For many Thais, iced coffee or tea is a routine accompaniment to meals, often served with enough sugar to make the drinks feel dessert-like. As concerns mount over sugar intake and related health outcomes, Thailand’s Health Department says nine major coffee chains have pledged to reduce default sugar in select menu items as of Wednesday, cutting some drinks’ sugar levels by half under a government initiative.
Health officials pointed to what they describe as high national sugar consumption as the basis for the push. The department said Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, which it said is more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons.
Amporn Benjaponpitak, the Health Department’s director general, said the initiative is intended as a meaningful first move to alter how consumers approach sugary drinks. Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said the government is acting against the backdrop of rising obesity and diabetes rates. He cited 2025 data indicating about 45% of Thais aged 15 and older are obese and that 10% of the population has diabetes.
Officials also pointed to survey findings on sugar amounts inside popular beverages sold by major chains. The department cited a Bureau of Nutrition survey that found a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar. It also said a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea—an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls commonly called boba—can contain as much as 12 teaspoons of sugar.
At least some customers welcomed the announced changes. Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the plan and typically orders drinks at 25% of the standard sugar level, while saying she is aware many others consume too much sugar. “It’s good for Thai people,” she said. Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
Even so, officials said putting the initiative into practice may not be uniform across brands. They said each company can apply the program as it sees fit, and some customers have turned to social media asking how they can order drinks with their preferred level of sweetness. Several brands responded that the reduction applies only to certain menu items, according to the department’s account of how the rollout has been discussed online.