Doi Chaang – How To Visit Thailand’s Coffee Paradise

By Mark Wiens 58 Comments
Doi Chaang
Some of the finest coffee in the world

Unlike Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Colombia, or even Indonesia, Thailand is not really known for its coffee.

Sweet tea with an abundance of sweetened condensed milk is one of the most popular drinks of choice in Thailand, but coffee culture, is not a part of the traditional Thai society (that being said, there are some wonderful up and coming coffee shops in Bangkok and other cities).

But in the village of Doi Chang, high in the hills near Chiang Rai, they are producing some of the world’s finest coffee, and if you’re a coffee lover visiting Thailand, you should make an effort to visit.

Since I’m a huge coffee lover, one of the things I had been looking forward to when I was in Chiang Rai, was taking a day trip to the famous Doi Chaang coffee village.

(As a quick note so you’re not confused: The village is normally spelled Doi Chang, while the coffee company is spelled Doi Chaang)

ดอยช้าง
History of Doi Chaang Coffee (ดอยช้าง)

History of Doi Chaang Coffee (ดอยช้าง)

Located in the Golden Triangle region of Thailand, the village of Doi Chang has not always been known for its coffee.

Instead, it was an area, that was known for its opium production and trade, and many grew the cash crop in order to survive and take care of their families.

With the help of a Royal initiative of Thailand in 1983, farmers were given Arabica coffee plants to grow. The rich soil in the north of Thailand and the cooler weather helped the coffee to flourish.

After producing coffee for over 20 years, and frustrated with the efforts of dealing with third party coffee dealers, the farmers in Doi Chang decided to form their own coalition and sell coffee directly themselves, calling themselves Doi Chaang Coffee.

You can read more about the history on their website.

day trip to Doi Chang
Day trip to Doi Chaang coffee

Day trip to Doi Chaang coffee farm

There are a few guest houses / lodges, if you’d like to stay in Doi Chang overnight, so it could be nice to relax and stay for a night or two, but I just took a day trip from Chiang Rai.

We still had our car rental, as the previous day we had taken a different day trip to Mae Salong (highly recommended too).

We left to Doi Chaang at about 7 am, to get a relatively early start.

Northern Thailand
Some of beautiful scenery

From Chiang Rai you first have to drive along the main Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai highway 1, but as soon as you turn off onto highway 118, the views start getting better.

Just keep following the signs for Doi Chaang, and it’s pretty easy to get there (more thorough directions at the bottom of this post).

traveling in Thailand
When we drove past this in the morning, it was completely covered in fog

On the last stretch of the road to Doi Chaang, it was still early in the morning, about 8 am, and we caught some serious fog.

Visibility was very low, and I could only see about 20 meters in front of me driving, so we just took it extremely slow and kept our headlights on.

The road was fine, though they were in the process of doing some repairs. Our little Toyota Vios did just fine.

For basically 15 km, through the mountains, we could not see the view at all, because the fog was so heavy (but on our way back, the air had cleared and we were presented with some beautiful views).

Doi Chaang Coffee House
First stop, Doi Chaang Coffee House

Doi Chaang Coffee House

We arrived to Doi Chaang coffee processing facility and plantation at about 9 am, and the drive should take approximately 1.5 hours (but since there was so much fog on the last 15 km, it took us more like 2 hours to get there).

By the time we arrived, my mouth was salivating for some coffee…

best coffee in Thailand
Inside the Doi Chaang Coffee House

My first stop, before doing anything else, was to stop at the official Doi Chaang coffee house for a cup of the good stuff.

The menu was nice and simple, and I ordered a hot Americano.

drinking coffee in Thailand
I loved the wooden coffee house

The coffee house had both a downstairs, where the barista was located, and an upstairs, with a nice view and a cool breeze.

I loved the open air design, and the big planks of hard wood.

coffee in Thailand
Cool weather, marvelous coffee

The thermometer read 22 C (about 71 F, and this was in mid-September), so with a hot cup of coffee in hand, and the fresh mountain air, I felt incredible.

I can imagine in winter, in December, it could get quite cold.

cappuccino
Ying ordered a cappuccino

Cappuccino

Ying ordered a cappuccino, which was very smooth and creamy, but I don’t think it was quite strong enough for me.

However, I could definitely taste the quality of the coffee beneath the milk.

Americano
I had an Americano

Americano

I’m a big fan of strong black coffee, or if I use milk, I like just a regular cup of brewed coffee with a splash of fresh milk.

Anyway, I ordered a hot Americano, which was incredible.

Even though it was black and without sugar, the flavor was slightly fruity, had almost no sourness to it, and had a very mellow tone – it was very easy and soft to drink.

It was indeed a marvelous cup of Americano, and after my first cup, I was ready to explore the area more.

things to do in Chiang Rai
Doi Chaang Academy of Coffee

Academy of Coffee

Just behind the official coffee house, is the Doi Chaang Academy of Coffee, sort of an office, but sort of a small museum of coffee explaining the history of growing coffee in this region of Thailand.

We just browsed through for a few minutes before moving outside to check out the coffee plants.

coffee trees
Walking around the coffee plantations

Coffee trees

I think you can arrange a tour of the coffee plantation ahead of time, but if you just go by yourself, like we did, there’s no real structure of what to do or see… you just walk around by yourself and check out all the coffee plants all over the place.

Filling the sides of the hills and in plots all along the side of the hills you’ll find healthy and beautiful looking coffee plants.

Doi Chang coffee in Thailand
Beautiful coffee beans

You’re basically free to just walk around however you please, looking at the coffee beans and admiring the beauty of the landscapes.

Doi Chang village
Coffee at Doi Chang village

Most of the coffee at Doi Chang is farmed in little plots owned by individual families, who take great care to produce single origin, organic coffee, of the highest quality.

Amazing Thailand
Much of the coffee is grown by families, so many also grow fresh organic vegetables to eat as well

Along with coffee, I saw plenty of other small patches of other crops like corn and vegetables.

I liked that the Doi Chaang estates weren’t set up touristy with any restrictions, they just let you wander, at your own discretion, wherever you pleased.

coffee plants
Coffee plant nursery

Walking around, every so often, there would be a black tarp, covering a small nursery of baby coffee plants, being nurtured and preparing to be transferred into the real world.

I loved how everything wasn’t cookie cutter at all at Doi Chaang – nothing looked overly commercialized or standardized – but looked natural.

coffee beans
Tree down, but so many colorful beans

This coffee plant had gotten cut down, not sure if it wasn’t good anymore of if there was a problem, but it was full of beautiful, and some rotting, coffee beans.

I just thought it looked nice, with the many shades of different coffee beans.

day trip to Doi Chaang
Doi Chaang processing facility

Doi Chaang processing

Unfortunately, when Ying and I visited Doi Chang, Thailand (it was in the middle of September), it wasn’t the main coffee season, so they told us they weren’t running the processing plant at this time.

So we weren’t able to see the Doi Chaang facility at work, but it was still interesting to see the processing plant.

Thai coffee beans
You can buy coffee beans here

Mini Mart

About 100 meters down the road from the official coffee house, is the Mart, a small mini-mart, kind of like 7-Eleven, but with better coffee.

This is the place where you can go to buy bags of coffee to bring home, and also if you’re in need of any supplies like drinks, and small snacks, this is a place you’ll find them.

Doi Chaang
Some of the selection of famous Doi Chaang

What I bought…

When I went, there were about 6 different choices of coffee beans to choose from, and it took me a bit of contemplation to finally choose what to buy.

Even at the source though, the prices for the beans were still not cheap – but then again, paying for top quality coffee, that’s speciality organic, and approved as fair trade, is worth dishing out a little extra for.

Doi Chaang peaberry coffee
I can’t wait to try the peaberry!

I bought three bags of official Doi Chaang coffee, from left to right:

Doi Chang village, Thailand
The peaceful village of Doi Chang

Lunch at Small Restaurant

I visited the coffee plantation, not only during off coffee season, but also during off visitor / tourist season (the main season when most Thais would visit, would be in December for the cold weather).

