Thailand is flipping the sugar script.
Starting February 11, 2026, major café chains across the country will serve drinks at 50% of the previous sugar level by default.
That means your usual iced coffee, Thai milk tea, or sweet beverage will now come with half the sugar unless you request otherwise.
This shift is part of a nationwide initiative led by the Ministry of Public Health, in partnership with nine major beverage brands including Café Amazon, Inthanin, All Café, Black Canyon, PunThai, and Chao Doi. FYI, this change didn’t happen by accident. It comes from a nationwide push by the Thai Department of Health.
What Does 50% Look Like?
A typical 16-ounce iced coffee that previously contained about 7.3 teaspoons of sugar will now have roughly 3.7 teaspoons.
Thai iced tea drops from around 6.6 teaspoons to approximately 3.3 teaspoons.
Instead of introducing new taxes, Thailand is adjusting the default a behavioural strategy designed to gently guide healthier choices without removing consumer freedom.
The move comes as Thai citizens reportedly consume nearly double the daily sugar intake recommended by the World Health Organization. Sugary drinks remain one of the largest contributors, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
Countries such as the United Kingdom and Singapore have introduced sugar taxes or warning labels. Thailand is taking a different route by quietly redefining what “normal” means.
By shifting the baseline, the government hopes to reduce long-term risks such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
Consumers can still request extra sweetness. But for now, half-sugar is the new standard.
Source: The Thaiger