So I moved to Thailand some time ago, and back in Australia it was common to down a couple of Red Bulls as a pick me up during the day. This now westernized energy drink was originally created in Thailand as a booster for factory workers so they could complete their shifts and increase productivity.
It is obviously sold in every 7-Eleven in Thailand, and most Big C and Makro super stores. It’s quite popular in the club crowd in Thailand like it is in most western countries, as that pick me up to keep going all night long.
The taste of Red Bull in Thailand is very different to that of western countries, and it even comes in a non carbonated version in case you want to get it slammed down faster. Being cheaper in Thailand is also on the plus side.
So whats on the negative side? The ingredients of Red Bull are caffeine, taurine (an organic acid, similar to an amino acid), B vitamins, sucrose, glucose and glucuronolactone (a naturally occurring chemical). In Thailand the version they sell over the counter is considerably more potent to that of its western counterparts.
The Thai Krating Daeng, the original Thai version of ‘Red Bull’, packs just as big a hit as the Thai Red Bull.
It’s worth taking into account that the Thai version is more potent when your venturing out into the heat and humidity of Thailand. A recent as it turns out experiment I did, where I rode a Kawasaki Z800 all day in 43 degree heat, smashing down about 4 Red Bulls and not a lot else, hit me pretty hard that night. I will admit that it wasn’t just the Red Bull, the fact I was out in the heat so long and didn’t consume water was my own stupid fault, but juicing up on just energy drinks doesn’t work well and could end you up in the shit.