Thailand is intensifying efforts to curb the country’s alarmingly high sugar intake by pushing through a major reform of how sweetened beverages are served, with the government and leading drink retailers collaborating to change deeply ingrained consumption habits. The initiative aims to tackle rising rates of obesity, diabetes and related health problems by reducing the amount of sugar in some of the nation’s most popular drinks, a move officials describe as a key part of a broader public health campaign stretching beyond existing sugar taxes.
For decades, Thai consumers have been among the world’s most enthusiastic drinkers of sweet beverages, with the average person consuming roughly 21 teaspoons of sugar per day — more than three times the World Health Organization’s daily recommendation of six teaspoons. Sugary drinks such as iced Thai tea, bubble milk tea and other freshly made beverages are cultural staples, often packed with sugar and condensed milk. While Thailand’s sugar tax regime, introduced in stages from 2017 and fully rolled out last year, has helped lower the sugar content of pre-packaged drinks by incentivising reformulation, it has largely left freshly prepared cafe and street vendor drinks outside its scope.
To bridge that gap, the Ministry of Public Health has teamed up with nine major coffee and beverage chains — including well-known names like Café Amazon, Inthanin, All Café, Black Canyon and Punthai — to redefine “normal sweetness” levels. Under the new standards rolled out earlier this month, drinks ordered at the default sweetness setting will contain no more than 50 per cent of the sugar previously deemed standard. The policy, which came into effect on 11 February, means that a regular cup of coffee or milk tea now contains roughly half the sugar it once did, bringing popular beverages closer to healthier consumption guidelines.
Instead of banning sugar outright, health officials are using behavioural economics techniques to change consumer preferences gradually, making lower-sugar options the norm while still allowing customers to request higher sweetness levels if they choose. The approach, sometimes referred to as “nudging,” is intended to help retrain palates over time without reducing personal choice. Proponents say that by altering defaults and offering a range of sweetness options, consumers are more likely to gradually prefer less sweet drinks — an outcome demonstrated in studies showing that people often stick with default settings.
Reactions to the policy have been mixed. Some consumers and health advocates welcome the changes as a long-overdue step toward better public health, with many noting that it will help reduce the burden of sugar-related illnesses such as diabetes and obesity. Others lament the impact on cherished local flavours. At long-standing independent cafes and street stalls, proprietors and regular customers alike argue that the rich sweetness of traditional drinks is part of Thailand’s culinary identity, and that lowering sugar levels fundamentally alters the taste experience.
The government’s campaign also includes educational elements to raise awareness about the risks associated with excessive sugar consumption. Health officials emphasise that while products with reduced sugar content are now more widely available, individuals still play a critical role in making healthier choices. The push comes amid broader efforts to improve nutrition and combat non-communicable diseases among Thailand’s population, which has seen rising rates of obesity and diabetes among adults in recent years.
By combining regulation, industry collaboration and consumer choice, Thailand’s latest move signals a shift in how public health policy tackles dietary risks, especially those tied to sweetened drinks that are deeply embedded in daily life. Whether this strategy will lead to lasting changes in consumption patterns remains to be seen, but it marks one of the most comprehensive national efforts to date aimed at reducing sugar intake through collective action.
