How to Order Thai Tea for the First Time
A small story about cha yen, its history – and how to make it your own
Thai iced tea feels like it has always been there. You see it hanging in clear plastic bags at street stalls, lined up in tall cups at food courts, dressed up in glassware at cafés. That bright orange colour, the ice, the creamy top – it’s part of the Bangkok backdrop.
The first time you try it, though, it can still be a surprise. Some people fall in love immediately; others realise they’ve just ordered something closer to dessert than to “a tea”. The good news is: Thai tea is very flexible. Once you know where it comes from and how it’s built, you can order it in a way that matches your rhythm – lighter, less sweet, more tea-forward, with or without milk.
A brief history: how Thai tea became orange
Thai tea is a relatively modern addition to the Thai drinks universe. After the Second World War, Thailand saw more imported black tea and more influence from Chinese-style milk tea. Vendors began to mix strong tea with sweetened condensed milk and sugar, served over ice to handle the climate.
Over time, a distinctive Thai version took shape:
A robust tea blend, often with spices or aromatics.
Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk for richness.
A signature orange colour, originally helped by spices and later reinforced with colouring in some blends.
Brands like Cha Tra Mue popularised this style nationwide, and Thai tea spread from street carts to markets, food courts and cafés. Today, you’ll find everything from a simple plastic cup at a bus-stop stall to layered Thai tea lattes in speciality cafés – all versions of the same idea: strong, fragrant tea balanced with sweetness and milk.
What’s actually in your glass?
A classic Thai iced tea – cha yen – usually has four main elements:
Tea
A strong black tea blend, sometimes with spices or vanilla-like notes. It’s brewed very concentrated so it can stand up to ice and milk.Sweetness
Sugar and sweetened condensed milk bring the sweetness. At many stalls, this is generous by default.Milk
Condensed milk for sweetness and body, evaporated milk or fresh milk for creaminess. Some versions finish with a little evaporated milk floated on top.Ice
Lots of ice – this is Bangkok, after all. The ice dilutes the tea slightly as it melts and keeps everything cold.
Word You Need
Cha yen (ชาเย็น) – iced Thai milk tea (the classic orange one)
Cha manow (ชามะนาว) – iced lemon tea, no milk
Cha ron (ชาร้อน) – hot tea
If you say “cha yen”, you’ll get the standard iced Thai milk tea.
Sweetness
waan (หวาน) – sweet
waan noi (หวานน้อย) – a little sweet / less sweet
mai waan (ไม่หวาน) – not sweet
Milk
sai nom (ใส่นม) – with milk
mai sai nom (ไม่ใส่นม) – without milk
sai nom noi (ใส่นมหน่อย / ใส่นมน้อย) – a little milk
Three ready-made orders for your first Thai teas
The classic, just a bit gentler
“Cha yen, sai nom, waan noi.”
Iced Thai milk tea, less sweet.
Lighter and more tea-forward
“Cha yen, sai nom noi, mai waan.”
Iced Thai tea with a little milk, no extra sugar.
No milk, just a touch of sweetness
“Cha yen, mai sai nom, waan noi.”
Iced Thai tea without milk, a little sweet.
Street stall or café – where to start?
Street stalls give you the most “Bangkok” feeling: metal carts, hanging tea bags, ice packed into cups in seconds. They are affordable, fast and a great way to feel part of local daily life.
Cafés often offer Thai tea lattes, cold brews or layered versions in glass. Staff usually speak more English, and it’s easy to say things like
“Can you make it less sweet?” or
“Can you use fresh milk instead of condensed milk?”
Mr. Bangkok Note
Thai tea is a small everyday pleasure that tells a lot about the city: a Chinese-influenced tea base, Thai sweetness, ice for the climate, and a style that has travelled from street carts into design cafés. Once you know a few words and have tried one or two variations, it stops being a mysterious orange drink and becomes part of your own Bangkok routine – something you can order on autopilot on a busy afternoon, exactly the way you like it.
If you’d like, next step we can add a short “Where to try it” section with 2–3 specific Bangkok spots (one classic stall, one café, maybe a mall option) and tune the length to match your Journal layout.
