FEATURED MEMBER OF THE EXPERIENCE MEKONG COLLECTION: SIAMAYA CHOCOLATE – CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

Travel Experience

Siamaya Chocolate was founded on the idea, that Thailand needed quality chocolate. There is plenty of cheap, mass produced chocolate in the grocery shops, but we always felt that someone should be able to do it better. Upon a chance meeting with agricultural professor Sahn from Maejo university in Chiang Mai, we realised that our dream could come true. Dr. Sahn has been teaching farmers in Chiang Mai valley how to grow cocoa beans, and in this processed cultivated a high-quality hybrid cocoa bean, that is now the cornerstone of the cocoa beans from Chiang Mai. We immediately set about trying to make chocolate from these beans. Over the coming months we have managed to capture the unique fruity and mild spices of the Thai cocoa beans in a range of chocolate bar flavors and levels of darkness.

Responsibility

Simaya Chocolate is handcrafted in our Chiang Mai workshop where we control every aspect of processing raw cocoa beans to final chocolate bars. We also collaborate with local artists for packaging and branding. In this way, we are close to the pulse of Thailand - and we promise you, that you will taste the magical flavors of Thailand in our chocolate. Siamaya Chocolate is an all-natural product, as we are using no additives or chemicals in our production of the chocolate. We aim for the highest quality and we are always experimenting with new exciting flavors.

Business Case

We have deep values and roots in the local community in Chiang Mai. Siamaya Chocolate is founded by Neil Ransom from America, along with Tangkwa and Bow Wannapat, who are both local residents in Chiang Mai. For us, giving back to the community is important. Too much chocolate is produced by huge corporations, that believe more in profit than in human values. Stories of child labor and terrible living conditions for the workers in the cocoa fields are abundant. We believe in fair trade, in fair opportunities for the farmers we work with, most of which are small and been family owned through generations. We therefore work with Dr. Sahn to make sure, that the farmers get the right prices for the cocoa beans, as well as we enjoy meeting the local farmers and get an insight into the stories behind their farms and everyday life.

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