Chananya Phataraprasit

CEO, Araksa Tea

Industry : Business

Chananya is the CEO of Araksa Chiang Mai, a little tea plantation situated on the foothills of the rich forest of Chiang Mai Province that produces high quality organic tea. Araksa is the first tea garden in Thailand both USDA and EU certified organic for both farm and factory. She is proud of her successful efforts to make tea sustainably, using local hybrid Assam tea plants. She not only runs the business, but tastes, grades, and makes sensory descriptions of the teas, which have won several awards. She also owns Asian Oasis, a tour operator that combines travel with sustainability, community engagement and environmental protection. To overcome the marketing challenges of a boutique tea, she takes creative routes such as virtual international tea summits, partnering with European stores selling sustainable products, and through specialty tea podcasts. A contemporary art lover, she believes making tea is like making art, with much beauty in the shapes, colour, feel and aroma. She advocates for the hill tribe community in Thailand through her Himmapaan Foundation which provides education, healthcare, and women empowerment