Beyond water and beer, Thailand has a distinct set of drinks worth trying, several of which have become popular well beyond Thailand itself.
Thai iced tea (cha yen)
Strongly brewed black tea, sweetened and mixed with condensed and evaporated milk — the distinctive orange colour traditionally comes from added food colouring rather than the tea itself.
Thai iced coffee (oliang or Thai-style)
Similarly strong and sweetened with condensed milk, sometimes brewed with a mix of coffee and other roasted grains for a more traditional oliang version.
Fresh fruit shakes
Widely available at street stalls — blended fresh fruit, ice and a touch of syrup, a genuinely refreshing option in the heat and considerably fresher than bottled juice.
Sugar levels
Most Thai drinks are sweetened by default and can be genuinely sweet by some visitors' standards — asking for "not too sweet" (mai wan mak) is common and generally accommodated at street stalls.