This certified highland arabica comes from a Catimor, Caturra and Catuai cross grown on the Nang Non range, and began flying on Japan Airlines in 2018.
Doi Tung is both a place (a 1,389-meter mountain, the highest point of the Doi Nang Non subrange, in Mae Fa Luang district) and a coffee: an arabica varietal that is a cross of the hybrids Catimor, Caturra and Catuai, grown at roughly 800-1,200 meters. It emerged from the Doi Tung Development Project led by Princess Srinagarindra, which began in 1988 to replace opium with crops such as coffee and macadamia. Beans are processed and roasted locally rather than exported green, and a chain of Doi Tung-branded coffee shops was opened to market the coffee to Thais. Starting 1 December 2018 it was served on Japan Airlines flights. It received a Thai geographical-indication registration in 2006 and EU Protected Geographical Indication status in 2010.
Field notes
- i
Doi Tung coffee is named for a mountain, but the name also refers to a specific arabica varietal, a cross of Catimor, Caturra and Catuai hybrids.
- ii
A chain of coffee shops using the Doi Tung name was opened to market the coffee to Thais, and from 1 December 2018 it was served on Japan Airlines flights.
- iii
Japan's GI register describes the Doi Tung area as 93,515 rai, about 150 sq km, and says the coffee sells in Thailand at 2 to 2.5 times the price of common coffee.
- iv
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime certified Doi Tung for its contribution to drug eradication, Japan's GI register notes.
In the cup, according to guides
- AcidityMoreDescribed as having generous acidity without sharpness.
- SweetnessMoreDescribed as having fruity, sweet fragrance or overtones.
- BodyVariesDescribed as medium-bodied.
Elsewhere in Chiang Rai
Sources · 5 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-11.
- Doi Tung coffee · Wikipedia
- Mae Fah Luang Foundation · Wikipedia
- Doi Tung · Wikipedia
- Thailand Coffee: Everything You Need to Know · Coffeeness
- Geographical Indication register no. 138: DoiTung Coffee · Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan