Thai Beverages
Alcoholic Beverages
Thai beers, spirits, and traditional alcoholic drinks
Singha Beer
เบียร์สิงห์
Singha Beer (เบียร์สิงห์) is Thailand's oldest domestically-produced beer and the country's original premium lager. It was first brewed in 1933 by Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi (Boonrawd Sreshthaputra), who had observed European brewing practices during travels to Germany and Denmark in 1930. He constructed Thailand's first brewery — Boon Rawd Brewery — in 1933, and the first bottles rolled off the assembly line in 1934. On 25 October 1939, King Rama VII officially endorsed Singha by granting the brewery the right to display the royal Garuda emblem on its label — an honour bestowed only upon companies with outstanding long-term reputations, and one that no other Thai brewery has ever received. The Garuda on Singha's bottle neck remains to this day a mark of royal approval. Singha is a pale lager brewed at 5% ABV from barley, hops, and water, with a clean, crisp taste and slightly more pronounced hop bitterness than Chang or Leo. The name 'Singha' refers to a mythological lion in Hindu-Buddhist tradition, depicted in Thai temple iconography. Boon Rawd Brewery operates nine factories across Thailand — in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Singburi, Khon Kaen, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, and Surat Thani — with a combined capacity of one billion litres per year. Singha is priced slightly higher than Chang in Thailand (70–90 baht for 330ml), positioning it as a premium product. The brewery also produces Leo Beer (a budget lager) and Estiga (a craft-style beer).
Chang Beer
เบียร์ช้าง
Chang Beer (เบียร์ช้าง) is one of Thailand's best-selling lager beers, instantly recognisable by its twin elephant logo on a green label. The name 'Chang' is the Thai word for elephant — an animal sacred in Thai culture, symbolising strength, loyalty, and good fortune. Chang Beer is produced by ThaiBev (Thai Beverage Public Company Limited), the beverage empire founded by billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, and first brewed in 1995 at a brewery in Bang Ban District, Ayutthaya Province. ThaiBev was formally consolidated on 29 October 2003, bringing together 58 beer and spirits businesses including Chang. The beer is brewed from barley malt and hops and fermented at 5% ABV. In the 1990s, Chang launched an aggressive price-cutting campaign that successfully wrested market leadership from the long-dominant Singha, eventually claiming over 60% of the Thai domestic beer market. Today Chang is exported to over 50 countries worldwide and is a major sponsor of Thai football, including naming rights to Chang Arena in Buriram. In Thailand you will find Chang everywhere — convenience stores, beach bars, local restaurants (ahan tham sang), and night markets — typically priced at 50–70 baht for a 320ml bottle. The beer is a pale lager with a clean, slightly sweet malty flavour and a crisp finish, making it particularly refreshing in Thailand's heat.
Leo Beer
เบียร์ลีโอ
Leo Beer (เบียร์ลีโอ) is currently the best-selling beer in Thailand by volume, a smooth, easy-drinking pale lager produced by Boon Rawd Brewery — the same family-owned company founded in 1933 that brews the premium Singha brand. Leo was introduced as a more affordable alternative to Singha, targeting price-conscious consumers. Brewed at 5% ABV from barley malt and hops, Leo has a noticeably lighter, crisper flavour profile than Singha, with less hop bitterness and a cleaner, more neutral taste that pairs easily with the bold flavours of Thai food. The Leo branding features a distinctive leopard mascot — the name 'Leo' referencing the leopard, symbolising strength and agility. Boon Rawd Brewery operates multiple factories across Thailand including sites in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Singburi, and Surat Thani. Leo is the beer of choice for most everyday dining situations in Thailand — you'll see it at every local restaurant, 7-Eleven, and roadside beer stall, typically priced at 45–60 baht for a 320ml bottle, making it noticeably cheaper than Singha. It pairs particularly well with spicy Isaan-style food such as som tam and larb. In taste tests conducted with Thai locals and tourists, Leo consistently scores as the most approachable and food-friendly of the three major Thai lagers (Singha, Chang, Leo).
Mekong Whisky
แม่โขง
Mekhong (แม่โขง) holds a unique place in Thai drinking history as Thailand's first domestically-produced branded spirit, launched in 1941 and named 'The Spirit of Thailand.' The drink takes its name from the Mekong River — the great waterway forming Thailand's border with Laos — and was created by the Excise Department of the Thai government's Ministry of Finance during a period of strong Thai nationalist sentiment. The patriotic connection was deliberate: the Mekong River was symbolic of Thai sovereignty following border demarcation disputes with colonial French Indochina, and a popular song 'Kham Khong' (Across the Mekong) was composed around the same time to remind Thais of the river's importance. Despite being commonly called 'Thai whisky,' Mekhong is technically much closer to a rum: it is distilled from 95% sugarcane molasses and only 5% rice (rice gives it a subtle Thai character), making it botanically a molasses-based spirit. It is aged briefly and bottled at 35% ABV with a golden-amber colour and a flavour profile that blends mild sweetness from the cane with faint spice from the rice. Mekhong is deeply ingrained in Thai popular culture and budget nightlife — it is the quintessential 'bucket' drink served with mixers at Ko Pha-Ngan parties and found in every local restaurant's drinks menu. In Thailand, a 350ml bottle costs approximately 150 baht, making it one of the most affordable spirits available. It is typically served mixed with cola and ice, or in a communal bucket-style drink with energy drinks on beach party islands.
SangSom Rum
แสงโสม
SangSom (แสงโสม) is Thailand's dominant rum and one of the best-selling spirits in the world by volume, with over 70 million litres sold in Thailand alone each year — achieving more than 70% market share in its category. The name 'Sang Som' means 'golden light' in Thai, referencing the spirit's warm amber colour. SangSom's origins trace to 1977 when the brand was launched in Thailand, with the original blend devised to appeal to the local market's taste for smooth, slightly sweet spirits. In 1975, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi — who would go on to build ThaiBev into Southeast Asia's largest beverage company — acquired the Tara Whisky Company and renamed it SangSom Co., Ltd. In the early 2000s, SangSom became a key subsidiary of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev) following its formation in 2003. SangSom is produced from molasses, a by-product of sugarcane processing from Thailand's sugar industry, making it technically a rum despite being often marketed as 'Thai whisky.' It is distilled on column stills to produce a clean, light spirit, then aged in oak barrels before bottling at 40% ABV. The resulting spirit has a smooth, mildly sweet flavour with caramel and vanilla notes from the oak aging. In Thailand, SangSom is the classic nightlife spirit — it is almost always consumed mixed with soda water and ice (served in a 'set' bucket or pitcher with an entire 700ml bottle and ice), at beach parties, night clubs, and local restaurants. A 700ml bottle costs approximately 250–350 baht, making it extremely affordable.
Sato Rice Wine
สาโท
Traditional northeastern rice wine
Explore Other Drink Categories
About