Instead of beer nuts, Thai people gather around a pot of spicy Tom Yum Pork Ribs. Real, old time drinkers prefer super hot and spicy soup, possibly compensating for half of the remaining working taste buds.
This Tom Yum is popular with families as well. The hot and spicy broth compliments well other Thai dishes. In restaurants in Thailand, Tom Yum comes in a fire pot with hot flame flaring from the chimney in the middle.