Weirdly, when I lived in the US, I never drank Red Bull. Didn’t like the taste of the version in America, or the price. In Thailand though, it tastes differently and, of course the price is different too. So now, over everything else, Red Bull is often my preferred morning drink.
The Taste of Thai ‘Krating Daeng’ or Red Bull – Krating Daeng in Thai means ‘Red Bull’, which is where the name of this energy drink comes from.
In Thailand, the drink is usually sold in small brown bottles that are like old-fashioned medicine bottles. It still has the distinctive blue label with the bulls running across it, but the taste of the drink is completely different.
Unlike in the US, where the couple of times I had it, Red Bull was larger, more watered down and fizzy, in Thailand the drink is flat, thicker like cough syrup and sweeter. It also has more caffeine than the US version.
The Price of Thai ‘Krating Daeng’ – Red Bull in Thailand is dirt cheap. Unlike in the US, where the last time I bought one, I paid $1.50, in Thailand the cost is only 10 baht (approximately 30 cents). Plus, if you buy them in packs of 10, they’re even cheaper.
What’s in Red Bull? – 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).
Sold in most Asian countries, much of Europe and the US, each country has different ways of making the product so the amount of each ingredient will differ per country.
Be aware, though, if you are used to drinking Red Bull in the U.S., Europe or Australia, it is quite a bit more potent in Thailand.
Is Red Bull Dangerous? – Regardless that there continue to be urban legends about the dangers of Red Bull, there has yet to be any kind of medical study that says so. Every study that’s been done has concluded that, in moderation like most other things, the drink is completely safe.
It’s not recommended for people with heart conditions or high blood pressure, but then neither is coffee, and several studies have actually concluded it’s no more dangerous than a couple of cups of coffee.
Of course, there are always idiots that down five or six cans or bottles at once and then wonder why they feel ill. Just like anything else, drink it in moderation, and it’s highly unlikely you’d feel any ill effects.
I drink a bottle most mornings and notice no negative effects whatsoever, only the positiveness of a slight increase in my energy level.
Possible Benefits of Red Bull – One of the benefits I have noticed from drinking Red Bull is the complete curing of a medical condition I’ve had for a couple of years. I hadn’t been drinking the energy drink for a long time and, over the last couple of years, had developed a quite severe breathing problem. I had all the tests at my local hospital, with every test coming back negative except to say I had a slightly enlarged heart.
Still, my breathing problems got worse until, at one point, I was having problems sleeping at night.
Then, a couple of months ago, I began to drink a bottle of Red Bull every morning. Within a week of doing this, my breathing reverted back to normal and it’s been normal ever since. When I researched any medical side effects of Red Bull, one of the things mentioned was it can temporarily stop your blood from coagulating correctly.
That means, your blood is thinner and likely is pumped through the heart more efficiently. All I know is, since I began to drink Red Bull every day, I’ve had no breathing problems whatsoever. After two years of constant problems, I’ll take Red Bull over that any day of the week.
Of course, I’m not recommending this to anyone who has breathing problems, I’m just saying it worked for me.
Overall, I’m a huge fan of the Thai version of Red Bull. It gives me energy, seems to improve my concentration and has had a wondrous effect on my health problems. I even sleep better at night which, in and of itself makes me feel healthier and more alive when I am awake. Plus, at the price it is in Thailand, it’s one of the cheapest drinks around.
For an excellent site that disputes all the negative publicity around Red Bull, read Snopes. The only thing that is incorrect in the article is that Red Bull is banned in Malaysia. It’s not. I bought some in a 7-11 there last week.
** Since Thai Red Bull heir, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, hit and killed a police officer while driving drunk and on drugs, and then has done everything he can since to avoid being tried in a Thai court, I no longer buy Red Bull. I suggest you don’t either.
