BANGKOK: From Feb 11, "normal sweetness" at brands like Café Amazon and All Café will be capped at 50% sugar to combat the rise of non-communicable diseases.
High-street coffee chains across Thailand are set to undergo a radical transformation next week as the Department of Health launches a new nationwide standard for freshly brewed drinks.
Beginning Feb 11, any customer ordering a "normal sweetness" beverage will automatically receive a drink containing only 50% of the original sugar recipe.
The initiative, a collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health and nine major industry players—including Café Amazon, Inthanin, All Café, Black Canyon, and Punthai—aims to curb the escalating rates of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) amongst the Thai population.
The measure employs "Nudge Theory," a concept from behavioural economics that subtly influences consumer choices by changing the "default option."
By making a lower-sugar recipe the standard, health officials hope to habituate consumers’ palates to reduced sweetness without alienating them with a total ban on sugar.
According to the Department of Health, the decision aims to shift the standard to what the body can actually handle.
Under the new 50% cap, a standard 16oz cup of fresh coffee or Thai milk tea will contain approximately 3.3 to 3.7 teaspoons of sugar.
This brings the beverage well within the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended daily limit of 6 teaspoons.
The timing of the campaign is not coincidental.
It aligns with the newest phase of Thailand’s "Sugar Tax," which remains a significant revenue stream for the Excise Department, with a 2026 collection target of 578.2 billion THB (approx. US$17.1 billion). - The Nation/ANN
