The Land of the Wanderer Rest after the storm

In a quiet corner of Chiang Rai, surrounded by towering trees planted by their father and a river right at it's footstep, Kwuan re-opened The Wanderer. A Cafe born again from loss.

This new cafe was built 6 months ago after the flood consumed their main restaurant

"I think people cannot stop creating, especially when you have some artist's mind or heart. You cannot stop doing it. If you're a doer you have to do it”

The Wanderer began as a dream between a Thai family — a father, mother, and two daughters.

After their father passed away, Kwuan, her mother, and her sister opened a café in Doi Chang to honor him.

This land belonged to my grandmother,” Kwuan said, “Some trees here are over a hundred years old. The rest were planted by my dad more than forty years ago.”

For years, The Wanderer thrived: A warm, green sanctuary where people came to rest, eat, and breathe.

Once a bustling restaurant with thirty staff, the floods had washed it away, leaving only land, memory, and the desire to start again. “The flood destroyed it all,” Kwuan recalled. “We lost our home, our business, even my recipes.”

Credits: The Wanderer (FB)

But even in loss, something inside her remained. She said, “My hands are remembering.”

Tools and ingredients for making bread

With little money to rebuild, they started small. A tent café in the grass called Wanderer Camp.

Through baking and fermenting, they learned patience. How good things take time.

Rollin the sourdough to fit the bread basket

The new Wanderer began humbly as a pop-up tent café, just the sisters, their mom, and a few loyal regulars.

Kwuan preparing the sourdough for baking

Kwuan baking the Sourdough bread

“Sometimes we want to stop,” Kwuan admitted. “But a day without doing anything feels meaningless.” They faced endless challenges: failed recipes, long hours, customer expectations for the old café, and the constant pressure of rebuilding from nothing.

Scoring the sourdough so that it can rise

Yet, through it all, they learned patience and balance. “Fermenting taught us something,” she said. “You can’t rush it. You have to wait for balance, for the right time.”

Sourdough bread resting

Now, Kwuan and her sister call it The Land of the Wanderer, building an Artisan Bakery as a smaller, honest extension of their story.

Preparing coffee

“A brand lives like a person,” she reflected. “It changes, it grows. You don’t have to fight to keep it the same.” Their journey isn’t just about bread or business; it’s about starting again, letting go, and finding peace in what remains.

“If you cannot sell anything that you bake, would you still bake? And I said yes. So just keep doing — that's it. That's love"

Thank you Kwuan for sharing your heartfelt story. I love what you're doing and your love for your craft. It's rare to find that. :)

537/1 Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai 57100

Created to create.

CREATED BY

josh cua

Credits:

Imshonjc