Akha Ama Coffee is one of the most beloved and ethically minded coffee shops in Chiang Mai. It’s also a really good coffee – because we know despite all the amazing things that can be done, if the brew was not good, then it wouldn’t make this list. Founded by Lee Ayu Chuepa, an Akha hilltribe member himself, Akha Ama serves up locally sourced coffee of both single and blended origins, ensuring that every bean roasted and served is sourced from sustainable farming practices that provide fair trade opportunities for local coffee farmers.

A number of popular cafes like Graph Cafe, Akha Ama Cafe, Fern Forest Cafe are conveniently found in the old city, while the Nimmanhaemin neighbourhood serves as another cafe hotspot. Home to favourites like Ristr8to, The Baristro cafe at The Barisotel and SS1254372 Cafe, you can quickly walk from cafe to cafe for your next caffeine hit.

Founder Lee Ayu Chuepa studied the art of roasting and brewing coffee in Italy, then brought his know-how back to his home village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, where he grows organic coffee. The vibe is casual, with a few seats to hang out and enjoy your beverage. There is a B500 minimum charge for credit cards.

Akha Ama Phrasingh—located by another landmark temple, Wat Phra Singh—serves coffees brewed with Thai beans harvested by members of the Akha tribes in the lush hills north of Chiang Mai. For a great single-origin Thai coffee, try Ponganes, a world-class roaster a block away from the Three Kings Monument.

This cafe sells only sustainably grown arabica beans harvested by the Akha hill tribe. The coffee not only provides a substantial source of income to the tribe, but has won nods from the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe.

Akha Ama Coffee Phrasingh is one of the most talked about coffee shops in Chiang Mai, and for good reason. This unique and popular café and roastery is an extension of Akha Ama Coffee, a brand with a noble mission founded by Lee Ayu Chuepa in 2010 to support Akha hill tribe farmers in Northern Thailand through sustainable and fair trade coffee production. While it doesn’t rely on the usual ‘Instagrammable’ trappings, it boasts stunning brutalist architecture that commands attention.

Akha Ama Phrasingh is the old city’s coffee hub and the place to taste a wide range of beans from northern provinces by a team committed to empowering local growing communities. At the other end of the spectrum is Graph Cafe, a super-cute and communal ten-seater tucked away near the old city’s eastern wall, which roasts its own beans and serve adventurous drinks like a ‘jungle espresso tonic’ – espresso on ice blended with a citrus, ginger, rose petal and cinnamon infused tonic.

Akha Ama had humble beginnings, starting out in a simple apartment before expanding and then expanding some more. The original branch still sits in a delightfully low-key, residential location, while a newer second outlet offers a more convenient downtown setting just a short distance from Wat Phra Singh temple. Both locations remain charming spots to satisfy your caffeine cravings with a quality, expertly poured brew.

9/1 มาตา อพาร์ทเม้นท์ ถนน Hussadhisawee Soi 3, Tambon Chang Phueak, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand. Yet another Chiang Mai coffee roaster involved from bean to cup is Akha Ama Coffee. This socially engaged coffee company grows all their beans organically in Mae Jan Tai village and supports the local Akha group by doing everything themselves, rather than outsourcing to other companies.

After the success of their first branch, Akha Ama recently unveiled its second opening on Ratchadamnoen Road, close to Wat Phra Singh, the most famous temple in town. In expanding from the first small venue, Lee Ayu Chuepa, the Akha owner, decided to turn this into a serious coffee venue complete with an in-vogue industrial interior. “I want to bring people closer to the process of making coffee.

Among Thais, Chiang Mai is renowned for its cafes, and at the top of the heap is Akha Ama. Quite possibly one of the best-value coffee shops in the world providing a great cappuccino even priced at low level, it also serves a good cause: The beans here are grown in the remote corners of neighboring Chiang Rai province, providing a needed economic resource for northern Thailand’s minority groups

More than just a café, Akha Amais a movement that emphasizes fair-trade practices and sustainable coffee production. It was the first specialty coffee shop I ever visited in Chiand Mai (when they had a small, mostly outdoor shop) so it holds a special place in my heart. Founded by Lee Ayu, a member of the Akha hill tribe, Akha Ama connects local farmers with international coffee lovers.

