Thailand is well-known globally for its aromatic and delicious food, however, Thai drinks are a lot less known. In this article, we will be introducing a few of our favorite Thai drinks under different key categories.
Table of Contents
Thai tea drinks and Thai coffee beverages
Thailand has a wide range of tea and coffee beverages ranging from Thai milk tea, Oilang to Thai iced coffee. In general, Thai tea and coffee beverages tend to be either sweet or sweet and creamy. However, most traditional Thai tea and coffee beverages tend to make use of tea/coffee mix, so they tend to give off their own distinct smell. These are relatively well-known drinks and we have already dedicated articles for Thai milk tea and Thai coffee!
Refreshing Thai drinks
Thailand has hot tropical weather, the temperature can range between 20 and all the way up to 40 degrees. That is why there are so many cooling, refreshing drinks in Thailand.
We have the most natural and healthy options at the top of our list:
Fresh fruit-based
- Coconut water
- It is easy to find fresh young coconut water around Thailand, these are much better than bottled versions you can find in the supermarket. Fresh young coconut water is slightly sweet and naturally very refreshing! We also have a dedicated article about young coconuts
- Roasted coconut water
- Water from roasted coconut is sweeter than that from fresh coconut. And depending on how the coconut was roasted, its water can be very fragrant and smoky. If you are unfamiliar with roasted coconuts, check them out in our dedicated article about roasted coconuts!
- Fresh juice
- The most common one would be none other than orange juice. While these do not require any explanation, sometimes Thai people add a little bit of sugar or salt to their orange juice for extra flavor
Non fresh fruit-based
- Iced Thai lime soda
- You may be thinking of your lemon twist tonic (with or without Gin!). However, Thai lime soda is typically made from Singha soda water and Thai lime. From our observation, Singha soda water has more carbonation (more bubbles) than your typical soda water. Whereas Thai limes are typically sourer than typical limes with their own distinct smell. Do not forget that Thais like their drink sweet, so Thai lime soda often have some added sugar as well
- Thai pink milk
- Have you ever seen milk in pink (or green) color? If the name of this drink makes you curious, then you can try Thai pink milk during your visit to Thailand! In general, Thai pink milk is a sweetened milky beverage. We also have a dedicated article to explain ingredients and how to make a cup of Thai pink milk at home!
- Butterfly pea tea: A unique blue color drink that taste great and contain health benefits! learn more about butterfly pea tea in our article.
Thai herbal drink
We aren’t actually done with a list of refreshing Thai drinks. However, there are few others made from herbs which also have great health benefits.
- Bael fruit drink
- This beverage is made from dried Bael fruits, they are said to have a cooling effect and is great for detox! Bael fruit drink is typically served cold in ice, the drink has a transparent orange/brown-ish color and is slightly sweet
- Chrysanthemum drink
- Chrysanthemum has been used as part of traditional Chinese medicine. The herb is useful in helping with respiratory problem and high blood pressure. In Thailand, people use chrysanthemum to make a cool and refreshing yellow-colored beverage which is typically served cold! However, take note that chrysanthemum drinks in Thailand are usually sweetened. So, this might be different from the tea that you get in Chinese restaurants!
- Roselle
- Roselle has a mild laxative effect, helps with cooling; and people often use this as a remedy to soothe sore throat. Roselle drinks are typically red in color and sour in taste. In Thailand, people usually serve roselle drinks with sugar and ice
Thailand is rich with drinks options for you!
Thailand is blessed with a bountiful harvest so there are many drinks that make use of its fruits and herbs. Make sure you explore Thai drinks beyond coffee and tea especially when you are in Thailand, since there are many refreshing Thai drinks and Thai herbal drinks for you to enjoy!
However, you may have recognized after reading this article that Thai drinks tend to be sweet so be sure to watch out for their calories and sugar content!
Check out our other posts about Thailand below