Chiang Rai News
Doi Chaang Coffee Brewing from the Heart
Mr Wicha, the man behind the commercial success of Doi Chaang, shows off one of the world-famous products.
CHIANGRAI TIMES -Doi Chaang coffee has come a long way from its humble beginning. Hathaichanok Phisailert has made it her mission to nurture the spirit of social enterprise, where coffee growers are treated more like kinsmen than clients, sellers or ordinary villagers.
A university graduate in accounting from Yonok University, Ms Hathaichanok is the youngest daughter of Piko Saedoo, the founder of Doi Chaang Coffee Original Company. Also known as Miga, she is part of the Akha community in the village of Doi Chaang located in a mountainous region of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, which has been growing coffee beans for about 30 years.
Her university study is also the outcome of what began when her father, Mr Piko, whose face is on every bag of Doi Chaang coffee, led the family to start cultivating coffee. He became inspired after His Majesty the King in 1983 began the royal initiatives to encourage crop substitution to eliminate opium cultivation and slash-and-burn horticulture in the North.
As the village head, Mr Piko had encouraged his fellow villagers to follow His Majesty’s directive and join him in cultivating coffee. After 20 years, the beans flourished under the leaves of plum, peach and macadamia nut trees and in the nutrient-rich soil of the region.
But the road to success was not always rosy. In the early years, the prices of coffee beans were pushed relatively low by middlemen.
Most Akha tribesmen acted independently, lacked business experience and had limited access to markets. They were not allowed Thai identification cards and their lives had barely improved during that period, prompting several members to abandon coffee.
Despite all odds, Mr Piko remained committed. By sheer luck, he met Wicha Promyong, a globe-trotting entrepreneur and trekker, in 2003. Mr Piko asked Mr Wicha for guidance on developing and marketing the Doi Chaang Coffee brand.
It was Mr Wicha who helped resurrect Doi Chaang coffee into a promising product. First, he encouraged the villagers to unite and form their own independent company to represent all Doi Chaang farmers.
With initial capital of 320,000 baht, a small company was set up to handle the production and distribution, eliminating the middlemen.
Mr Wicha, now president of Doi Chaang Coffee Original Company, has not only been instrumental to Doi Chaang’s coffee development. He also helps raise the standard of living and self-respect among the Akha people. He now lives in the Doi Chaang community as a well-respected, trusted member.
In no time, Mr Wicha has come to embrace the Akha way and dedicated his life to improving the well-being of the Akha people and making Doi Chaang Coffee the best coffee in the world.
A group of Canadians later approached to establish an equal partnership for international distribution, including John M. Darch, an entrepreneur who had been doing business in Thailand for more than 20 years.
After that, Doi Chaang Coffee Company became a unique partnership between the Akha hill tribe of Doi Chaang Village and outsiders.
The villagers cultivate and process the beans, while the company finances, roasts, markets and distributes the coffee.
Since the Thai farmers own 50% of the joint venture, they receive a price higher than the Fair Trade level for their beans, as well as half of the organisation’s overall profit.
More than a thousand households of ethnic minority groups now have a better life. Some growers now earn up to 1 million baht a year from less than 100,000 baht when the company was first set up by selling their unmatched coffee beans.
Several families can send their children to study for a doctorate degree both locally and overseas.
The company also set aside 30% of its yearly profit to the Doi Chaang Foundation, which takes care of education, health care, the environment and culture of the local community.
Through the foundation, the community is setting up a community bank to offer financial services with low lending rates not only to the Akha tribesmen as well as more than 10,000 families from 25 other tribes in the area.
It took Doi Chaang Coffee only five years to become the world’s top-class brand. But what puts it in international limelight is not profit but rather its business model, which contributes income to people in the community.
Doi Chaang Coffee was awarded the GI certification from the Intellectual Property Department in July 2006.
The department has also sought the same vote of confidence for Doi Chaang and Doi Tung coffee from the European Union to promote Thai products.
The community-based business model now becomes a case study at several leading universities around the world.
The coffee is now a pride of Thailand. It is also the only foreign brand in 60 years to be available through Harrods, the world’s most famous luxury department store based in England.
A joint venture is also planned in the United Kingdom with Canadian and local partners to expand its presence there.
In Thailand, Doi Chaang plans to spend about 60 million baht to acquire new machinery and expand the coffee drying ground.
Mr Wicha said the company not only sells Doi Chaang coffee, but also forest civet coffee at 3,000 baht a kilogramme. Lotions and cosmetics made from coffee by-product would be made available in the near future through the new company, Doi Chaang Coffee Cosmetic Co.
However, the bright prospect comes with a new challenge. Mr Wicha said a short supply is likely, as production is estimated at only about 500-600 tonnes this year, a sharp drop from as many as 1,000-2,000 tonnes earlier.
Mr Wicha explains participating farmers are free to sell their beans to middlemen or a third party if they get higher prices.
“We’re focusing more on quality control. Direct purchase from farmers and having a single production and processing facility will enable us to control and stabilise the quality of coffee,” he said. “We expect over the next three years our production under the scheme would reach 5,000 tonnes a year.”
Police in Wiang Kaen District of Chiang Rai Province have arrested a 50 year old man after the threatened to rape a 20 year-old woman and the proceeded to murder her 2 and half month old baby.
