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Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style) As is well known the mountainous regions of northern Thailand were once one of the drug-producing areas many years ago. Similar to drugs high-quality coffee beans also require high-altitude low-latitude growing conditions. Therefore the Thai government spent a long time helping locals switch to growing coffee beans tea flowers and organic

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Northern Thailand's "Golden Triangle" Mountain Region

As everyone knows, many years ago, the mountainous region of northern Thailand was once one of the drug-producing areas. Similar to drugs, high-quality coffee beans also require high-altitude, low-latitude growing conditions. Therefore, the Thai government spent a long time helping local people switch to cultivating coffee beans, tea, flowers, and organic vegetables. Today, let's get to know the Thai coffee beans from northern Thailand.

It is common knowledge that growing poppies in Myanmar is illegal; however, in this remote and extremely impoverished region, local farmers say: "We don't have any other practical options." Former head of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's Myanmar office, John M. Whelan, frankly stated: "The government needs them because they can benefit from them."

Ten years ago, Bang Lian village on Myanmar's eastern border—part of the notorious Golden Triangle region—received intensive management and rectification from the Myanmar government, and the illegal sea of poppy flowers was once expected to be eradicated. However, nearly a decade later, according to recent United Nations survey reports, since 2006, the poppy cultivation area in Myanmar's Golden Triangle region has not only decreased but has actually increased by nearly threefold, becoming the world's second-largest heroin producer after Afghanistan.

The history of poppy cultivation in Myanmar is so long that none of us really know when to begin counting. However, my ancestors grew opium to produce medical drugs for treating fevers, stomach ailments, and even snake venom. Later, its use changed to become the raw material for making opium smoke. More importantly, this business is extremely lucrative.

The Legend of Arabica Coffee Beans

Since the early 1970s, the Thai government has been implementing a series of agricultural programs in the northern mountainous regions, teaching mountain residents farming techniques and introducing cash crops. These programs aimed to improve residents' living standards and eliminate the habit of growing opium. More than 30 years have passed, and residents no longer plant opium, replacing it with various fruits, vegetables, and agricultural products.

The northern mountainous region of Thailand produces high-quality Arabica coffee beans. Arabica coffee was one of the cash crops promoted in the plan, and its quality has been appreciated by consumers in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, and other countries in recent years. The northern mountainous region of Thailand has transformed into the "Golden Triangle" tourism destination; no longer home to opium, it now emits the rich, mellow aroma of coffee as precious as gemstones.

Arabica beans come from Thailand's highest-quality mountain regions, located at 19.5 degrees north latitude and an altitude of 1300 meters. They are hand-picked and wet-processed, classified as Grade A. They are not polished to remove the silver skin, reducing the loss of aroma caused by heat generated during the polishing process of raw beans.

Taiwan's Christian churches have sent many missionaries to work in the northern mountainous regions of Thailand, living long-term with indigenous peoples, improving their living conditions, and promoting agriculture to boost the economy. Arabica coffee is one of the farm's crops.

Xiangmiao School in Laizhang Village, Misui County, Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand, is a Chinese-language school located at an altitude of 1480 meters. What makes it particularly valuable is its principal, Li Xingtang, who is not of孤军后裔 (Kuomintang remnant) descent, nor is he Chinese—he is a native Myanmar Akha person. Having studied Chinese himself and benefited greatly from it, and recognizing that Chinese language ability will be essential in the future, he decided to dedicate himself to establishing the school.

Due to the steep mountain terrain of Laizhang Village, agricultural cultivation is difficult, and most residents grow coffee for their livelihood. However, transportation is difficult, and prices are often controlled by middlemen, making it difficult for local residents to afford the 1,060 Thai baht per semester Chinese school fees for their children. Li Xingtang therefore sells coffee to increase the school's income and subsidize the tuition fees of impoverished students.

Ji Zongyan, an alternative service member from Taiwan serving at Xiangmiao School, said that the children here are pitiful. In winter, temperatures drop to only ten-plus degrees Celsius after sunset, and they only wear slippers. These are just the children who attend Xiangmiao School; children who cannot pay the tuition fees stay home to help care for younger siblings or assist with farm work.

"We Don't Want Our Children to Continue Breaking the Law, But We're More Afraid of Starving"

"Our village has had no electricity for decades, becoming completely dark at night. The small path leading outside is just a rugged, trough-like dirt road that few people are willing to travel, and we rarely leave this mountainous area. It can be said that except for trading poppy sap, there is little human movement here. Until last year, some Americans came here and helped us dig a mountain road, which made things more convenient."

