Thai Tea to be Marketed as “Face of ASEAN” Product

[webfact]

 

By Natthaphon  Sangpolsit

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - Efforts are underway to elevate Thai tea at the international level by marketing it as one of the remarkable products of ASEAN.

 

Due to increasing consumer demand for tea products among ASEAN member states and China, and with local production unable to sufficiently keep pace, alternatives are being sought that include importing tea products from other countries. This has in turn prompted increased interest in Thai tea products.

 

The tea plant is cultivated in Thailand’s northern region, particularly the provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and is currently dominating the export market to neighboring countries due to its unique fragrance, high quality and exotic taste. Processed tea from the Cha Tra Mue company has subsequently turned into one of the kingdom’s best-selling brand products. It has since started expanding its franchises to other countries in the Asia-Pacific, including China and South Korea.

 

To support Thai products in making greater inroads with the international market, the government is encouraging local companies to make the most of existing free trade agreements. Representatives from the Department of Trade Negotiations recently visited Cha Tra Mue factory on February 18 to provide advice on the use of FTAs in facilitating exports and promoting the importance of international buyers.

 

Department Director-General Auramon Sapthaweetham said Thailand currently enjoys many existing FTAs that can bring a wealth of benefits to local companies, including the ASEAN-China FTA and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). These can help to elevate the popularity of Thai tea mix products, with the department also working on another FTA to market Thai tea to the Middle Eastern markets.

 

She added that if Thai tea products are able to maximize the benefit of FTAs, they could potentially become one of ASEAN’s representative products.

 

Thai tea mix is often used in various beverages such as milk and iced tea.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-02-19

 

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[rwill]

Are they going for "The hub of tea" now too?  Thailand the land of hubs.

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, rwill said:

Are they going for "The hub of tea" now too?  Thailand the land of hubs.

Yes, something brewing. 

[spidermike007]

I have never been able to find high-quality Thai tea here. Is there any green tea that rivals even the medium grades from China or Taiwan? 

[BritManToo]

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

Why can't they grow something a bit more British?

[KannikaP]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

Why can't they grow something a bit more British?

You mean grow Siamese tea which is like Ceylon stuff?

[warrima]

The BOH tea in malaysia is much better imo. The Cha Tra Mue has a lot of tea dust mixed in with the leaves. 

[mtls2005]

42 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

While they have many, many "flavors", the Rose flavor has reliable diuretic properties, I think the red box is most popular, and is the default for Cha Yen. 

 

I think this "original' red "flavor" tea is processed with with herbs and spices like star anise, tamarind.

 

 

[tingtongfarang]

Gimme pg tips anyday

[law ling]

"Thai tea" is a bit too vague for me to understand what this is all about.

 

It's certainly not easy to find a local, black, leaf tea here that's acceptable (to me).

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, tingtongfarang said:

Gimme pg tips anyday

Nah, Taylors Extra Strong Yorkshire stuff.................and I am a Lancashire lad!

And as for Earl Grey......I would rather drink a cup of Old Spice aftershave, or Brut!   LOL

Edited February 21, 2022 by KannikaP

[soi3eddie]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

Why can't they grow something a bit more British?

Ahh yes that would be good. The British are well known for growing great tea.

 

[rott]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, something brewing. 

That was terrible. 

[BritManToo]

41 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Nah, Taylors Extra Strong Yorkshire stuff.................and I am a Lancashire lad!

And as for Earl Grey......I would rather drink a cup of Old Spice aftershave, or Brut!   LOL

Typhoo was good enough for my parents and grandparents!

It's good enough for me.

[Bluespunk]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

Why can't they grow something a bit more British?

Hmm, let’s see, why doesn’t Thailand produce a britcentric tea?

 

Could it possibly be because this Thailand…

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Don't like it, tried a few times but it just tastes wrong.

Why can't they grow something a bit more British?

Didn't some country make a City called Sheffield and make steel there?  Thailand has just renamed Nakhon Nowhere (it is a trend renaming cities here) to be 'Yorkshire'........

[tingtongfarang]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Nah, Taylors Extra Strong Yorkshire stuff.................and I am a Lancashire lad!

And as for Earl Grey......I would rather drink a cup of Old Spice aftershave, or Brut!   LOL

No matter so long as its crushed cockroaches... the stuff the empire was built on

[ourmanflint]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have never been able to find high-quality Thai tea here. Is there any green tea that rivals even the medium grades from China or Taiwan? 

