Speaking of Hilltribe coffee
Driving from Chiang Rai via road number 118 you reach the hilltribe town Doi Chang (Elephant Mountain), where the construction of a coffee plantation was started about thirty years ago as a so-called Royal Project.
The deeper background of this was to allow the cultivation of opium to make way for another stimulant: coffee. The relatively small plantations are now run by about 800 families and as a cooperative they strive for uniform quality with an eye for the environment.
To distinguish it from other coffee plantations in the region, the trademark for the 100% Arabica coffee produced is; Doi Chaang, so with 2 letters a. A certain Piko Sardoo was the initiator and Wichai Pramyong gave the coffee growers more international appeal. He entered into an agreement with John Darch who was given the exclusive export rights for the Doi Chang organically grown coffee in exchange for a 50% stake in his Ontario – Canada based trading company. In Thailand, Doi Chaan coffee is available in 400 coffee shops and, through the Canadian partnership, in England as well as Canada. The small coffee growers receive half of the total profit and Doi Chaan coffee is allowed to do so Fair trade carry brand.
A few kilometers after the exit to Doi Chang you will see a coffee shop with adjacent storage and processing of the certified Fair Trade Doi Chaang coffee that has a great reputation among connoisseurs. For aroma, body, taste and aftertaste, an international jury gave all parts a score of 8. In the beautiful coffee shop operated by the coffee growers community, your taste buds can compare the numbers. Incidentally, a trip from Chiangrai to Doi Chang is well worth it and certainly not just because of a cup of hilltribe comfort.
An open question
Admittedly I am more of a coffee lover than a coffee connoisseur, but for me the price of the coffee available in Thailand remains an open question. By the way, this also applies to tea. The fact that wine in Thailand is considerably more expensive than in Europe can be explained by the high excise duty. But I can hardly imagine that a high tax also applies to coffee and tea. For the not very wealthy hill tribes to help you make a living, you should rather expect a subsidy. Compare the price with high-quality coffee, also in Europe, and not with a cheap less-quality coffee bean.
Perhaps more knowledgeable readers in this matter can provide an explanation for this.
Dear Joseph, we ourselves went there about 2 years ago during our vacation. I don't remember prices anymore, but all the better the great taste. Since then I look for a coffee bar with Doi Chaang all over Thailand but unfortunately they are few and far between. Tried to import Doi Chaang to NL, but with those Canadians in between, I gave up my attempt. In any case, a must for every coffee drinker, not just the coffee lover. Gr. Paul
In the village of Doi Chang is a nice hotel (next to a supermarket). Below that hotel is a coffee shop (also hotel reception and breakfast room), with a huge coffee roaster. The owner is absolutely crazy about coffee, he has also won several awards and likes to let you taste all kinds of flavors. No one speaks English, the hotel is not mentioned anywhere, but it is an experience.
The hotel in Doi Chang is called Akha Guesthouse.
Akha is the name of one of the many hill tribes (in my opinion the most beautiful clothes) and the owner probably has roots with that
I often take a few bags of Doi Chaang coffee beans with me to the Netherlands.
IMHO the best coffee. Would definitely do well in Dutch coffee shops.
I don't know the brand, but that middle roasted organic coffee beans from Northern Thailand are roasted per bag of 500 gr. be sold in Rayong at a price of 650 Bath, very tasteful coffee.
There are also coffee beans that have passed the gastrointestinal tract of the chamot and they have a price of fright not 5.000 Bath per kilo, you can make coffee with that that would extremely caress the taste buds, not yet tried.
Nico B
Copy Luwak. Price can be up to six thousand € for 1 kilo
Since a good month, Doi Chang coffee can be found in the food matket in Pattaya Jomtien at the departure point of buses to the airport in Bangkok. Now in promotion at 165 bath for 250gr, and delicious!
I always buy Doi Saket coffee beans from a stall at the Sunday market in Chiangmai's walking street for only 350 B. per kilo; delicious and fragrant coffee.
Been to Doi Chang coffee several times in Rayong
yes there is a difference
lady behind the bar has been on a course several times
in the north
when you see and hear with how much passion it is spoken about and
how the coffee is made is a delight
if you get the chance try it
The website of Doi Chaang coffee is: https://doichaangcoffee.co.th/en/
Here you can also order coffee, which will be delivered to your home within a few days.
For example, half a pound of espresso costs 250 Baht. Shipping costs and VAT are added on top of that.
Please check the account. The education there is not that good either.
Really great coffee. Grind yourself. Lazada has cheap machines for this purpose
Nowadays they also have capsules that fit in a Nespresso machine, among other things.
There have been problems with the payment of the coffee farmers, who sometimes have not received money from Doi Chaang Coffee for a long period of time, and have therefore run into serious problems. To what extent this has now been resolved is unknown to me, but the following article in the Chiang Rai Times is definitely worth reading:
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-national-news/chiangrai-news/doi-chaang-coffee-vows-to-repay-debt-ridden-farmers/
The price of coffee in Thailand is high because the government keeps the price in Thailand artificially high through import duties and restrictions. If they didn't do that, no Thai coffee farmer would be able to earn his cup of rice with it, because it's all manual work.
Admittedly the Thai coffee from this region is pricey but the quality is really great!
Incidentally, all coffee farmers from all countries are fobbed off with low prices, it is the same everywhere, the farmer gets the least of all.
And it is manual work everywhere, the picking of the coffee cherry is done by hand all over the world, the berries in the plant are never all ripe at the same time, so no machines or anything can be used
The big boys earn the most, in Thailand so the corrupt government, too bad!
Personally, I think the coffee in Thailand is quite good in recent years.
About 15 years ago a good cup of coffee was not available.
No better than in the Netherlands, but a cup of coffee just tastes fantastic when you can't get it on every corner of the street.
That may apply to any product from the Netherlands that you will miss after a while.
Charming service with a friendly look and beautiful figures in the cappucino enhance the whole.
According to connoisseurs, the best coffee still comes from Ethiopia.
Unfortunately not a holiday country and difficult to obtain in the Netherlands.
I like Brazilian and Colombian slow roast coffee beans, freshly ground in a preheated cup.
Hi,
Coffee from Ethiopia is well available in NL!
Take a look at coffee roasting house De Koepoort… coffee from all coffee-producing parts of the world.
Very nice coffee!
I always have several packages brought to Belgium…
It's just a pity that the Canadians are blocking all exports to Europe!