Rare origin · from the golden triangle

Thai Coffee Beans

In northern Thailand, coffee replaced opium on hill farms. Today Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai produce sweet, clean coffee with a growing specialty scene.

Altitude
3,000–5,000 ft
Harvest
November–February
Varieties
Catimor, Typica, Caturra
Usual process
Washed, honey and natural
Rarity index
99/100

Carried by 1 of 312 US roasters we track

On Roasterland
2 coffees · 2 roasters

In the cup

Caramel, nuts and gentle fruit

Smooth and sweet: caramel, roasted nuts, milk chocolate and a little dried fruit. Honey and natural lots add stone fruit.

CaramelNuttyMilk chocolateDried fruit

Taste profile

SweetnessHigh
AcidityMedium
BodyMedium
BitternessLow

From our tasting of every coffee from this origin on Roasterland. Each coffee page has its own profile.

Thailand, side by side

Same origin, different small roasters. Each roasts it its own way.

About the region

A crop that changed the hills

From the 1970s the Thai Royal Project encouraged hill-tribe farmers in the north to grow coffee and other crops in place of opium. Villages like Doi Chaang and Doi Pangkhon became coffee communities.

Most Thai coffee is drunk in Thailand, where café culture is booming, so exported specialty lots are small.

Roasters who roast Thailand

Fulcrum Coffee Seattle, WA

If you like Thailand, try

Asia & PacificMyanmarStrawberry · Stone fruit · Chocolate · Citrus Asia & PacificChinaBrown sugar · Dried fruit · Herbal · Plum Asia & PacificIndiaDark chocolate · Spice · Molasses · Full body

Questions about Thailand

Does Thailand grow arabica?
Yes, in the northern mountains. The south grows mostly robusta.
Why is Thai coffee rare in the US?
Most of the good arabica is bought and drunk in Thailand.