About Chaayen

Last updated: July 29, 2026

Chaayen is an independent website about Thai iced tea — cha yen (ชาเย็น). We publish tested recipes, brewing guides, honest gear reviews, and background on where the drink comes from. The site is run by a small team based in Bangkok, Thailand.

We started Chaayen because most Thai tea recipes online are copies of each other, written by people who have never stood at a street cart and watched the pour. We wanted a reference that actually matched the drink you get in Thailand.

What We Do

Everything on this site falls into one of four buckets:

• Recipes. Step-by-step methods for classic cha yen and its variations — boba, lime tea (cha manao), vegan and dairy-free versions, cold brew, and desserts built on a tea concentrate.
• Brewing guides. The Brew Lab covers water temperature, steep timing, concentrate ratios, and the pull-pour technique that aerates the tea.
• Gear reviews. Tea mixes, filter socks, and glassware we've actually brewed with, with clear reasoning about what's worth buying and what isn't.
• Facts, health & culture. Caffeine content, calories, ingredients, and the history behind the drink — researched and written plainly.

How We Test Recipes

Our benchmark isn't a cookbook — it's the vendor on the corner. When we develop a recipe, we brew it side by side against street-stall versions in Bangkok and adjust until the result matches on colour, sweetness, and body. If a method doesn't hold up against the original, it doesn't get published.

The same applies to gear. We don't review products we haven't used, and we don't rank anything we haven't brewed with.

How Chaayen Is Funded

We think you should know exactly how a site makes its money. Chaayen is funded three ways:

• Advertising. We display ads on the site. Ads are served by third-party networks and are not endorsements — an advertiser cannot buy a recommendation from us.
• Affiliate commissions. Some product links are affiliate links, including through the Amazon Associates and Lazada affiliate programs. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Chaayen earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate relationships never determine what we recommend or how we rank it.
• Digital products. We sell two things directly: the Recipe Vault, a printable PDF of every recipe on the site, and the Bangkok Thai Tea Trail, a city guide to seven cha yen stops.

Corrections & Accuracy

We update articles when we learn something new or get something wrong. If you spot an error — a ratio that doesn't work, a fact that's off, a link that's broken — please tell us and we'll fix it. Nutrition and caffeine figures on this site are estimates for general reference and vary by brand and preparation; they are not medical or dietary advice.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or partnership enquiries are welcome. Reach us at doo.mun9@gmail.com, or see the contact page for more detail.