From a highland cash crop, Thai coffee is gradually establishing itself as a premium product recognized by consumers and connoisseurs abroad. Behind this success is not only the quality of the coffee beans but also the roles of farmers and local communities, along with the development of knowledge and technology that elevate Thailand’s coffee industry across the entire production chain.
Mr. Kitja Wongwaree, CEO of AROMA GROUP, revealed that the company has collaborated to develop the Thai coffee ecosystem toward the global stage through the Cup of Excellence Thailand 2026 (COE), an internationally recognized specialty coffee competition. It was first held in 2022 under the name Best of Thailand, later evolving into a key platform to raise Thai coffee to international standards and become a major mechanism promoting the specialty coffee sector in Thailand.
This year’s event took place in Chiang Mai on 18 June 2026, featuring 106 coffee samples from 81 farms nationwide. Chiang Mai submitted the most entries with 43 samples, followed by Chiang Rai with 34, Mae Hong Son with 21, and Nan with 8.
The first-place winner of Cup of Excellence Thailand 2026 was Mr. Wichai Kamnodmongkol, owner of Coffee De Hmong Bio Farm from Nan province, with a Geisha variety coffee processed by the Honey method, scoring 90.50 points. This marks a significant milestone for Thai farmers in developing high-quality coffee recognized by international judges.
“COE is not just a competition to find the best coffee but a platform that elevates the Thai coffee industry in quality, diversity of varieties, production processes, and sustainable development. The core of excellence lies with the farmers, as every step—from planting and caring for coffee trees to processing—is the foundation of the quality in the cup that consumers worldwide enjoy.”
Mr. Kitja added that over the past 3-4 years, more than 70 lots of Thai coffee have advanced to global auctions, putting Thailand on the world coffee map and generating significant income for Thai farmers.
Mr. Gary Urrutia, Executive Director of Cup of Excellence, expressed honor in contributing to the development of Thai coffee and confidence in its bright future and continuous progress. He emphasized that the key goal of Cup of Excellence is not only to find the best coffee but also to create opportunities and improve the livelihoods of coffee farmers. He thanked the international panel and partners in Thailand for their serious support in developing Thai coffee, concluding that the true winner of this competition is not any individual but Thai coffee itself.
Mr. Kitja said that besides supporting the Cup of Excellence Thailand, AROMA GROUP has adopted the “NEXT” concept as a business approach, focusing on natural resource care, environmentally friendly production, creating positive consumer experiences, and applying technology to develop the Thai coffee industry from farm to cup.
Behind this growth, AROMA GROUP has invested in developing coffee-growing infrastructure in Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son by supporting modern machinery from Colombia to reduce coffee bean damage and guaranteeing purchase prices. Over the past 5-6 years, investments have exceeded 50 million baht, excluding competition expenses.
Another key strength is a team of specialty coffee experts knowledgeable in bean quality assessment, roasting, farm development, tasting, and international standards such as SCA, Q Grader, and Coffee Value Assessment (CVA). This team includes former Cup of Excellence Thailand judges and national barista and latte art champions who work with farmers across regions to improve product quality and add value to Thai coffee.
Data from the 2025 Cup of Excellence Thailand auction shows Thai coffee generated a total auction value of $126,149.59 USD, over 5.03 million baht. In the 2026 competition, 106 coffee samples were submitted, with Mixed Variety being the most common at 35 samples (32.7%), followed by Catimor with 34 samples (31.8%), Typica with 12 samples (11.2%), and Geisha and Java each with 5 samples (4.7%).
Regarding processing methods, although the Natural Process remains the most popular, this year saw an increase in coffees processed via the Honey Process. This indicates Thai farmers are paying greater attention to fermentation control and post-harvest management, which are important to bean quality.
Meanwhile, many new-generation coffee growers are emphasizing ecosystem and community care alongside production, such as shade-grown coffee, biodiversity conservation, and watershed forest management. Many farms strive to create their own identity through their coffee’s story and origin, as today’s specialty coffee consumers consider not only cup scores but also origin, production methods, and farm uniqueness.
Mr. Thanaphat Namung, Head of Northern Coffee at AROMA GROUP, said the main goal of COE is to help farmers improve quality from variety selection and care to processing, elevating to specialty coffee standards through international judging standards using Blind Evaluation, where judges taste coffee under secret codes to ensure transparency and impartiality.
“What has clearly changed is that Thai farmers have increased production knowledge, the number of coffees entered has nearly doubled, and judges provide feedback to producers to support commercial development,” he said.
Mr. Thanaphat added that Thai coffee is beginning to develop its own distinctive identity, the Thailand Universe, attracting global market interest, especially Geisha variety from Nan province, alongside growing demand from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Europe.
In today’s specialty coffee world, competitions are no longer decided solely by cup scores but also by farm stories, origin uniqueness, and sustainable production approaches, including shade-grown coffee, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem care of watershed forests.
Therefore, Cup of Excellence Thailand 2026 is not only a platform to find the country’s finest coffee but also an opportunity for farmers, communities, and the Thai coffee industry to grow together and help Thai coffee gain greater recognition in the global specialty coffee market.