The reason Thai food is so sweet is alarming

From February, 9 major coffee chains in Thailand committed to reducing the default sugar content in some drinks such as coffee and tea by 50%. This is the first step to change consumer behavior even though some customers are still confused about how to order drinks according to their familiar sweetness level.

Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day – more than three times the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit of 6 teaspoons per day. This high consumption increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases. Data for 2025 shows that about 45% of Thais aged 15 and over are obese and 10% of the population has diabetes.

A survey by the Department of Nutrition shows that a 650 ml iced coffee contains an average of 9 spoons of sugar while a 300 ml pearl milk tea can contain up to 12 spoons.

On Thaiger’s Asean Now forum, user Jarvis once complained about too much sugar in Thai food and received hundreds of comments in agreement. Jarvis said things became “more serious” in Pattaya when people sprinkled sugar on French fries and added sweetened condensed milk to eggs.

Thai cuisine is famous for its perfect balance between sour – spicy – salty – sweet, but sweetness often clearly dominates. Iced coffee is sweet, pearl milk tea is “flooded” with sugar, even pad Thai is sprinkled with palm sugar, and even many salty dishes are seasoned with sweetness to increase harmony.

According to WHO guidelines, free sugar intake (sugars added to foods/drinks; sugars in honey, syrups, juices and fruit juice concentrates, not including natural sugars in fresh fruit or milk) should be less than 10% of total daily energy. Specific recommended amounts: 4 spoons for children, 6 spoons for teenagers and adults, up to 8 spoons for heavy labor.

Before the 1932 nutritional campaign – which encouraged increased protein and reduced rice – the main taste of Thai people was “salty and spicy”. At that time, sugar was an imported product because domestic factories were not enough to meet domestic demand.

According to the book Sweetness and Power by Sidney W. Mintz, sugar is not only food but also associated with economic and social power. Initially, it was a luxury in Europe, then became an everyday factor contributing to the formation of the modern economy. In Thailand, sugar is seen as a great opportunity to increase production and exports, especially under Prime Minister Sarit Thanarat.

The increase in sugar mills from 21 facilities in 1948 to 42 facilities in 1959 led to serious overcapacity. The government at that time promulgated the Sugar Industry Law in 1961 to subsidize the industry, but many argued that this was an act of taking advantage of an opportunity rather than a long-term solution.

When supply exceeds demand, the government chooses to encourage people to increase sugar consumption and sell it at preferential prices to the food and beverage industry. This campaign started strongly in the 1960s and 1970s with the goal of pushing consumption higher to balance output.

As a result, sugar is added to most foods and drinks, causing Thai people to get used to the sweet taste from a young age and use it to balance sour and salty flavors in cooking. Although there was a period of decline thanks to health campaigns, more than 60 years of continuous use has made Thai taste buds unconsciously “addicted to sweets”. The problem is solved in a temporary fashion, swept under the rug, leading to long-term consequences that affect the way we eat today.

Some other explanations are also mentioned on Pantip – Thailand’s largest online discussion forum. In the fiercely competitive culinary industry, creating a highlight or making customers “addicted” is very important. Increasing sweetness can be an easy and quick way to stimulate appetite and satisfaction, as sweetness is linked to simple pleasure and deliciousness in the brain, keeping customers coming back for more.

Sugar is a cheap and easy to buy ingredient. In addition to sweetness, sugar also helps improve texture, preserve food, and create attractive colors. Using more can be an economical and convenient choice for businesses, helping to control costs and stabilize quality.

In fact, glucose from sugar is an essential source of energy for blood and brain cells. However, the body should get glucose from complex carbohydrates like rice, flour, and cereals instead of pure sugar. Pure sugar is useful only when the body lacks food for a long time – a rare situation in modern life.

Sugar is not excreted easily but is absorbed and stored as glycogen in the kidneys. When blood sugar levels are high because the kidneys do not process them well, glucose spills into the urine – diabetes is the most common cause.

The sugar reduction initiative, which began in February, reflects growing concern about the public health crisis in Thailand, where sweetened drinks such as iced coffee and milk tea have become an indispensable part of many people’s daily diets.