Starbucks to sell Thai's local brew

Starbucks to sell Thai's local brew

BANGKOK: The U.S.-based coffee giant Starbucks plans to introduce a new brew in Thailand that offers local flavor - and economic support for Thai farmers who are supplying the beans, a spokeswoman said Friday.

As part of a campaign called Commitment to Origins, Starbucks will launch a blend on Monday called Muan Jai, or "wholehearted happiness," said the company's marketing and communications director Sumonpin Jotikabukkana.

The company buys Arabica coffee beans for the blend from farmers in Huay Hom, a small village in Mae Hong Son province, 650 kilometers (400 miles) north of Bangkok.

The company has already purchased three tons of the beans at US$1.26 per pound, or about six cents more per pound than the amount usually paid for beans, she added.

Starbucks will charge customers 50 baht ($1.19) for a tall size brew of Muan Jai and 70 baht ($1.67) for a grande. It will be sold only in Thailand.--AP