat coffee, make sure it’s from a reputable producer who values animal welfare. But honestly? I’d steer clear. 

Lastly, if you happen to be in Thailand, attend Southeast Asia’s largest coffee exhibition, Thailand Coffee Fest. Here, you can speak directly with producers growing SHB/SHG northern Arabica beans, typically of the Typica, Catimor, Caturra and Cautai varieties. Be sure to check the roast date (ideally within the last 7-21 days). Any coffee roasted outside this window won’t taste as good.

Final Thoughts on Thai Coffee

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my thoughts on Thai coffee. After spending countless mornings in Bangkok and Chiang Mai street stalls and cafés, I was certainly impressed. Thai coffee simply stays with you long after you’ve left.

Given Thailand’s post third-wave coffee renaissance and the dedication of specialty coffee sector players, I only see good things in the years to come. My advice to you: If you want to explore the road less traveled and get coffee from a unique origin, try Thailand coffee! It’s definitely worth adding to your bucket list.

Thailand Coffee FAQ