Akha Ama Coffee

Akha Ama is one of the most respected coffee names in Chiang Mai, as much for its story as for what is in the cup. The company was formed in 2010 by Ayu Chuepa, known as Lee, who comes from an Akha village in the northern hills. He was the first person from his village to graduate from university, later studied coffee processing abroad, and set out to build a business that would give growers in his community a fairer share of the value of their crop.

The model is simple. Akha Ama buys only beans grown by indigenous producers, deals with them directly without middlemen, roasts the coffee and sells it itself, so more of the money goes back to the farmers. Its beans have twice been chosen for the finals of the World Cup Tasters Championship, and its work has been highlighted by international organisations as an example of a community-led coffee business. Coffee became an important crop for hill communities in this part of Thailand from the 1980s, when a royal initiative supplied Arabica plants to replace opium, and the Akha were among the first to take it up seriously.

For visitors, the most convenient branch is on Ratchadamnoen Road in the Old City, open daily from 08:00 to 17:30. A cappuccino or the house filter are good choices if you want to taste the beans properly. The original branch, on Hussadhisewee Road Soi 3 in Chang Phueak north of the Old City, keeps shorter hours, generally from Thursday to Sunday, and is a nice option for the house pour-over.

Akha Ama suits coffee drinkers who care about where their beans come from, and it is a good place to buy a bag of northern Thai coffee to take home. It is also an easy break on a walk around the Old City temples, because the Ratchadamnoen Road branch is close to Wat Phra Singh and on the route of the Sunday Walking Street.

If the company's story interests you, the original Chang Phueak branch is the one to visit, as it is where Akha Ama started out.