The Driving Force Behind Specialty Coffee in Thailand
When Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej launched the Royal Project in 1969, his main goal was to eradicate opium production by encouraging farmers to grow more legal crops. Among them, coffee had tremendous potential to become a major export cash crop. However, fast forward to today, and metropolitan cities are bustling with specialty coffee roasteries and cafés. Only 5-7% of Thai coffee is exported annually because the rest is consumed in-country. In only a few short decades, Thailand has cultivated a thriving, self-sufficient coffee culture that champions specialty coffee. In part, the succes...
