Climate and Environment
Choeng Doi sits at the foot of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, in a highland valley about 70 kilometres north of Chiang Mai. Climate reaches the spirit in three places: in the field, where rainfall, temperature and sun hours shape each farm’s cane; in the fermenter, where warm weather speeds everything up; and in the air and water the distillery depends on. This page gathers the climate figures we publish for each plot, and what we do about heat, smoke and water.
Where the estate sits
The estate is nestled among the streams and fields of Chiang Dao, at the foot of the third highest mountain in Thailand. It lies on the edge of the Doi Luang Chiang Dao UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, in a highland agricultural district. The mountain is limestone, and our springs surface on and around it.
Seasons and the harvest calendar
Chiang Dao has a cool season from November through February and a rainy season from roughly June through October. Our Estate Experience runs October through March, aligned with Chiang Dao’s cool season and our rice and sugarcane harvest windows.
Climate by plot
The three single estates sit at different heights and see different weather. The same figures appear on each estate page.
400m / 1150mm annual rainfall / 26.2°C average temperature / 3331 hours of sun a year
360m / 1261mm annual rainfall / 24.6°C average temperature / 3429 hours of sun a year
449m / 1681mm annual rainfall / 28.0°C average temperature / 3429 hours of sun a year
Weather also moves the land
In 2024 the irrigation canal beside Rai Nong Khong overflowed in the rainy season, which damaged some crop and also left a layer of nutrient rich soil.
Heat in the fermenter
Sugarcane ferments fast in warm weather. As our journal explains, Chiang Dao’s climate keeps ambient fermentation temperatures warm for most of the year, and warmer conditions accelerate both the fermentation itself and the acid producing activity of contaminating organisms. We respond with temperature control: single estate fermentations are held at 26°C (Rai Jamnian, Rai Nong Khong) and 28.0°C (Rai Phrao) on average. Sugarcane runs in a 1000L IBC in cool weather or a temperature controlled 400L stainless steel tank, and longan ferments in a 1000L IBC with ice.
Air and water
The north of Thailand experiences heavy pollution from fires. Our sugarcane harvest is 100% unburnt, and we help partner farms through the harvest period so that they do not need to burn. Our water comes from four springs and is filtered through a 12-metre well, and our closed-loop cooling system, built around an 8,000-litre tank, uses natural evaporative cooling to draw far less water than a standard open system.