Police with doctors from Wiang Kaen Hospital and the Chao Luang Wiang Kaen Welfare Association were summoned to the scene of the incident to a 2-story cement house, Village No. 2, Tha Kham Subdistrict, Wiang Kaen District of Chiang Rai
On arrival they found Ms. Chanikarn, age 20, in a state of distress crying uncontrollably beside her 2 and a half month baby girl (Linlada) that was dead on the floor.
After calming Ms. Chanikarn, the child’s mother, said that at approximately 2:30 p.m she was out to collect diapers that had been dried in front of the house, while her 2 and a half month old daughter was sleep on the ground floor of the house.
She said she was suddenly approached by a Mr. Lee, about 40 years old, who lived on the opposite side of the road. He came towards her and grabbed her arm and threatened her saying if she didn’t sleeping with him he will go and kill his daughter.
Miss Chanikan refused and ran away, then Mr. Lee then walked into the house and grabbed Ms. Linlada’s leg, smashing the child’s head against the cement floor of the house. The infant died immediately.
Mr. Lee then just walked away and returned to his own home, leaving Miss Chanikan and her dead baby.
When police went to Mr. Lee’s home he immediately confessed killing the infant and was taken to Wiang Kaen Police Station for further questioning. Under caution he told police that he was sexually attracted to Miss Chanikan‘s and when her husband leave for work he took the opportunity to approach her.
He said when he saw her husband leave he crossed that road and found Miss Chanikan in the yard alone, he then threatened her to sleep with him, saying he would kill her child if she didn’t have sex with him. However when she refused he flew into a fit of rage walked into her home and murdered he baby. He said he was out of control with rage.
After killing the infant he walk across the street to his home and waited for the police to arrive. The police have charged him with premeditated murder and attempted rape. He is being held without bail at the local remand center.
Meanwhile, Miss Chanikan and her family were preparing a religious burial ceremony for the child.
Other Chiang Rai News:
Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/
CHIANG RAI: Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.
On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.
His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.
Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, Deputy Commander and Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division, Assigned Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai Pitanilabut, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Police/Deputy Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division, has launched the operation ‘Bombing the Thieves’ Bridge’ in collaboration with the CAT Office, G., mobile phone network operators AIS DTAC TRUE NT, and local security agencies to cut the mobile phone signal and WiFi internet that criminals illegally use to deceive Thai citizens.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai stated that they will begin pressing the first action of the ‘Explosion of Thieves’ Bridge’ in Chiang Rai Province toward the thieves’ base of operations in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
The territory surrounding King Roman in Laos. King Roman is now a full-service entertainment destination with an airport that welcomes travelers from Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, he explained.
According to Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai, this operation will have no influence on honest people along the Thai border, and it will only target cyber criminals.
They will also increase the arrest and prosecution of unlawful service towers, such as SIM booths, which allow gangs register SIM cards to swindle the people. Dealing with criminal organizations of foreigners and Thais who band together to deceive and damage Thais.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) suspended more than three million SIM cards on July 16 because the holders had not verified their identities with their mobile phone operators by the deadline, in accordance with the NBTC’s measures to combat alleged fraudsters’ mule accounts.
The names of the holders of 80 million mobile phone numbers used for mobile banking transactions did not match the names associated with the mobile banking accounts.
The NBTC would require mobile phone companies to authenticate SIM card holders and the names of their mobile banking accounts. The verification procedure is expected to be completed by the end of September this year.
In addition, the NBTC and Royal Thai Police have collaborated to combat illegal telecom towers throughout the country’s borders, disconnecting signals at 465 places, altering antenna direction at 470 towers, and dismantling antennas at 179 locations.
They are certain that the move will disrupt contact center gangs and other types of technology-based crime.
Other Chiang Rai News:
Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/
Police in Mae Chan, Chiang Rai, shot and killed a 28-year-old man who allegedly attacked a police officer with a machete. The officer was slashed in the right leg with the machete.
According to police, the culprit, known only as Mr. Toon, had been harassing local villagers in Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai, threatening them with a knife and using violet insults.
The village headman arrived on the scene to try to calm Mr. Toon, but he was shouting hysterically and taking swipes at him with the machete, so he contacted the police.
When the responding officer arrived at the site about 9 p.m., he attempted to calm the man, but he instead assaulted the officer, slashing his right leg with the machete. In self-defense, the cop had to fire his gun at Mr. Toon, striking him in the chest.
Mr. Toon and the policeman were taken to Mae Chan Hospital, where Mr. Toon died of a gunshot wound. Pol Sgt. Sutthikiat Phanomphraisakul was released from the hospital after receiving numerous stitches for his injuries.
Local police received a tip around 9.30 p.m. yesterday that a guy was causing mayhem in the village. When authorities arrived, they discovered 28-year-old Toon strolling along a public road, holding a large knife and threatening people. Mae Chan district officials attempted to contain the incident.
During a search of Mr. Toon’s home, authorities discovered methamphetamine consumption equipment. Locals told authorities that the man was addicted to Yaba (Methamphetamine) and an alcoholic.
The authorities are conducting an inquiry to determine Toon’s motivations and whether any underlying issues contributed to his violent outburst.
Other related news:
Chiang Mai Police Offer Cash Reward After Officer Killed
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/crime/chiang-mai-police-offer-reward/
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