So all that to say, it was a bit difficult to find food for lunch, but we were very hungry after walking around for a bit.

After asking around, some staff pointed at a small restaurant across the road from Doi Chaang Coffee Farm (another coffee shop in Doi Chaang, more on this below).

lunch in Thailand
We stopped for a simple and filling lunch

We ordered a few simple dishes, including an omelet with pork (kai jeow moo sab ไข่เจียวหมูสับ), stir fried melon leaves with minced pork (ผักยอดมะระ), mung bean noodle salad (yam woon sen ยำวุ้นเส้น), and finally a dish just called gaeng doi (แกงดอย).

The food was all simple, but what I really loved was that everything tasted so incredibly fresh – I’m sure many of the vegetables were just picked right from the garden that morning.

The gaeng doi (แกงดอย), was just a plain soup, made with some kind of green vegetable (maybe mustard greens), simmered with a few bits of pork, chilies, and lots of ginger. It was so plain, but so soothing, and so fresh tasting.

Thai food
Melon leaves fried with pork

I’m also a huge fan of stir fried melon leaves, and this plate was fantastic as well, nice and fresh.

lunch view
View of Doi Chang during lunch

Eating lunch, here was the beautiful view we enjoyed – coffee plants all over the place, surrounding local homes.

Doi Chang Coffee Farm
About to drink coffee at Doi Chang Coffee Farm

Doi Chang Coffee Farm

After a wonderfully simple, but such a fresh tasting lunch, there was only one thing to do… have another coffee.

I didn’t know about it at first, but this time we went to Doi Chang Coffee Farm, a different coffee shop (not the same as the other Doi Chaang label), and it turned out to be one of the best experiences of the day.

Civet cat coffee
You can also buy civet cat coffee

Doi Chang Coffee Farm is located just down the road, about 100 meters, from Doi Chaang, and it’s situated overlooking the road (if you’re driving around, you won’t miss it).

The coffee farm house, had a similar feel, nice and open air, with a friendly atmosphere.

You can even get a cup of the famous civet cat coffee as well.

Doi Chang Coffee Farm
Having an espresso at Doi Chang Coffee Farm

At first I ordered an espresso, a wonderful coffee to drink after a satisfying lunch.

The coffee came thick and dark, strong, and marvelously delicious.

Doi Chang
Great coffee, great atmosphere

I thoroughly enjoyed my espresso at Doi Chang Coffee Farm, and I also loved the atmosphere of the coffee shop.

The entire coffee shop was made of hard wood, and there were plants and vines wrapping around the roof and beams. There was also a nice view of the village, and the mountain breeze was wonderful.

Thai coffee beans
I bought some more beans

After finishing my coffee, I then went to see if I could buy more beans to take home.

Previously when I had ordered my espresso, the owner was busy in a meeting, but when I went to pay for my espresso she came over, and we started chatting about coffee.

Thai coffee
The owner of Doi Chang Coffee Farm, serving me some samples

Coffee sampling

Soon, the owner kindly asked if we’d like some samples of coffee, and there was no way I was going to say no to that.

best coffee in Thailand
Visting Doi Chang

She first loaded up some beans that she said were “as little processed as possible.” Basically they were beans in almost their most natural form, roasted, but organic and with as few extras as possible.

The beans almost had a floral aroma to them.

Doi Chang coffee, Thailand
Coffee sample at Doi Chang

The coffee was amazing, brewed so strong, yet so smooth and flavorful at the same time.

peaberry coffee
Doi Chang peaberry coffee

Next she made me a sample of organic peaberry, which are the select coffee beans that grow as single beans in the pod (not a duo as usual).

Tanzanian peaberry is especially famous in the coffee world, and before visiting Doi Chang, I had no idea peaberries were being produced in Thailand (that’s probably because they all get exported, without really being sold in Thailand itself).

The sample of peaberry espresso, was even better than the most unprocessed sample before – it was so floral tasting, and so rich.

I bought a bag of peaberry from Doi Chaang, but unfortunately, at Doi Chang Coffee Farm, she was all out of her stock, or I probably would have bought more.

