Comparing Thai beers

[reader]

Shoppers may find that the costs of beer has risen a few baht since this article was first published.

From The Thaiest.com

Thai Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Thailand. There are a number of local beer brands that you can try in Thailand and the 3 major beer brands Singha, Leo and Chang are present all over the country. Here you will find an introduction to the most popular Thai beers and beer price in Thailand.

Singha

Singha beer is the first beer produced in Thailand and is one of the most popular beers in the country, brewed by the Boon Rawd Brewery. Singha is also the best known Thai beer outside of Thailand as it is exported to many foreign countries. It has been brewed since 1933 and many locals claim that it is the only real Thai beer. The name "Singha" is derived from the Sanskrit word for "lion" so you will see the white label representing a lion (Singha) from mythology in almost every bar or restaurant in Thailand.

Singha lager version has 5% alcohol, but a 3.5% light version with a slightly bitter taste is also available. Singha Lager Draft Beer is delivered by the brewery in 30 liter barrels and has a more intense taste than the normal lager beer.

Chang

Chang beer (Elephant beer) was launched in 1995 by the breweries of Thai Beverage or just ThaiBev, one of the largest beverage companies in Southeast Asia, and is available nationwide. Chang brand is known for its logo with the 2 elephants looking at each other on the label of the green bottles. The beer is brewed from rice and has more tart taste than Singha.

You can buy a can of this beer brand at the store for 35 THB. Singha is often a few baht more expensive than the other top beer brands in Thailand so it is mainly drunk by high-earning Thais and tourists. Perhaps that is why more budget travelers prefer Leo or Chang.

The normal Chang beer (Chang Classic) has an alcohol content of 5.2% and it is currently the second most consumed beer in Thailand, taking approximately 33% share of the local beer market. The Chang Export is another classic lager with an alcohol content of 5% by volume. In contrast to the Classic, it is not brewed from rice but from malt. It is therefore a 100% malt beer. Other Chang varieties are Chang Draft with 5% alcohol content and Chang Light with 4.2% alcohol by volume. Chang beer has won the Australian Beer Award 3 times and is fresh, tasty and a bit like Kölsch, only stronger.

Chang is most probably the most popular beer for tourists visiting Thailand. It is usually the cheapest of the best Thai beer brands on offer. The price of a can of Chang beer in the store is in the range of 30-35 THB.

Leo

Leo beer, currently the most admired beer in Thailand occupying about half of the local beer market, is also brewed by the Boon Rawd Brewery. Many beer enthusiasts are unaware that the same brewery owns Leo and Singha brands. The word Leo comes from the Greek and means lion. The label on the bottle shows a leopard (rather than a lion) staring at you.

This Thai beer’s alcohol content is 5%. The taste is very similar to the older sister Singha, but the price has been wisely lowered. Leo is also served as a draft beer in pubs.

Leo Beer price per bottle is 38-40 THB. The beer has received multiple awards and, like Chang, is very popular with Thais and foreigners.

[Keithambrose]

Shame that Kloster no longer available. I preferred that. I find Singha rather sweet 

[omega]

Didn't know Leo was made by the same brewers as Singh.

I do prefer Singh over Chang tho.

[TMax]

I usually drink either Singha or Tiger in Thailand, I don't mind Chang but I did enjoy Klosters the most when it was available. 

[PeterRS]

14 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Shame that Kloster no longer available. I preferred that. I find Singha rather sweet 

I also much prefered Kloster. The article above does not mention the smaller Thai Amarit Brewery which makets its own brand primarily for export. Seems it used to be the distributor for Kloster from 1978 which it made under license from the German brand. But beer in Thailand is encased in a wide array of regulations making entry to the market from overseas subject to taxes of up to 60%. Although brewed in Thailand, due to its size Amarit had difficulty with distribution of Kloster. Early in the century, Amarit sold it off to Boon Rawd which tried to rebrand Kloster as a premium beer. For whatever reason, sales never took off. But it seems it was never actually withdrawn from sale and can still be found in some outlets like hotel bars.