The United Nations once sent people to our village to persuade us to use some of our fields for coffee cultivation. They said the person they sent to lead the project had spent nearly 30 years in Peru establishing a successful crop substitution program for local farmers who grew coca raw materials. Many of my fellow villagers and I attended the classes they offered. The Americans sent here taught us many experiences, methods, and benefits of coffee cultivation. The leader, a person named Will, said: "I guarantee to make the coffee you grow famous, and I'll use my connections to help you sell it." We were all moved by what we heard.

However, local people were willing to try growing coffee, which takes three years to bear beans, but honestly, I'm not ready to give up growing opium. Because this so-called crop substitution program that these people talk about has already failed countless times here. Previously, they wanted to call on us to plant buckwheat and sugarcane, but both crops are very difficult to transport on the broken roads, making it impossible to recover costs and make a profit.

Most villagers also once said: "I'm willing to stop growing opium as soon as possible... but if we only grow coffee, we'll starve." Her child is still learning to walk, and her husband is cutting opium sap on the mountain over there. Like them, no one wants their future generations to always be engaged in illegal and dangerous work, but everyone is more afraid of starving to death.

Ji Zongyan said that he came from Taiwan to Xiangmiao in October. When he first arrived, there wasn't even a bed, so he slept directly on the ground, often waking up from the cold in the middle of the night. Later, he got a wooden bed. There are only two lights in the classroom, and after students finish their Thai school classes, they come to Xiangmiao School at 4 PM. Usually, the sun hasn't set yet at this time, so he asks them to immediately use the remaining daylight to do their homework to avoid affecting their eyesight.

Due to special feelings for the villagers in Thailand's northern mountainous regions, and not wanting to keep this magical coffee aroma to himself, he wants to introduce it to the domestic market, allowing coffee enthusiasts to experience the wonders of Asian coffee beans ahead of others. Experience the charm of Thai coffee beans, the legend of coffee beans.

Since the early 1970s, the Thai government has been implementing a series of agricultural programs in the northern mountainous regions, teaching mountain residents farming techniques and introducing cash crops. These programs aimed to improve residents' living standards and eliminate the habit of growing opium. More than 40 years have passed, and residents no longer plant opium, replacing it with various fruits, vegetables, and agricultural products.

Arabica coffee was one of the cash crops promoted in the plan, and its quality has been appreciated by consumers in Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, and other countries in recent years. The northern mountainous region of Thailand has transformed into the "Golden Triangle" tourism destination; no longer home to opium, it now emits the rich, mellow aroma of coffee as precious as gemstones.

In the 1980s, Taiwan's Christian churches sent many missionaries to work in the northern mountainous regions of Thailand, living long-term with indigenous peoples, improving their living conditions, and promoting agriculture to boost the economy. Arabica coffee is one of the farm's crops. Unexpectedly, the quality of this coffee exceeded imagination.

These beans come from Thailand's highest-quality mountain regions, located at 19.5 degrees north latitude and an altitude of 1300 meters. They are hand-picked and wet-processed, classified as Grade A. They are not polished to remove the silver skin, reducing the loss of aroma caused by heat generated during the polishing process of raw beans.

The World's Most Expensive Northern Thai "Elephant Dung Coffee"

The Golden Triangle Anantara's unique elephant dung coffee is available daily at the Elephant Bar under the name "Black Ivory." Simply put, after coffee berries are eaten by elephants, they undergo a rigorous process and are excreted in feces. People then pick up the undigested coffee beans to make edible coffee. This elephant dung coffee is far more expensive than civet cat coffee, with a sour-leaning taste, greatly reduced bitterness, and incredible smoothness. Drinking it without milk or sugar is the authentic way.

The formal name of elephant dung coffee is "Black Ivory Coffee," which is made from coffee beans digested and excreted by Thai elephants. These coffee beans are picked from the best Thai Arabica coffee beans grown at an altitude of 1500 meters, while these elephants are located at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) in northern Thailand. The founder is Canadian Blake Dinkin.

The enzymes in the elephant's digestive system break down the proteins in the beans during digestion, making them almost completely free of the bitterness found in ordinary coffee. This coffee is produced and wholesaled by Black Ivory Coffee Company. According to Black Ivory Coffee Company, in 2012, the supply of this coffee was 50 kilograms. The 2013 supply is expected to increase. Because the supply of this coffee is extremely limited, it is only sold in a few five-star hotels worldwide. The retail price is $1,800 per kilogram, or $55 per cup, ranking it among the world's most expensive coffees.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com