Chiang Rai day trips
A few extra samples of caffeine before heading back to Chiang Rai

The owner and the atmosphere of Doi Chang Coffee Farm was fantastic, the service was so friendly, and the owner really went the extra mile to connect with us – her passion for coffee shined.

Doi Chang Coffee Farm
Inside Doi Chang Coffee Farm

Happily caffeinated, I bought a couple more bags of AA premium Doi Chang Coffee Farm coffee, and then it was time for us get back in the car and start heading back to Chiang Rai.

Price – 250 THB per bag

Chiang Rai Thailand
Nice views on our way back to Chiang Rai

When we had driven to Doi Chang in the early morning, the most beautiful part of the drive was completely covered in fog, and we missed all the views.

But when we returned, the fog had cleared, and we were blessed with nice clear weather (apart from a few sprinkles).

things to do in Chiang Rai
More scenery

The rolling green landscapes, and the huts every now and then, reminded me quite a bit of Ethiopia, driving from Lalibela to the churches of Yemrehanna Kristos (or perhaps it was just the coffee on my brain).

where to go in Chiang Rai
Peaceful road

Conclusion

As a coffee lover, taking a day trip to visit the Doi Chaang coffee plantation and village in Chiang Rai, Thailand, was a dream come true.

My wife and I decided to rent a car to get there, and it took us just under 2 hours to drive there from Chiang Rai City (mainly because of the fog in the mountains).

Once you’re at Doi Chaang, you can walk around the facilities, the processing plants, the small museum, and even spend some time trekking through the beautiful coffee plants.

But probably the best part of visiting Doi Chaang, if you love coffee as much as I do, is just drinking some of the most pure and amazing coffee you’ll ever taste – all while enjoying breaths of fresh air and beautiful scenery.

Doi Chaang is truly Thailand’s coffee paradise!

Information for your visit

Doi Chaang Coffee
Address: Doi Chang village, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Website: https://doichaangcoffee.com/

Doi Chang Coffee Farm (ดอยช้างคอฟฟี่ฟาร์ม)
Address: 707 Doi Chang, Moo 3 Wawee, Mae Suai , Chaiang Rai 57180
ที่อยู่ 707 ดอยช้าง หมู่ 3 ต.วาวี อ.แม่สรวย จ.เชียงราย 57180
Website: www.doichangcoffeefarm.com

How to get to Doi Chang village:

Doi Chang village is located about a 1.5 hour drive from Chiang Rai city, and the easiest way to get there is to either take your own motorbike or car.

I rented a car, which cost us 1,000 THB per day, and it took about 500 THB of fuel roundtrip. For more info about how I rented a car in Chiang Rai read this.

(NOTE: Beware though, while it is possible to take a motorbike, the main highway roads in Thailand aren’t too motorbike friendly, so do be very careful if you go this route)

Do you love coffee?

58 comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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  • Susmita Chatterjee

    3 years ago

    Thanks for your wonderful information. I’m planning to visit Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I will definitely add this place to my visit list. Thank you once again.

  • High Rated Gabru

    3 years ago

    Nice. Please keep it up.

  • Vishal Kaushik

    4 years ago

    Wow…that’s great.

  • Lisa Kenyon

    5 years ago

    I can’t believe you are promoting civit coffee Mark. The naturally shy and solitary nocturnal creatures suffer greatly from the stress of being caged in proximity to other luwaks, and the unnatural emphasis on coffee cherries in their diet causes other health problems too; they fight among themselves, gnaw off their own legs, start passing blood in their scats, and frequently die. Wild luwaks – the trapping of which is supposed to be strictly controlled in Indonesia – are caught by poachers, caged and force-fed coffee cherries in order to crap out the beans for the pleasure of the thousands who have been conned into buying this “incredibly rare” and very expensive “luxury” coffee. Please stop encouraging and promoting this cruel practice.

  • Sue Theoh

    6 years ago

    Is Doi Chaang Coffee House and Doi Chang Coffee Farm are two different coffees places? Do they sell any Civet Coffee beans? We are planning to go during March 2018 and I was told it was end of coffee season, do you think is it wise to pay a visit?

