HIS FATHER’S SON:
A CITY GUY’S RETURN TO THE FARM
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
If it wasn’t for his father, Pimavach probably wouldn’t be in the coffee business today. This journey started with a personal setback that sent him back to his family’s farm in Chiang Mai, where his dad has been working the land the grow oranges, avocado, and macademia nuts right on the edge of Thailand. Pimavach left Bangkok for Chiang Mai in order to recuperate from the loss of his business, a technical sales venture he’d set up right after graduating from university. After a short time of being unemployed, his family could see that if Pimavach didn’t find purpose and inspiration somewhere else, he may never recover. That’s how the city guy started working on the farm, and it was then he first tasted a cup of coffee made from beans his father grew and realized that they had something good on their hands. In short, this is a story about a father and son, who toil away at their farm every day to grow something together, and contribute to Thailand’s future in sustainable and organic farming.
NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASILY
With no money, no customers, and no plan for how to go about earning either, Pimavach carried 10 kilograms of fresh coffee beans with him on the night bus to Bangkok. He didn’t even know how to roast coffee at the time, let alone anything else about the coffee business. But he pushed on, riding his bike along Sukhumvit road and stopping at every coffee shop he could find to give them samples of his coffee. Unsurprisingly, Pimavach learned quickly that the small-scale market is not interested in someone who doesn’t understand all sides of the business. So he used the last of his savings on a ticket to Japan and backpacked across the country, learning about the Japanese way of coffee roasting.
SIMPLE, CLEAN COFFEE FOR THE PEOPLE
The story of how Pimacoff was born is much longer, full of ups and downs and some laughs along the way. Next time you’re at the Bangkok Famer’s Market, look for the “We Sell Coffee Here” sign and strike up a conversation, and soon you’ll see that this coffee business is about much more than just supply and demand. Pimacoff was born out of a strong belief by this father and son that what they were growing was a much better coffee bean than what was already available. Everything at Pimacoff is produced by hand, because it’s not made for mass-production. The point is for one person to enjoy a single cup, and then take home more beans to brew at home. This is why Pimavach and his father continue to go to the Farmer’s Market, because it gives them a chance to bring their coffee directly to the people who will drink it and tell him right away whether or not they like it. For Pimavach and his father, this is the definition of success: getting to connect with customers on a personal level, and to bring something wholesome and clean to their community. It’s not about mass production, it’s all about touching people’s lives, one cup at a time.
Pimacoff by Pimavach
Tel: 0 8652 01880
Facebook: Facebook.com/pimacoff
COME AND VISIT US
Living in Bangkok, or anywhere else, is much more enriching when people come together to create strong communities. This is what we aim to do every year, by bringing local artisans and makers with the new and seasoned expats that call Bangkok their home.
Don’t miss your chance to engage more deeply with your community at this year’s Living in Bangkok event.