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Questions & Answers about ไม่ ดื่ม ครับ
The translation says "No", but isn't ไม่ just "not"?
Exactly! To say "no" to a yes/no question in Thai, you do not use a single standalone word for "no". Instead, you say ไม่ (not) followed by the main verb from the question. Since the question asked about drinking, you answer "not drink", which is ไม่ดื่ม.
How would I answer "Yes, they do drink it" instead?
You would just drop the ไม่ (not) and echo the verb by itself. The polite affirmative answer is simply ดื่มครับ (drink + polite particle).
Where are the words for "they" and "it" in this sentence?
They are completely left out! In Thai, if it is already obvious from the conversation who or what you are talking about, you just drop the pronouns. The sentence is literally just "Not drink + polite particle".
Does the polite particle ครับ always go at the very end, even in a short answer like this?
Yes, ครับ (used by male speakers to be polite) always goes at the very end of your sentence or phrase, regardless of how short the answer is.