Starting on 11 February 2026, something will change in an ordinary cup of coffee or Thai milk tea in Thailand. What used to be called “normal sweet”—full sweetness according to the original recipe—will now mean only 50% sugar. Without selecting any special option, customers who order the normal sweetness level will automatically receive the half-sugar version.
This move is a nationwide collaboration between the Department of Health (DoH), the Ministry of Public Health, and nine major beverage chains, including Café Amazon, Inthanin, All Café, Black Canyon, PunThai, Chao Doi, and several other brands supported by the Thai Coffee Association and various health organizations.
Far from being a lifestyle trend, this change is part of a broader strategy to curb the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Thailand.
Resetting Sweetness: Changing the Default, Not Banning Sugar
Rather than banning sugar or completely reformulating drinks, the government has chosen a subtler approach inspired by Nudge Theory—changing the default option so people gradually become accustomed to healthier choices.
Customers are still free to request higher sweetness levels if they wish. However, the new baseline is now 50% sugar. This small adjustment is designed to encourage new habits without feeling restrictive or coercive.
Previously, a 16-ounce (473 ml) iced coffee at 100% sweetness contained around 7.3 teaspoons of sugar. Under the new standard, this drops to approximately 3.7 teaspoons.
Thai iced tea, which previously contained about 6.6 teaspoons of sugar, will now have roughly 3.3 teaspoons. At these levels, the sugar content of a single drink falls within the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of a maximum of six teaspoons of added sugar per day.
Redefining what “normal” means may seem like a minor change. But in the context of national sugar consumption, its impact could be substantial.
Behind the Policy: Numbers That Can’t Be Ignored
Thailand is known for its bold flavors—sweet, savory, and richly layered. Yet high sugar consumption has become a serious public health concern.
On average, people in Thailand consume around 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Data from 2025 show that about 45% of the population aged 15 and above is obese, while 10% live with diabetes. A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition also found that a 22-ounce iced coffee can contain an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce bubble milk tea can reach up to 12 teaspoons.
This policy also coincides with the latest phase of Thailand’s Sugar Tax, which has become an important source of revenue for the Excise Department, with a 2026 collection target of 578.2 billion THB (approximately USD 17.1 billion).
Toward a Low-Sugar Beverage Culture?
For regular coffee shop customers in Bangkok or returning visitors to Thailand, the change may be immediately noticeable: matcha, coffee, or cha yen now tastes lighter than before. But this policy is far from a passing trend.
Discussions on the implementation of this measure were held on 15 January, involving government representatives, industry players such as Bangchak Retail (Inthanin), PTT Oil and Retail (Café Amazon), CP All (All Café, Kadsuan, Bellinee’s), and Black Canyon, as well as institutions including the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Disease Control.
The focus has been on ensuring that the policy is sustainable and consistently applied.
Notably, industry representatives have also pointed out that consumer preferences are already shifting toward less-sweet or sugar-free beverages. By setting 50% sweetness as the new default, Thailand is gradually shaping a low-sugar drink culture, without bans, without abrupt disruption, but through a simple redefinition of what “normal” means.