  • Matias

    7 years ago

    Hi, do you think it is feasible to reach doi chang from chiang rai or chiang mai by some form of transportation? (maybe a taxi or songthaew?)

  • Narelle

    7 years ago

    Hi Mark – FYI re this coffee in Bangkok- there is now a lady who uses Doi Chang beans down the Soi Petchaburi 10 (found Her after going to P’Aor – other side of the overpass) she’s on the right & has her grinders marked and photos of her amazing coffees …. I also just today had doi Chang coffee at Silom Rd underpass junction – next to OTOP walking street – 30 baht for an espresso. – Facebook is whitecoffeesilom – I’m a coffee snob and these 2 places are the BEST coffees I’ve had in Bangkok and would be my top 5 EVER.

  • Coffee Geek

    7 years ago

    Nice detailed post there Mark. I usually hunt out all the best coffee shops in Chiang Mai and I’ve been out to a few farms in the North (with Akha Ama and Nine-One). I’ll have to make the effort to get out to the Doi Chang Coffee Farm myself when I get back.

  • alex

    7 years ago

    Thanks for posting this Mark! My friend and I followed your route and had a great time today at Doi Chang. We also met Miyo, the owner of Doi Chang Coffee Farm, who was very enthusiastic to share more about coffee.

    In short, great scenic mountain views and lots to learn and see about coffee, from seed to cup.

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Hey Alex, awesome to hear you made the trip to Doi Chaang, a wonderful place. Glad you enjoyed it!

  • John

    7 years ago

    Really interesting website. I love coffee and to be honest my knowledge of the coffee plant and processing is very poor. I will definitely visit Don Chaang coffee farm when in the vicinity of Chiang Rai. Thank you for such an interesting and informative article.

    • Mark Wiens

      7 years ago

      Great to hear you also love coffee John, thanks for reading. Hope you can visit Doi Chaang in the future.

  • Taiss

    7 years ago

    We love coffee and will be visiting Chiang Rai for the first time next week. This will surely be on our list! Thanks for the info!

  • Pamela Cullen

    8 years ago

    This is a great post. As if the street food wasn’t enough, I am looking forward to visiting Thailand even more now.

  • CC

    8 years ago

    Doi Chaang bean is my favorite. Excellent post!

  • John Harbin

    8 years ago

    I have the ability to plant coffee on 30 acres of hilly good soil near Fang in northern Thailand, about two hours west of Chaing Rai. Is that climate and topography conducive to coffee growing?

    • Mark Wiens

      8 years ago

      Hi John, good to hear from you. Glad you’re thinking of planting coffee. I’m not familiar with that area, is there coffee already successfully being grown in that region?

  • Matt

    8 years ago

    Hey Mark. Thanks for the article! It’s really well done and I used it to follow your footsteps yesterday.

  • Alan

    8 years ago

    Loved the story , Loved the pictures and loved the adventure. We came back from Thailand in January. We went south. Next time there we will definitely go north and check out these coffee places. Thanks again.

  • Terri

    8 years ago

    Thank you for your summary. I purchase this coffee in calgary, Canada. I’ll be visiting Tailand soon and hope to make this day trip too.

  • Mimi

    8 years ago

    We love Doi Chaang coffee. Bought 2 bags from Chiang rai, on the way back to Chiangmai. We bought Peaberry which is more expensive than Lisu but the Lisu suits us better. Great coffee from Doi Chaang. Highly recommended.
    Thank you for your sharing. They’re great

    • Coffee Luva

      8 years ago

      Mark, great column/info. Is there anyway we can order Doi Chaang directly from their farm/store in Thailand? I would like to get a light roasted Peaberry but cannot seem to find it here in the States or online at the DoiChaang.com site. Any help would be welcomed?!!

