Bangkok Guru

Nothing beats a good can of beer particularly when you’re in Thailand trying to relax in the stifling heat. Generally speaking, most beers are available somewhere in a bar but since you are unlikely to visit the same bar all the time, why not just discuss the most readily available beers in Thailand i.e. those you can buy at any 7-eleven.

In Thailand, there are two local brewers: Singha and Chang. Singha’s also got a cheaper brand called Leo. In addition, there are the foreign brands Heineken and Tiger which are brewed by Thai Asia Pacific Breweries who have recently introduced a new lower end beer named Cheers.

Singha Beer

Singha is by far Thailand’s oldest beer and used to enjoy up to 80% of the market share unti Chang came along. The gold and white can looks fine with a lion sign, the colour of the beer itself is said to be medium yellow with more than enough bubbles in there. As far as taste goes, it is pretty normal which means it could go for nearly any other beer brand out there and there is no distinct character for it.

Chang Beer

Now this is what a lot of real drinkers call beer, weighing in at a wicked 6.4% alcohol it’s bitter and strong. The can displays two elephants though the colours look a bit cheap. The colour of the beer is relatively dark which helps explain the bitterness and very strong taste. The get hammered quick factor coupled with their rock bottom prices has made Chang the most popular beer in Thailand. In hi-so bars people frown upon it so it ain’t sold in there but as I said earlier the criteria here was 7-11 availability.

Leo Beer

Singha’s second brand is aimed at the lower market end and they surely made it taste like this. Adding shit loads of bubbles to conceal the real taste - chemical and watery - does not fool anyone. That said, it’s perfect for getting those shitty strains out of your expensive carpets and removing dirt and dust from your windscreen.

Heineken Beer

No further introduction to this one. Heineken is widely promoted as a somewhat premium brand and became excessively popular especially among more financially able drinkers thanks to their good marketing. In fact, it’s classified as a local beer as it’s brewed under the name of Thai Asia Pacific Breweries.

Cheers Beer

This newcomer on the Thai market meant to get a chunk of the lower end of the market. The taste is not that bad though opinions do offer of course. Fruity, smooth or sweet are terms to describe it perhaps. The can looks rather simple, bright blue with the writing Cheers on it. I couldn’t agree more. Why all these silly names? Cheers mate!

Tiger Beer

A few years back Tiger was gobbled up by Thai Asia Pacific Breweries and it now serves as their middle market beer and rightly so. Another beer with a predator on its can which seems to go well with the public in Thailand. The taste of the beer is a bit bitter than Heineken but not as bad as Chang. My mate finds hangovers from Tiger to be the worst so be careful.