Thai white spirit
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 Thai white spirit、Thai rice spirit
It refers to a clear, relatively strong Thai distilled spirit, commonly made from rice or other locally available ingredients.
Thai white spirit、Thai rice spirit
A clear Thai distilled liquor, often rice-based and typically associated with a fairly high alcohol content.
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เหล้าขาวขายดีมากในชนบท lâw khǎaw khǎay dii mâak nay chonnabòt Rice liquor sells very well in rural areas. เหล้าขาวขายดีมากในชนบท details
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เหล้าขาวแรงมาก lâw khǎaw rɛɛŋ mâak This Thai white spirit is very strong. เหล้าขาวแรงมาก details
Learning notes
Explanation
The word is formed from เหล้า “liquor” and ขาว “white,” but it is the established name of a clear Thai distilled spirit, not simply any pale-colored alcoholic drink. It is commonly associated with rice-based spirits, although its ingredients and production methods can vary. It should therefore not be treated as exactly identical to whiskey, vodka, or Japanese shochu. It is generally considered a strong liquor and is often described with แรง, meaning “strong” when used of alcohol. Common counters include ขวด for bottles and แก้ว for glasses.
Usage
The word is used when buying or ordering liquor and when discussing drinking at home, parties, or community gatherings. It also appears in conversations about rural drinking traditions and making ยาดอง, a traditional herbal infused liquor.
Caution
Despite ขาว “white,” this word does not mean white wine; white wine is ไวน์ขาว. It also differs from สาโท, a fermented and often cloudy rice alcoholic drink, because เหล้าขาว is distilled.