  • Jean-François Des Lauriers

    8 years ago

    We went looking for Doi Chaang based on your instructions and recommendations and this lead to a fabulous day of adventure, sunny vistas and one of the most delicious coffee in the world.
    Drive ng on the 118 from Chiang Rai, we overshot the turn off for Doi Chang and ended up following the signs that leads us 15 kms further down the road to the Doi Chaang café, drying patio and bean warehouse near Mae Suai. That was fine though, as we had started out early, the sun was shining and the staff were enchanting. I, of course, as is my habit, went overboard, consuming first an espresso, then a latte, and grabbed an iced coffee for the road. I was still vibrating 24 hours latter. Just could not resist.
    From there, we backtracked to the junction for Doi Chang proper and the Doi Chaang farm and plantation. We stopped several times along the way to take in the views of the surrounding valleys and karst hills.
    Nirvana. Had an iced tea at the Doi Chaang facility and walked around the plantation.
    Best day in years. Thank you for pointing us in that direction Mark. We probably would have missed it without you. Cheers!

    • Mark Wiens

      8 years ago

      Hey Jean-François, this is fantastic, thank you for sharing. Glad you had such an amazing trip to Doi Chaang. Haha, and nicely done with the overboard on coffee!

  • Zach

    8 years ago

    Hello, is there busses that run from Chiang Rai to Doi Chang? Looking into visiting!

  • Desiree Gutierrez

    9 years ago

    Slowly making it through all of your posts, and making a list of places to visit when we head over in December. Our time in Chaing Mai and Chiang Rai will be on motorcycles, but I’m willing to brave the crazy roads to find great coffee. 🙂 Couldn’t be too much hairier than SFO or Los Angeles during rush hour. Hoping they have unroasted beans to take home with me.

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Desiree, great to hear you’ll be visiting Doi Chaang. Yah, if you go at the right time, during harvest, you should be able to find unroasted beans. Have a great trip!

    • Desiree Gutierrez

      9 years ago

      We’ll be taking the train north from Bangkok the first week of January, right in the middle of harvest. yay!!! Hmmm…. maybe I should first make sure I won’t have to smuggle the beans through Customs when we get home….

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      That’s fantastic Desiree, enjoy!

  • Ray

    9 years ago

    this was an awesome post Mark.. thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Travelling up with the missus end of this month. I have been invited by the owner to attend the coffee academy and to study more about the philosophy of doi chaang coffee company. likely to spend a couple of nights there too..

    also don’t forget to look me up when you are headed to Singapore! 🙂

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hi Ray, good to hear you’ll be going to Doi Chaang, hope you enjoy it and the coffee. Yes, definitely will get in touch with you. I was supposed to go to Singapore so many times, and I’ve been so busy every time. I’ll let you know for sure.

  • Rahman Mehraby

    9 years ago

    I didn’t know there are coffee plants in Thailand! This post has been very informative for me. Thanks for sharing it. The people of “Doi Chang” have got interesting history. It seems that the price isn’t low. therefore, the local community of coffee lovers must be more affluent part of the society in Thailand.

    Here’s my question for you: Considering the fact that these people decided not to let the third parties to go between the coffee deals, has their own financial status changed after selling directly to their customers? Is this observable in their village?

  • Michael Streib

    9 years ago

    Mark, I watched your video from this trip a few weeks back. Believe the link came to me in your newsletter to which I’m subscribed. Maybe not.

    Tell me…, did you inquire and/or do you know if this plantation’s beans are available in Bangkok? Long trip north to pick up good beans. If not yet here, do you know of other retail points of presence to pick up good Thai or other organic coffee beans in BKK?

    Best,

    Mike

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Mike, thanks for reading this post. As for Doi Chaang in Bangkok, I’ve been seeing more and more Doi Chaang official coffee shops opening lately, and I think many of them carry the beans as well, though I haven’t been in Bangkok too much recently, so I haven’t explored the options yet myself. I believe there’s a Doi Chaang at Asoke as well as many others. If I can find out anything else, I’ll let you know. Thanks again.

    • Mike

      9 years ago

      Thanks for the follow up, Mark. Any idea where in Asoke? Well familiar with area and there a lot. I’ll be wary of shops that want to capitalize on the name. I’ll watch the video again but brand or trademarks I can look for to be sure I’ve not purchased a 5 year old bag of Ethiopian Arabica? Not that beans from Ethiopia are bad. Great flavor and history. Some believe the first coffee cultivated in our world.

