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Thailand (street and market drink) · Thai

Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen)

The bright-orange, creamy-sweet Thai street drink: strong spiced black tea sweetened with condensed milk and poured over ice with a float of cream. How to brew it strong and why it's so orange.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 21, 2026

A tall glass of bright orange Thai iced tea over ice with a swirl of cream floating on top and being stirred down, condensation on the glass.

Cha yen — Thai iced tea — is the unmistakable bright-orange drink of Thai street carts and restaurants. Strong black tea, often blended with spices like star anise and tamarind, is brewed dark, sweetened heavily with condensed and evaporated milk, and poured over ice with a creamy float. Sweet, rich and built to cool you down in tropical heat.

Yield
Serves 2
Prep
5 min
Cook
5 min
Total
About 10 min, plus cooling
Difficulty
Easy

Thai iced tea — cha yen — is the bright-orange, creamy-sweet drink of Thai street carts: strong spiced black tea, heavily sweetened with condensed milk, poured over ice with a float of cream. Sweet, rich and made to cool you in tropical heat.

Brew it much stronger than you’d drink

The single most important step. The tea is diluted twice — by sweet milk and by a glassful of ice — so it has to start dark and strong, or it tastes washed out. Steep or simmer it until it’s really deep.

Sweeten hot, cool before icing

Stir the condensed milk (and any sugar) into the hot tea so it dissolves cleanly, then let the tea cool to room temperature before it meets the ice. Pouring hot tea over ice just melts it and waters the drink down.

The cream float

Pour the cooled tea over a tall glass of ice and float a spoonful of evaporated milk or cream on top — swirl it in just before drinking for the classic look. Use coconut condensed and coconut milk for an easy vegan version. Great with pad krapow. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Serves
2
  • 3 tbsp Thai tea mix (or strong black tea such as Assam/Ceylon) Authentic Thai tea mix gives the signature colour and a hint of vanilla/spice; strong black tea works, with a pinch of star anise and a drop of vanilla.
  • 500 ml water
  • 3–4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, to taste
  • 2 tbsp evaporated milk (or whole milk/cream), plus extra to float
  • 2 tbsp sugar, optional, to taste
  • lots of ice

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Bring the water to a boil, add the tea, and steep/simmer 3–5 minutes until very dark and strong, then strain.

    Why: Thai iced tea must be brewed much stronger than tea you'd drink hot — it has to stand up to a lot of sweet milk and a glass of ice without disappearing.

  2. While hot, stir in the condensed milk and any sugar until fully dissolved, then let the tea cool to room temperature.

    Why: Sweeteners dissolve cleanly in hot tea; cooling before it hits the ice keeps the drink from instantly melting the ice and going watery.

  3. Fill tall glasses with ice, pour over the sweet tea, and float a spoonful of evaporated milk or cream on top.

    Why: Pouring cooled tea over a full glass of ice keeps it cold and strong; the cream float is the classic finish — stir it in just before drinking for the signature look and texture.

A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.

Variations

  • Vegan

    Use sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut or oat milk for the float — naturally rich and dairy-free.

  • Less sweet

    Cut the condensed milk and add unsweetened milk; Thai tea is traditionally very sweet, so adjust to taste.

  • Cha dam yen (no milk)

    Skip the milk entirely for sweetened iced black tea — lighter and often served with a wedge of lime.

Serving & Storage

Serve very cold in a tall glass, the cream float swirled in just before drinking. It's sweet and rich — a treat alongside spicy Thai food, or on its own in the heat.

Pairs with: Pad krapow gai, Thai green curry, Spicy som tam, Mango sticky rice.

Storage: Brew the sweetened tea ahead and keep it chilled up to 3 days; pour over ice and add the cream float when serving.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 glass (~300 ml))

Calories
200
Protein
4 g
Carbs
32 g
Fat
6 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
30 g
Sodium
60 mg

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Thai tea so orange?

Traditional Thai tea mixes are coloured (historically with food colouring), which gives the iconic bright orange. The flavour comes from strong black tea, often with a little spice and vanilla. If you use plain black tea it'll taste right but look more brown than orange — that's fine.

Can I make it without Thai tea mix?

Yes — brew strong Assam or Ceylon black tea and add a pinch of star anise, a small piece of cinnamon and a drop of vanilla to approximate the flavour. It won't be neon orange, but it'll be delicious.

Why brew it so strong?

Because it's diluted twice — by a lot of sweet milk and by a full glass of ice. A normal-strength brew would taste washed out and milky. Steep it dark and strong so the tea flavour still leads in the finished drink.

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