An incredibly exciting coffee culture has emerged in Bangkok over the past few years. Traditional Thai coffee is all about convenience: quick, sweet, and often made with plenty of condensed milk.

This is changing rapidly. Modern cafés and small roasteries are popping up everywhere, especially in Bangkok.

Whole neighbourhoods are becoming coffee hotspots, such as Tongo, north of Sum Road, and especially Chinatown. I now make a point of seeking out these little new spots. They’re usually stylish cafés with minimalist design, their own coffee blends and baristas who really know their craft.

Many young Thais have studied or worked abroad, in Rome, Tokyo or Seoul, and bring new ideas back to Thailand. This creates a blend of international coffee culture and typically Thai creativity.

Few people know that Thailand produces high-quality coffee of its own. Arabica beans grow in the mountains of the north, especially around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, at elevations of 800 to 1,700 metres. The climate there is surprisingly well suited to coffee growing. Many small farms focus on quality rather than quantity, and now even export their distinctive coffee to Germany.

I once discovered Thai coffee at a market stall in Leipzig, where it has won many admirers.

A sustainable scene is developing in Thailand.

Some cafés roast their own beans and work closely with local farmers. The result is a genuine specialty coffee scene.



 Bangkok loves trends. The number of small roasteries grows by about 20% each year. Coffee is no longer just a drink—it’s a lifestyle.

I love seeking out little trendy havens like these to enjoy a wonderful coffee while catching up on social media or working on my laptop.

Creative drinks are especially popular: coconut coffee, espresso with yuzu, or cold brew with local fruits.

International coffee trends are often combined with Asian flavors here.

And that’s exactly what makes the scene so fascinating—and so typically Thai.

To avoid being misunderstood despite my enthusiasm for this new culture: I also love a strong Thai coffee in the morning, bought at a roadside stall and filtered through an incredibly long, stocking-like cloth filter with sweetened milk. A cup costs only about one euro.

But it’s a whole different world when you’re paying 4–6 euros a cup at one of the new specialty cafés. Even so, the trendy cafés are packed.

Bangkok is becoming one of Asia’s most exciting coffee cities: creative, young, and experimental.

Another find for travelers who like to get “off the beaten track,” away from the overcrowded tourist hotspots.