Doi Saket, Thailand

Doi Saket in Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s earliest Arabica-growing regions. Coffee was introduced here in the 1970s by the late Thai King as part of an initiative to replace opium plantations and strengthen the agricultural economy. Some of the country’s oldest coffee trees are still found in this region, growing at elevations between 1,300 and 1,500 metres above sea level. Doi Saket is also a region of ongoing innovation and growth, as a new generation of young producers enters agriculture with a long-term view, often leaving city jobs to take over their parents’ farms.

Among this new wave of producers are husband and wife Nui and Aoy, based in Baan Pong, Doi Saket. Both left their city careers, with Nui trained as an engineer and Aoy as an accountant, to return home nearly eight years ago and revitalise the family farm.

Beanspire is a Thai exporter that works closely with farmers to develop their coffee through processing support, dry milling, and by facilitating access to international specialty markets. Since the mid-2010s, they have worked to address challenges related to infrastructure, perception, and economics that have historically worked against producers. One of their initiatives is guiding farmers to make the most of the area’s old cultivars, such as Typica and Bourbon, rather than replacing them entirely with modern hybrids. In doing so, they demonstrate that even with lower yields, these trees are rare assets capable of producing distinctive coffees and commanding premium prices when handled with care.

Nui and Aoy partnered with Beanspire on a long-term project to produce coffee with a more intentional focus on processing and quality. One such example is this anaerobic natural lot, where ripe cherries were selectively picked in the morning and processed immediately to avoid unintended fermentation. Only fully ripe cherries were kept, with defects removed through hand sorting and flotation. The cherries were then sealed in tanks under anaerobic conditions before being transferred to raised beds for drying.

Drying took place in a controlled greenhouse environment over the course of three weeks. Cherries were spread in a single layer to minimise contact and encourage even airflow, and defects were continually removed throughout the process. Drying continued until the cherries reached a final moisture content of around 10 percent. This rigorous selection was reflected in the yield, with a conversion rate from cherry to green coffee of just 5 percent, significantly lower than the more typical 15 percent. Much of the fruit was discarded in pursuit of uniformity and clarity.