GULF Extends Community Development to Upland Areas Igniting Career Pathways by Facilitating Comprehensive Coffee Production Training for Doi Moko Phoki and Doi Wiang Communities at Doi Tung

Gulf Development Public Company Limited (GULF) continues to enhance the potential and quality of life for communities in upland areas. GULF brought a delegation of villagers from Doi Moko Phoki Community, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, and Doi Wiang Community, Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province, to participate in a comprehensive coffee production training and study tour at the Doi Tung Development Project, Chiang Rai Province. The villagers received extensive knowledge covering the entire coffee process, including selecting seeds for sapling propagation, optimal coffee plantation management, wastewater treatment from the production process, and coffee tasting and cupping for quality and flavor assessment. This essential knowledge is expected to empower the communities to elevate their coffee standards, increase economic value, and pave the way for stable and sustainable careers in the future.

Ms. Yanisa Wattanakumnuan, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, GULF, stated, “This initiative is a continuation of our previous project where GULF installed solar panels in both Doi Wiang and Doi Moko Phoki communities. We found that while both communities already cultivated coffee, they lacked efficient hulling mills due to the absence of electricity. The solar panel installation improved the hulling process, but the overall coffee quality still had room for improvement. This observation led to the development of this next-step project, bringing villagers to the Doi Tung Development Project. Our goal is to transfer comprehensive knowledge, from upstream cultivation to downstream processing, ensuring the communities have sufficient expertise to enhance their plantations, achieve superior coffee quality, and ultimately secure a more stable income.”

Ms. Nattaya Jirasakulngam, a representative from Doi Wiang Community, Chiang Mai, expressed her gratitude, “Today, we learned many things we had never known, such as the process for ensuring quality coffee, proper plantation care, and pruning techniques. The knowledge gained from this training will be invaluable for further developing our local farming, leading to better yield quality and increased income. We truly thank GULF for organizing such a beneficial activity.”

Mr. Chanchai Subpramarn, a representative from Doi Moko Phoki Community, Tak, added, “We received a significant amount of new knowledge at Doi Tung that was previously unknown to us. I intend to bring this knowledge back and share it with those in our community who could not attend, ensuring efficient coffee production processes are developed and extended. We are grateful to GULF for their continuous support, which has helped our community reach this point, gaining recognition and sustained development.”

This activity is an extension of the “Green Energy Green Network for THAIs” project, through which GULF installs solar power systems in remote, off-grid areas. This initiative has allowed villagers to access basic utilities and has demonstrably improved their quality of life. The project reflects GULF’s commitment to driving its sustainability mission, specifically by empowering communities through access to clean energy, knowledge development, and support for suitable local occupations, aligning with the company’s long-standing focus on ESG principles. GULF remains dedicated to collaborating with various communities across Thailand to create long-term, sustainable benefits for Thai society.