The Lapsang Souchong tea from Choui Fong near Chiang Rai was as good as any Chinese tea from China I have had, though my tea buds grew up on PG Tips and Yorkshire Tea, so not in any way an expert

[placeholder]

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have never been able to find high-quality Thai tea here. Is there any green tea that rivals even the medium grades from China or Taiwan? 

Actually, there is very high grade tea being grown in Mae Salong. The descendants of the Kuominatng who retreated there are now cultivating it with with the assistance of Taiwanese growers. Land in Taiwan has gotten too expensive to be used for tea cultivation.

[CLW]

First, they have to remove this awful artificial coloring from Cha Tra Mue and other Thai Tea brands, which is banned in many countries already

[BusyB]

I've always found Thai teas pretty run of the mill I'm sad to say. I'd have loved to support the industry, in fact any Thai industry, especially SME and mom + pop type stuff.

Chinese teas are a bit too 'rough' I suppose is the best word, although they can be interesting. 

But nothing on earth compares to Japanese green teas, which has a lot to do with the ways they're cultivated and then treated after harvesting. Elixir.

 

[spidermike007]

5 hours ago, placeholder said:

Actually, there is very high grade tea being grown in Mae Salong. The descendants of the Kuominatng who retreated there are now cultivating it with with the assistance of Taiwanese growers. Land in Taiwan has gotten too expensive to be used for tea cultivation.

Any idea how one would be able to acquire some? Who sells it? What is it called? 

[rickudon]

I have drunk the Cha tra Mue brand. Rough as the old Sainsbury's brown label floor sweepings. But it is cheap. I prefer PG tips, Typhoo or Earl Grey any day. Fortunately brought back a box of 240 PG tips in November, will last me a few more months.

[placeholder]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Any idea how one would be able to acquire some? Who sells it? What is it called? 

Emerald Thai Thai (Choke Chamroen Tea Co)

https://emeraldthaitea.com/

[zzaa09]

13 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have never been able to find high-quality Thai tea here. Is there any green tea that rivals even the medium grades from China or Taiwan? 

You need to go to the highland locales where it's grown........local specialty shops, local markets and roadside stands, one can find Thai tea of the better grades. I quite enjoy Thai teas, as they're reflective of the Chinese strains which are preferable throughout the Asian market, less the European. 

 

Of the last decade or so, the Thai grown teas have come of age by way of selected quality. Very similar to Thai grown coffee, which has developed a world fashion following of particular quality. Both are coming of age throughout this incredibly competitive market.

Edited February 21, 2022 by zzaa09

[kickstart]

12 hours ago, warrima said:

The BOH tea in malaysia is much better imo. The Cha Tra Mue has a lot of tea dust mixed in with the leaves. 

You beat me to it ,when I used to do visa runs I use to brig back BOH tea with me ,not bad tea ,must be the fact Malaysia was a British Colonie, grew tea for the ex-pats ,did they ever export any . 

[spidermike007]

9 hours ago, placeholder said:

Emerald Thai Thai (Choke Chamroen Tea Co)

https://emeraldthaitea.com/

They specialize in Oolong. Thanks. May try it. I love the Jasmine pearl, Bi lou chon, white tip, Longjing dragon well, and other highland single estate Chinese green teas. The silver needle white teas are also gorgeous. They can be really sublime. 

[placeholder]

30 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

They specialize in Oolong. Thanks. May try it. I love the Jasmine pearl, Bi lou chon, white tip, Longjing dragon well, and other highland single estate Chinese green teas. The silver needle white teas are also gorgeous. They can be really sublime. 

Their best teas are green oolong.

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Any idea how one would be able to acquire some? Who sells it? What is it called? 

Tea........

Sorry, just could not resist.

[unblocktheplanet]

We really like a morning cup of Thai tea or Indian chai lightly sweetened with condensed milk.

 

However, the most popular & ubiquitous brand pictured is low-quality tea sweepings with (completely unnecessary) colour added.

 

We recently bought a pack of Tata tea from India with 15% whole leaf. (Peng Lee Indian grocery, Asok fresh market.) It’s pretty good but the best we’ve ever had came from Myanmar.

 

Over this two year Covid period, we have been able to get any of our usual high-quality, uncoloured Burmese tea brands.

 

There are many good brands (perhaps due to the influence of the Brits) but this one is excellent.

 

 

If anyone reads Burmese or knows how to access this tea online for mail order or any other kind of supply-chain (migrant labour?), we’d definitely be your best friend.

TIA!