One of the first to market in the regional coffee craze, Akha Ama are the most well-established in Chiang Mai and draw a fervid crowd of regulars. If we recommend any of their branches, the one below is it. Further afield from the tourist throngs, and with a wooden porch to sip on if the weather is kind, this is a place to check out if you have already been to a few of the other ones.

You can’t get much better than a Thai or Vietnamese coffee that maintains a balance of sweetness and bitterness. Chiang Mai’s coffee culture has exploded alongside its popularity with tourists… as if the city didn’t have enough to attract us. The result of this growth is you are bound to stumble across hundreds of cafes to supercharge your day, especially in the hipster Nimman area.

Another excellent and inventive place to visit is Akha Ama Café, which opened its doors for the first time in 2010. The café was named after the Akha tribe, and it also functions as a social enterprise. The owner wanted to help the tribe by selling their beans at a price that they are happy with – an initiative that has caused the café to attract far more customers in recent years.

Set up by Lee Ayu to help his hill tribe community sell their beans at a fair price, Akha Ama today is today perhaps Thailand’s most exciting coffee company. Akha Ama, which is named after the Akha tribe, started out in 2009 as a small cafe using a home-style espresso machine. Today the company runs two busy cafes, roasts its own beans, and produces 35 tons of coffee a year.

This spacious café offers a cozy and welcoming environment perfect for relaxation and enjoyment. With a unique industrial-inspired design, it's well-suited for casual meetings and quiet work sessions. The coffee selection is commendable, featuring rich flavors from locally sourced beans, including deep roasts and delightful brews like the orange peel honey iced espresso.

Excellent espresso in a stylish two-level roastery near Wat Phra Singh | Specialty coffee roaster featuring locally grown Northern Thai beans with modern spacious design. Akha Ama Phrasingh is a spacious two-level coffee roastery in Chiang Mai’s old city. The building’s architecture is cool, featuring a nifty rounded staircase and an industrial-meets-local vibe.

Akha Ama Phrasingh is a chic, two-storey coffee house right next to the famous Wat Phra Singh temple. It’s also located in the Old City, so you can pop by for a quick caffeine boost before checking out the other attractions within the vicinity. The menu is coffee-focused, with classic options including Piccolo Latte (฿65) and Caramel Latte(฿75).

The Akha hill tribes originated in China, but can now be found in mountainous areas in Northern Thailand and other neighboring countries. The Akha have their own unique language and traditions, but unfortunately their numbers have been decreasing since the 1930s. The Akha who remain are dedicated protectors of their traditions and culture.

This cafe is an absolute masterpiece in the heart of Chiang Mai’s most popular street (Walking street). I took this photo using my iPhone wide zoom so that you can see the full visual perspective. This cafe was built with style, and not a Thai baht was spared to bring this place to life.

We love this place because it is so close to our apartment and they have probably the best coffee in Chiang Mai. It's also a really chill place, and the customers that come here, are a mix of locals and foreigners. You can either sit outside on the patio in the tree shade or inside.

Because I love coffee and coffee shops, I usually do a little online research to find the best coffee shops wherever I travel. Akha Ama was featured on every “best coffee shops” list I found for Chiang Mai, and it was definitely my favorite of all those I visited in the city.

Preservatives, MSG, GMO, and microwaves: these are a few things you will not find at Birds Nest Cafe in Chiang Mai. This quaint venue is easily one of the best coffee shops we’ve ever been to. The cafe uses organic vegetables and ingredients whenever possible.

Address: Hussadhisawee Soi 3, Chang Phueak, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50300. Opening hours: Thursday – Tuesday; 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Wednesday closed. This socially responsible cafe is more than just a place to grab a delicious cup of coffee.

Akha Ama coffee is a local coffee shop with a philanthropic mission. They offer fair trade, deliciously roasted beans straight from the farm. I believe they also support local tribes north of the city.

You will also occasionally discover products from different ethnic groups, such as the Hmong, Karen, Lisu, and Akha, who bring their traditional crafts and textiles to the market.