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Mike, here’s a place called Doi Chaang Siganature, Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DoiChaang.Signature – looks like it’s about a 10 minute walk from Asoke BTS or MRT station.

  • Steve Kyne

    9 years ago

    Hey Mark

    Fantastic read… as always. I’m interested to know what you thought of the civet cat coffee. Could you notice a difference in taste to the other beans, and noticeably so? I’ve never tried it, as I doubted that it would be worth the exorbitant price… but I am happy to be proven wrong. Would love to know what you thought of it.

    Cheers.

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hi Steve, I actually didn’t try it either, due to the high price. I’ve only had a few cups of chemically modified, similar coffee in Vietnam, but not the real stuff yet, so I can’t say yet either!

  • Casey

    9 years ago

    Thanks so much for this post! I love coffee and I can’t wait to plan a trip to Doi Chang! It all just sounds so wonderful! And those views were amazing too 🙂

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Great to hear that Casey, hope you can visit.

    • Debbie

      9 years ago

      Thanks for the information. We are going to Thailand in September and were looking at coffee plantations to visit. My husband and I are baristas and coffee technicians so this will be a fantastic trip for us. Thank you.

  • sally draper

    9 years ago

    Is this an advertisement? I am left with the distinct feeling that you were paid to write this by Doi Chaang Coffee and Doi Chang Coffee Farm. Which is fine – a blogger’s gotta eat – but maybe you should disclose it? Same goes for other recent posts about Chiang Rai, a province that the Thai Tourism Ministry is promoting a lot lately (coincidence?). Mark, I am a big fan of your blog and videos, I have subscribed and recommended them to friends and family, but this lacks your old irreverence.

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hi Sally, thank you for your concern. No, this is not an advertisement, and I wasn’t paid anything to write this (I would most definitely say if I was). But this is just an effort for myself to write extremely detailed and thoroughly cover as much info as possible, to try and be as helpful as possible. I had no idea TAT was promoting Chiang Rai actually.

      Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback. I’m trying to find a balance between pure entertainment articles, and sharing the useful information, like a guide. Do you have any tips?

  • Jon

    9 years ago

    Great informational blog post Mark! My father in law is trying his hand at growing coffee now and with the great information you provided in this post, I will make plans to take my father in law to Doi Chang Coffee Farm to see the growing process.

    Much mahalo for your blog post!

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Jon, very cool to hear that. Hope you can visit Doi Chang in the future – I really enjoyed going there.

  • Songtham

    9 years ago

    What is better than a cup of Americano surrounding by coffee trees with the mountain view. Americano cost 40, view priceless.

  • Neil Mitchell

    9 years ago

    Excellent post Mark, I enjoyed it immensely! It’s just great that these farmers can grow quality beans and produce world class coffee in Thailand. It looked dark, mysterious, and tasty!! Reminds me of Oahu a little, where due to the annihilation of the sugar and pineapple export trade there farmers are now producing single source coffee much like the coffee in your post. I always support these small producers by bringing a bunch home when I visit there. It may not be as cheap as Folgers, but I don’t mind paying a little more for absolutely excellent coffee grown locally. Great job Mark, if I visit Thailand I’m going to that place.

    Cheers,
    Neil

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Neil, good to hear from you, thank you very much for reading, glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing about Oahu as well, I didn’t know about the coffee production there, I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m there.

    • Neil Mitchell

      9 years ago

      Thanks for the response Mark! Below is the link for the coffee farm on Oahu. It’s in Waialua on the Haleiwa side of island. You could hit two birds with one stone and eat Huli Huli chicken then go have a coffee!!

      Cheers,
      Neil

      http://waialuaestate.com/our-coffee.html

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Great, thank you Neil. Haha, that’s sounds like a good combo to me!

  • Renuka

    9 years ago

    Of course, I LOVE coffee! I loved this post too! The pictures are awesome, the story behind the Thai coffee is amazing and the experience sounds exhilarating! Now I know what to look for when I visit Thailand. 🙂 Thank you!