Expat left baffled by traditional Thai tea bag packaging

A foreigner living in Thailand recently shared his confusing experience trying to drink traditional Thai iced tea from a classic paper bag setup. The expat ordered the drink to his home, but upon receiving it, he realized he was unfamiliar with the proper method of consuming Thai tea from a street stall. He removed the inner plastic bag from its protective brown paper carrier and inserted a straw directly through the side of the pouch, resulting in an explosive mess on his desk and floor.

The expat followed the vendor's instruction to poke the straw straight into the bag without untying the rubber band. However, he mistakenly left the plastic pouch outside the paper bag and only punctured the top, causing the tea to pour out. Despite finding the tea delicious, the experience was overly messy, leading the expat to vow to stick to plastic cups in the future.

Thai netizens quickly flooded the comments section with amused reactions, explaining the proper technique: keeping the plastic bag securely inside the paper wrapper and pushing the straw through the top opening next to the rubber band.

Thai tea, also known as cha yen, is a popular sweet and creamy orange drink that consistently ranks among the top non-alcoholic beverages worldwide on platforms like TasteAtlas. Its international appeal has grown beyond local street carts into specialty tea bars, boba shops, and fusion desserts. Nonetheless, for many tourists visiting Thailand, navigating the traditional street-style pouch remains an authentic, albeit challenging, experience.