What defines good chocolate? Some of us may think exceptional chocolate can only be found somewhere in Europe. Belgium, for example. But over the last few years, Thai chocolate makers have stepped up their game, creating world-class artisanal bars that we can be proud of. And PARADAi is one of those brands. This award-winning crafted chocolate maker has gained a reputation for its highly creative and quality products made from cacao sourced from Nakhon Si Thammarat and other parts of the country. PARADAi dedicates a significant amount of time and effort to every step of the chocolate-making process, from selecting cacao seeds to crafting flavours to production. The result is an impressive array of chocolates in unconventional flavours inspired by local cuisine. All these bars were created by Phurich Tanawut, one of the founders of PARADAi and a self-taught chocolate maker. He also works with local sources. The PARADAi crew deems themselves trendsetters in the locally crafted chocolate biz and internationally. Their Chantaburi dark chocolate bar was named the best dark chocolate in the world in 2022 by the International Chocolate Awards in London.  But PARADAi is not resting on its laurels just yet despite all the awards and accolades. “There are endless ways to develop chocolate, and that’s why we keep developing our products. We’re not going to stop just because we already earned some prizes,” says Phurich.