Thailand cuts back sugar in coffee and tea to tackle health crisis

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseFebruary 11, 2026 at 01:13 PM

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To combat high rates of obesity and diabetes linked to excessive sugar consumption, the Thai government has launched an initiative to reduce sugar levels in popular beverages. Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains in Thailand have pledged to cut the default sugar content in select drinks by half. The Health Department reports that Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization's recommendation of six. Government data from 2025 indicates that approximately 45% of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, and 10% have diabetes. Surveys reveal that common drinks like iced coffee and bubble milk tea contain alarmingly high amounts of sugar, prompting this action to modify consumer behavior.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bureau of Nutrition 50% Amporn Benjaponpitak 60% Pakorn Tungkasereerak 60% Obesity 70% World Health Organization 70% Diabetes ×270% Health Department ×280% Thailand ×290%

Keywords

sugar consumption 100% iced coffee 70% iced tea 70% obesity 60% health crisis 60% diabetes 60% health initiative 50% sugar content 50% world health organization 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.20

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Source

South China Morning Post

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Thailand

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sugar consumption iced coffee iced tea obesity health crisis diabetes health initiative sugar content world health organization

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