5 must-try drinks when you visit Thailand

Thailand’s locals can get pretty creative when it comes to mixing up new and refreshing local drinks. From local beers to bright and fruity sips of joy, trying the local beverages is an absolute must! Here, we have the top drinks to try when visiting Thailand below.

Top 5 Drinks To Try When Visiting Thailand

1. Cha Yen (Thai milk iced tea)

Thai tea is considered to be the most popular and tasty of all the locally-made drinks. The orange, milky tea is light and refreshing. Moreover, its milk and sweetness goes hand in hand with its aroma, making it the perfect tea to take while you are on the go. Cha Yen is brewed with tea leaves and then mixed with condensed milk. As Thailand’s weather is hot and humid, most prefer to gulp down this drink when it is iced, but you can also enjoy it hot.

2. Nom Yen (iced milk with syrup)

This eclectic twist on traditional hot milk is absolutely delicious. Furthermore, Thais have figured out how to make this milk more colourful and sweet. With a pink tint, this milk is made with green or red syrup and is popular with younger generations. Moreover, as it has no caffeine, the sweetness serves as a substitute for such caffeinated drinks. To sip this drink like a local, you can pair it with some steamed bread and sweet custard dipping sauce or coconut jam.

3. Oliang (Thai iced coffee)

Oliang or Thai iced coffee is similar to Americano but different. Hence, the commonly-used phrase of “same same, but different.” The coffee is mixed with other ingredients that include roasted rice, caramel, and roasted coffee beans. People normally enjoy Oliang cold or iced, however, if you can drink it hot as well. Moreover, if you add milk to Oliang, you can turn it into another local drink called Cafe Boran. The name Cafe Boran translates in English to ancient coffee. This spin-off is quite popular to have at breakfast time, along with porridge and Patongo.

4. Thai Beer

Thai beer is known for its refreshing properties. And, 2 of the Kingdom’s beers are quite popular worldwide: Chang and Singha. These 2 are light and tasty and are super cheap. Thus, your beach-going days can be cooled off by sipping on one of these. Despite these 2 making it famous internationally, Leo beer is also reportedly very popular with locals. Known as a larger size and it’s heavier and has a stronger taste.

5. Longan juice

In Thailand, longan juice is known as NamLumYai. This juice is light and refreshing. Longan is a seasonal fruit, so the juice isn’t always available on the street all year. However, 7/11 sells a non-fresh version. It is widely recommended to serve the drink over ice for a refreshing drink that contains bits of the actual fruit.

Thailand’s local drinks are known the world over for their interesting twists on conventional recipes. From Thai whiskey that resembles that of rum, to pink milk with syrup drinks, trying Thai recipes is a great way to cool off in the hot weather. Moreover, they can be found almost anywhere and for a seriously cheap price!