Street vendors of all kinds are undeniably what makes the Thai food and drinks scene truly unique.
Staying hydrated is key to surviving Thailand’s unforgiving and brutal heat. If you find yourself dying for a drink, quench your thirst with one of Thailand’s unique beverage options. Here, discover the most delicious Thai drinks that you should try from the local street vendors.
Pomegranate juice or Nam Thabthim
These freshly squeezed juices are hands down the best way to cool yourself down and mentally escape Thailand’s seemingly inescapable heat. Nam Thabthim is a good source of vitamin C and is full of antioxidants and fibers. If there is no added sugar, it is absolutely a healthy choice for your body.
Thai Iced Milk Tea or Chai Yen
Thai Milk Tea is basically a strong-brewed Ceylon tea. Although it is usually served with ice, a warm cup of Thai Milk Tea will certainly never disappoint you. To make it better, sip one while munching on Roti and this combination can unlock all your senses!
Pickled Plum Soda
Not into pickled food? Don’t let the name scare you away. This Pickled Plum Soda drink doesn’t taste like anything pickled. In fact, it is one of the most tantalizing and refreshing Thai drinks that you must try. It is both sweet and sour, and the pickled plums are slightly salty and extremely chewy.
Pink Milk
Pink Milk wins the heart of many young women and adults too, for obvious reasons. It looks like a princess’ or fairy’s drink, and the taste does live up to its promising look. This drink usually contains red rose-flavored syrup, fusing the drink with a refreshing flowery scent.
Lime Iced Tea or Cha Manao
This is for the people who love tea but without the dairy products that are typically added. It is brewed from the same cha yen but instead of being served with condensed milk, is served with freshly squeezed lime juice. After a long day outside, Thai Lime-iced tea is a perfect way to beat Thailand’s heat.
Iced Cocoa or Coco Yen
Some might think that the taste of Coco Yen differs from the cocoa people drink in western countries. It is generally sweeter and with less texture. What you usually get is Milo or Ovaltine drinks – which is the Thai equivalent of cocoa. Milo and Ovaltine are quite different in taste and both have their own strong Thai fan base.
Bael juice or Nam Matoom
Bael juice is a woody textured sweet and aromatic drink. Although the fruit shell is hard to break, the pulp inside is quite soft. Bael juice gets extracted from the soft pulp and it is yellowish-orange in color with a sweet taste. This juice is considered to be one of the best summer drinks for its incredible cooling properties.
Remember, Thai drinks are usually very sweet. So if you are not a big fan of sugar, make sure to say ‘Mai Whaan’ (not sweet) or ‘Whaan Noi’ (less sweet) to the local vendor before they prepare your drink.
