Specialty coffee in Thailand
Specialty coffee in Thailand is increasingly built on Thai-grown arabica from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, most of which is drunk at home, not exported. Thailand is both a producer and a fast-growing consumer. Arabica from the northern highlands, alongside coffee from Chumphon and Surat Thani in the south, supplies a domestic specialty market that keeps most of its best lots. The first Thai Cup of Excellence was held in 2022, and by 2025 the top 15 coffees scored 88 points or more. Per-capita consumption has nearly doubled in recent years, and national barista champions such as Jane Kawinnart Veraworawet, co-founder of Fika & Co, and 2025 champion Kittipop Eangchoun have raised the scene's profile.
Bangkok holds about half of the cafés listed here. Phuket is the other cluster, with specialty cafés in Patong, Karon, Rawai, Chalong and Wichit, a sign of how far the scene has spread into tourist areas.
Growing regions cultivate Typica, Catuai, Bourbon and local cross-varieties, so Thai single origins appear on specialty menus next to imported coffees. New coffee businesses keep opening, with about a third of recent registrations in Bangkok.
