In this first episode of our Thailand origin trip, Takuya, Head Roaster at Kurasu, travels to Northern Thailand with Aum from Kurasu Bangkok and Xavier from Kurasu Singapore to visit Phupha Estate, a family-run coffee farm located in the mountains between Chiang Mai and Lampang.

Thailand is one of Asia’s most exciting coffee-producing countries today. While its history in specialty coffee is still relatively young, the quality of Thai coffee has been improving rapidly in recent years, with the country’s first Cup of Excellence taking place in 2023. Through this trip, we wanted to learn more about the people, places, and practices shaping the future of Thai specialty coffee.

Visiting Phupha Estate in Northern Thailand

From Chiang Mai city, we drove about an hour and a half into the mountains to reach Phupha Estate. The farm is located at around 1,300 meters above sea level and covers approximately 13 hectares of land.

Phupha Estate is run by Ann and her family. The farm was originally started by Ann’s mother around 40 years ago. Before coffee, the land was used to produce tea, but because the processing conditions were difficult to stabilize in this environment, the family eventually shifted to coffee production.

Today, Phupha Estate grows varieties such as Catuai, Caturra, Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon, and Typica. Many of the coffee trees are around 20 to 30 years old, and the team manages them carefully through regular pruning so that the trees remain at a suitable height for harvesting.

A Direct Relationship with Kurasu Bangkok

Phupha Estate has a close connection to Kurasu Bangkok. The farm is run by the family of a friend of one of the Kurasu Bangkok team members, and since 2025, Kurasu Bangkok has been working directly with Phupha Estate through direct trade.

For us, visiting the farm was not only about seeing where the coffee is grown. It was also an opportunity to understand the people behind the coffee, the environment they work in, and the care that goes into each step of production.

Harvesting Ripe Coffee Cherries

The harvest season at Phupha Estate runs from December to February. When we visited, the trees were full of ripe coffee cherries.

The farm is located on steep slopes, so picking requires a lot of skill and physical effort. The pickers carefully identify only the fully ripe cherries by color and harvest them by hand. Each picker harvests around 45 to 100 kilograms of cherries per day.

After harvesting, the cherries are packed into 45-kilogram bags and rested for about 24 hours. The next day, they are placed in water for washing and flotation sorting. Cherries with lower density float to the surface and are removed, while the dense, ripe cherries continue to the next stage of processing.

Washed Process and Dry Fermentation

For the washed process, the selected cherries are pulped using a Penagos pulper from Colombia. One of the key features of this machine is that it can remove the skin of the coffee cherry without using water, helping to reduce water usage in the washed process.

After pulping, the coffee is placed into buckets and fermented without water for around 24 hours. This is known as dry fermentation. According to Ann, dry fermentation tends to improve the quality of acidity in coffee, while wet fermentation tends to improve balance and consistency.

In the dry fermentation process, the team monitors the pH and moves the coffee to the washing stage when it reaches around pH 3.8. We were able to taste the coffee at around pH 4.0, and it had a sweetness reminiscent of ripe persimmon. It was already delicious, but because there was still a lot of sugar remaining, the fermentation needed to continue a little further to develop a more balanced sweet-acidic profile.

Natural Process Fermentation

We also saw the natural process at Phupha Estate. To guide fermentation in a stable and controlled way, the team adds lactic acid bacteria, salt, and sugar to the fermentation tank.

Each ingredient has a specific purpose. The lactic acid bacteria help stabilize the direction of fermentation. The salt helps control the speed of microbial activity and prevent over-fermentation. The sugar acts as fuel for the microorganisms, supporting consistency throughout the fermentation process.

Everything is measured carefully in grams and added at the proper temperature. During fermentation, the team also monitors the temperature and pressure inside the tanks, showing how carefully the process is managed.

Drying the Coffee

After fermentation and washing, the coffee is moved to the drying beds. Washed coffees are dried for around 14 days. For the first four days, they are placed on the upper level where they receive more sunlight, and then moved to the lower level to control the drying speed.

In the mountains of Chiang Mai, the farm only receives about two to three hours of strong sunlight per day, so drying takes time and careful management. Natural process coffees are dried for around 45 days.

We also saw Yellow Bourbon anaerobic natural coffee on the drying beds. At the beginning of drying, the cherries are still yellow, but as moisture leaves the fruit, they gradually turn darker. Each lot is carefully labeled with information such as the start date of fermentation and drying.

Some lots are also dried mechanically in a dedicated drying room. The team measures moisture content twice a day, in the morning and evening, and finishes drying when the green coffee reaches around 10 to 11% moisture.

What We Felt at Phupha Estate

What left the strongest impression on us was how carefully everything was managed. Phupha Estate is a family-run farm centered around Ann and her family, and every detail reflected their care and attention.

From the processing equipment and drying space to the coffee tools and even the restrooms, everything was kept extremely clean and well organized. It was clear that quality at Phupha Estate is not only about techniques or machines, but about a mindset that runs through every part of the farm.

During our stay, we received washed and honey process samples, which we cupped after returning. The coffees were clean, bright in acidity, and beautifully layered in flavor. In the best way, they challenged our previous image of Thai coffee.

“If people drink our coffee, they can understand us.”

One of the most memorable moments from the visit was something Ann said during dinner:

“Even if people cannot meet us directly, if they drink our coffee, they can understand who we are. So if people drink our coffee, that alone makes us happy.”

Her words stayed with us. When we tasted the coffee, we could feel the care, the careful handwork, and the commitment to quality that Ann and her family put into every step.

The story behind a coffee is not only something we understand as information. It can also be felt in the cup.

We are very excited to continue sharing coffees like this with our community in Japan and around the world.

Watch the Full Video

In the video, you can see the landscape of Phupha Estate, the harvesting and processing work, and the people behind the coffee. This is the first part of our Thailand origin trip. In the next episode, we travel to another coffee-producing area in Nan.

Watch the full video on YouTube and follow our journey through Thailand’s coffee origins.

Watch on YouTube

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