Chocolate is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your favourite Thai food.
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But thanks to a fast-growing local bean-to-bar movement, it could just be on its way to joining the ranks of pad thai and kai jeow.
Over the past few years, cacao growers and small-scale chocolate makers from the lowland farms of Chumphon to the highlands of Chiang Mai have been perfecting their interpretation of chocolate – made the Thai way, with a commitment to the environment and the communities each bar comes from.
Although Thailand has been growing a modest amount of cacao for decades, the ingredient has historically been turned into cocoa powder, cocoa butter, or shipped abroad as beans – its value constrained by a lack of infrastructure and interest.
It wasn’t until about a decade ago that, inspired by Vietnamese bean-to-bar chocolate makers, Thai entrepreneurs started looking at it as something to craft with passion.
Since that spark, progress has been swift. From sophisticated fermentation techniques and small-batch roasting, to direct partnerships between farmers and chocolate makers, Thai craft chocolatiers have quickly built a nimble ecosystem.
Lead image: Paradai. Photos: Kad Kokoa, Aimmika, Siamaya
Ethical eats
In this landscape, sustainability isn’t a trend or a selling point – it’s where it all begins. Some makers, like Bangkok-based Kad Kokoa, work directly with family farms and cooperatives to source single-origin beans from different regions of Thailand. Others, like Aimmika Chocolate in Chiang Mai, focus on agroforestry – growing cacao alongside native trees and food crops to protect the land’s biodiversity and long-term health.
“It’s… about proving that ethical chocolate can compete with mass-produced imports, not just in taste but in value,” says Khaled Shbib, founder of Phuket artisanal brand Barada Chocolate.
For Leo Sabag, director of Kad Kokoa, which is committed to using local cacao beans from different provinces, it’s “all about the farmers”.
“We just carry along a story. The farmers we work with both handle the raw material and create the flavour potential,” he says. “The only thing that we do is try to maintain and reveal this flavour to the final chocolate bar.”
Photos: Kad Kokoa, Aimmika, Barada
A celebration of differences
The beauty of Thai craft chocolate is that it doesn’t try to imitate what’s already been done overseas. Instead, it leans into regional identity.
In the South, provinces like Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon have become important cacao-growing regions, with Prachuap’s beans marked by a bright fruitiness and Chumphon’s version offering ripe berry undernotes. Meanwhile, the North’s cooler temperatures in Chiang Mai and Nan produce beans with distinct floral and fruity notes.
These distinctions are being parlayed by makers into uniquely local stories. At Paradai, for instance, design and minimal ingredients come together to tell a story about Thai soil, Thai culture, and Thai craftsmanship.
Then there’s Siamaya Chocolate, which creates bars infused with local flavours, like ginger, lemongrass, and durian – not to make them more exotic, but because those ingredients are very much a part of Thai everyday life.
The growing movement is challenging tourists to rethink what they bring back from Thailand. Instead of mass-produced snacks at duty-free shops, craft chocolate offers something with real connection – a story of land, labour, and intention that supports local communities and keeps the value chain in the country.
Khaled, Barada’s founder, tells me that although the market responded to his brand slowly when it launched in 2022, he’s now seeing a shift in the perception of Thai chocolate. Demand is growing both domestically and internationally, particularly with those who seek products with both provenance and purpose.
Photos: Paradai, Siamaya, Paradai
For the long run
That isn’t to say it’s an easy road from here. Weather unpredictability, limited equipment, the continuing need for consumer education, and the high costs of small-scale production all make this work tough.
But it’s apparent from speaking to these Thai chocolatiers that they aren’t in it for fast growth or global attention. They’re building something slower and more rooted – something that reflects where us Thais are from, and where we want to go.
“Our philosophy is simple: build long-term relationships with farmers, pay fairly, and focus on quality over quantity,” says Shbib.
“We don’t just buy beans from them; we collaborate. We share feedback from customers. We help them improve fermentation and drying techniques. That feedback loop helps everyone improve – and it creates a real sense of shared pride in the final product.”
