{"id":17860,"date":"2026-02-27T17:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T10:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/?post_type=the-future-list&p=17860"},"modified":"2026-03-02T09:57:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T02:57:01","slug":"dr-sanh-la-ongsri","status":"publish","type":"the-future-list","link":"https:\/\/www.koktailmagazine.com\/th\/the-future-list\/dr-sanh-la-ongsri\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Sanh La-ongsri"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sahn La-Ongsri developed Thailand\u2019s cocoa variety, I.M.1. His decades of research has reshaped Thai farming and elevated the nation\u2019s chocolate industry.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, we turn our focus to an ingredient that often hides behind the sweetness of our favourite desserts, chocolate. While many see it simply as a treat, few stop to think about its origins or imagine that cocoa, though long present in parts of Thailand, could be developed into a serious commercial crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though cocoa had been grown in Thailand on a limited scale, it remained a relatively undeveloped crop within the wider agricultural landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This change did not happen by chance. It grew from the effort of Dr Sanh La-Ongsri and his wife Kanokked. Through their advocacy and the creation of Thai cocoa variety, they helped farmers see cocoa not as an imported ingredient for chocolate but as a crop with strong local potential and national identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Courtesy of MarkRin Chocolate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Two Origins: Birth of I.M.1<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr Sanh was known as a specialist in beverage crops at the Faculty of Agricultural Production, Fruit Science Division, Maejo University in Chiang Mai. Tea, coffee and other beverage plants filled his lectures and research. Unlike other crops, he felt Thailand had not advanced far in chocolate production because the country lacked the right technology and sufficient technical knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Courtesy of MarkRin Chocolate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then a chance stepped in. In 1992, through a cultural exchange programme between Maejo University and Wichita State University, Dr Sanh welcomed visitors from Wichita, Kansas. Those guests had a friend in Peru who kindly sent cocoa seeds from South America, including the ICS variety \u2014 ICS stands for Imperial College Selection, a well-known cocoa line first developed in Trinidad and valued for strong yield and reliable quality. Then in 2001, support from an academic connection at Central Luzon State University in the Philippines brought Criollo cocoa beans to Thailand. <\/strong>Two different cocoa varieties had now reached Thai soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Courtesy of MarkRin Chocolate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When the trees from Peru and the Philippines bore flowers and fruit, Dr Sanh saw real promise. He carried out cross-breeding between the two lines for research. The early hybrids showed strong traits, so he selected the best and continued the process. Seven generations of cross-breeding followed, with each cycle taking two to three years before the trees bore fruit with the I.M.1 beans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>
View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/a>

A post shared by MarkRin \u00ae (@markrinchocolate)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n