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TEA THAT PROTECTS FORESTS

TEA THAT PROTECTS FORESTS

We are on a mission to change the tea industry from the ground up. By working closely together with local communities we are protecting nature and providing people around the world with fantastic tea.

TRACKABLE IMPACT

While more companies are finally also beginning to preserve nature through sustainable practices, we’ve now taken the next step—by tracking the impact. 
In 2025, we launched the biodiversity traceability system for tea. This allows us to track every tea to its origin and confirm the impact on biodiversity. Rooted in nature, built for the future of tea industry.

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TRACKABLE IMPACT
WHAT WE BELIEVE

WHAT WE BELIEVE

  • SUSTAINABILITY FIRST

    We grow tea in the most sustainable way possible—protecting nature while creating high-quality, ethical products.

  • TEA FOR EVERYONE

    Tea should be easy to enjoy. Whether you’re new to tea or a lifelong fan, our blends from pure to playful make it simple, fun, and full of discovery.

  • EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES

    We aim to change the tea industry from the ground up, combining nature conservation with tea production while supporting local communities and building a better foundation for the future.

MEET THE FOUNDER
KENNETH RIMDAHL

MEET THE FOUNDER
KENNETH RIMDAHL

Kenneth Rimdahl is an entrepreneur and biodiversity advocate with a deep-rooted passion for tea. He began his journey in 1994 by opening his first tea shop in Madrid, Spain, as part of East West Company, which today has more than 100 shops globally. In 2012, Kenneth founded Monsoon Tea Company in Chiang Mai, a company dedicated to using Forest Friendly farming practices to protect and enhance biodiversity.

Inventor of Forest-Friendly Tea

As the leading force behind the Forest Friendly Tea concept and The Rimdahl Scale, a method for assessing biodiversity, Kenneth has been a pioneer in sustainable farming. Under his leadership, Monsoon Tea Company has grown to include six retail outlets in Thailand and supplies top hotels and restaurants around the world with premium teas.

Global Recognition

Kenneth has shared his insights in a TEDx Talk, contributed to academic literature, and appeared in numerous media interviews. His work continues to be recognized and serves to inspire people towards sustainable farming and environmental stewardship.

MEET THE FOUNDER <br>KENNETH RIMDAHL

A TIMELINE OF OUR STORY

2012

Monsoon Tea Company is founded by Kenneth Rimdahl & Vorakarn Wongfu (Aek) in Chiang Mai to provide the world with fantastic sustainably grown teas from Northern Thailand.

2013

The first Monsoon Tea shop is opened in JingJai market with only tea from Thailand and our signature blends like Monsoon Blend and Hillside Blend. The shop closed the following year due to lack of business.

2014

Attempts to find wholesale customers and offer sustainable tea to hotels and restaurants in Thailand with little success. Kenneth and Aek slowly start to question if tea from Thailand is a good business idea.

2015

Round two! Opening of Monsoon Tea Wat Ket and creation of our food menu combining tea with classic northern thai dishes. This would become the base for all activities moving forward acting as a restaurant, tea house, office and packing facility across the two buildings.

2016

Business slowly continues to grow and more Forest Friendly teas are being created with new communities and collaborators in the mountains.

2017

Opening of Monsoon Tea One Nimman in Chiang Mai and sales starting to increase with more visitors from around the world taking interest in our work.

2018

Founding of The Tea Fauna Project together with Alexey Reshchikov and first insect traps set up to collect data on biodiversity around tea in northern Thailand. Launch of our now iconic Rainbow Blend, the first tea mixing five different colours of tea to celebrate Pride Month in Bangkok.

2019

Opening of Monsoon Tea True Digital Park and Monsoon Tea Emquartier, our two first shops in Bangkok. Our True Digital Park location had to close due to lack of business two years later while Monsoon Tea Emquartier had a great run until late 2024.

2020

Opening of Monsoon Tea Asok, our home in Bangkok! Two floors filled with Forest Friendly Tea and a small kombucha bar. This is where we host events and tea tasting sessions in Bangkok and welcome people from all over the world. The shop opened just as covid struck and the times were extremely challenging for the company.

2021

Discovery of Drepanoctonus rimdahli, a new species of wasp found through the Tea Fauna Project and named after our founder Kenneth Rimdahl. Sales starting to recover slightly from the pandemic.

2022

Start of Monteaco, the international expansion of Monsoon Tea Company to further our presence in Europe and The U.S.

2023

Opening of Monsoon Tea JingJai Market 2.0 in Chiang Mai. 10 years after the first shop opened in this area we decided to give it another go, this time with much more success!

2024

Opening of Monsoon Tea JW Marriott, Monsoon Tea Tha Pae Gate & Monsoon Tea Chiang Mai Gate, adding three more tea shops in Thailand!

2025

Launch of our biodiversity traceability system, tracking all teas from its origin in the mountains and the impact on biodiversity in the surrounding area. This world-first system allows farmers to earn more money depending on their contribution to protecting biodiversity and allows customers to gain further insights into their tea.

OUR HEADQUARTERS

OUR HEADQUARTERS
OUR HEADQUARTERS

About our headquarters

Our headquarters in Chiang Mai has been the heart of Monsoon Tea Company since 2015. It’s where we run our office, pack all our tea by hand, and welcome guests from near and far to our tea house and restaurant.

Located in the character-filled Wat Ket district, it connects the forests of Northern Thailand with tea lovers around the world — and is also where we experiment with new blends, meet with producers and partners, and share our passion for forest-friendly tea.

In May 2025, we moved across the road to a new riverside space — offering more room to grow, better tasting experiences, and space for relaxed, hands-on events.

This is where it all comes together and where our journey continues onwards.