Ya dong

Ya dong (Thai: ยาดอง 'infused medicine'), or more specifically ya dong lao (ยาดองเหล้า 'spirit-infused medicine'), is a form of Thai herbal alcoholic drink, consisting of medicinal herbs infused in a spirit, typically lao khao. It developed as a method in traditional Thai medicine for the extraction of herbal active ingredients, and was typically consumed in small amounts for perceived medicinal benefits.^[1][2][3]

Jars of ya dong, with labels describing their properties, shown on a web variety show

While ya dong may legally be prescribed as a tincture by traditional medicine practitioners,^[4] in modern times, with legal restriction on alcohol production, it has become associated with illegal spirit production and is often described in English as moonshine. It is widely seen as a drink of the lower socioeconomic class, and is usually sold from jars at streetside stalls. From 2015, however, several upscale bars have developed their own versions,^[5][6] and the drink has also been introduced to the United States.^[7][8]

Cases of mass methanol poisoning have occurred in Thailand from the production and distribution of ya dong. In October 2019, twenty-two people were injured in Chon Buri province, five of whom died, from a contaminated batch of ya dong.^[9][10] In August 2024, another incident in Bangkok led to forty-four hospitalizations and ten deaths.^[11][12]

See also

• Rượu thuốc, a similar drink in Vietnam