Thailand

"Kin Rae Dee" (What's Good to Eat) Campaign

A nationwide social media campaign to encourage young people and parents to make healthier food choices.

Childhood Obesity Guidelines for Health Care Facilities

Guidelines for childhood obesity management for public health institutions. They were developed to provide professionals with guidance to ensure children living with obesity receive prompt screening and appropriate care in order to reduce the risk of future non-communicable disease and associated health issues. (In Thai)

Draft Act on the Regulation of Marketing of Foods and Beverages Affecting Children’s Health

Since 2020, Thailand has been drafting an act to protect children from the persuasive marketing of foods high in fat, sugar, and/or sodium (HFSS). Proposed measures include a ban on techniques to appeal to children (e.g. cartoons), clear labels displaying HFSS content, controls on the sale of HFSS products in schools, controls on broadcast and outdoor advertising, and controls on promotional vouchers and prizes. As of April 2025, the draft act is currently being proposed to high-level decision-makers.

Final Phase of Sugar Tax

In April 2025, the Thai Excise Department enforced the final phase of the excise sugar tax introduced in 2017, increasing the tax rate on certain beverages according to sugar content. The tax rate on beverages with 6-8g sugar per 100ml will be increased from 0.30 Baht/litre to 1 Baht/litre and on beverages with 8-10g sugar per 100ml, from 1 Baht/litre to 3 Baht/litre.

Salt Tax (Incoming)

The Thai Excise Department is expected to introduce a sodium tax in 2025. It will be tiered, similarly to the sugar tax. The Department hopes it will reduce consumption of unhealthy foods, and encourage manufacturers to reformulate their products with lower sodium content.

Handbook for managing overnutrition in children for educational institutions

This guide provides recommendations to prevent and reduce overweight and obesity in school children. They include advice for nutrition and exercise, intended for school administrators and teachers. (Document in Thai)

Minimum standards and guidelines on actions to protect children from the harmful impact of marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages in the ASEAN region

This report outlines the minimum standards and guidelines for ASEAN Member States to protect children from the harmful impacts of food and non-alcoholic beverage marketing. It also includes a rationale for strengthening legislation, guidelines for developing, implementing, enforcing, and monitoring legislation, and an overview of existing unhealthy food marketing regulations in the region.

Nutrition Labelling Update (Notification No. 445)

The Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 445) BE. 2566 (2023) repeals and replaces some of the previous notifications regarding nutrition labelling. It introduces new format requirements for nutrition labelling and revises the Thai Reference Dairy Intakes (RDIs) to be used when declaring nutritional information. It maintains the requirement that foods presenting a nutritional or health claim or "utilising food value in sale promotion” must display this nutritional labelling. Foods that must display Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) labelling are also required to display this nutrition label. Otherwise, it is voluntary. It became effective in July 2024. (Document in English)

National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (2023-2027)

Thailand's updated national action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for 2023-2027. It aims to reduce the high rate of NCD deaths in the country by creating environments that support healthy living, and raising awareness of healthy behaviours. It also intends to establish a sub-committee to oversee the implementation of the plan. (Document in Thai, Article in English)

National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) 2023-2027

Thailand's comprehensive five-year strategic framework to improve nutrition. It is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and aims to reduce stunting and wasting in children, as well as overweight and obesity. The plan contains specific targets to reduce childhood and adult overweight and obesity. (in Thai)

Physical Activity Promotion Plan for Children and Youth 2023-2030

This plan aims to promote physical activity in children and youth through education, support, community activities, and environmental changes. It is in line with the broader Physical Activity Promotion Plan 2018-2030. (in Thai)

Food-based Dietary Guidelines (2022)

Updated food-based dietary guidelines for the Thai population. There are specific guidelines for each age group, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. (in English).

Global Standards for Health Promoting School (GSHPS)

In Thailand, the Department of Health has been implementing the global health-promoting school project launched by UNESCO and the WHO since 1998 in order to improve children’s health in line with education. This handbook was published in 2022 to outline new standards for health promotion, nutrition, and physical activity in schools, along with guidance for schools to achieve them. (In English)

Announcement of the Office of the Basic Education Commission on the sale of health-promoting food and beverages in educational institutions (2021)

In 2020, the Ministry of Education announced the notification on the sale of health-promoting food and beverages in educational institutions. It introduces a ban on marketing of all food and drink in educational institutions, and asks schools to avoid selling sweet and crispy snacks and drinks with a high sugar content (>5%). It also encourages educational institutions to gain cooperation on these measures from vendors around the school grounds. (Document in Thai)

Controls on the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children in Thailand: legislative options and regulatory design

The purpose of this report is to provide background evidence to the Government of Thailand as it considers the introduction of stronger controls on the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children. The report sets out i) the rationale for strengthening legislation ii) the required scope of legislation and iii) the mechanisms for legislation monitoring, evaluation and enforcement.

Less-Sweet Drink Policy and Campaign

In addition to the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in 2017, the “Less-Sweet Drink Policy and Campaign” was launched in 2020 to reduce sugar consumption. The Department of Health worked with cafés, beverage vendors and franchises to reduce sugar content in non-alcoholic drinks, implement clearly visible labels displaying sugar content, and introduce incentives and discounts on low-sugar beverages. Data from participating businesses indicated a significant shift to low-sugar drinks and a reduction in the average sugar content per drink. By 2023, annual sugar intake dropped to 0.8 million tonnes from 2.5 million tonnes in 2019.

Thai Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Consensus Guideline on Bariatric Surgery for the Treatment of Obese Patient in Thailand

Currently unable to access document

National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) 2019-2023

Thailand's national action plan to improve nutrition, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (in Thai)

Obesity Management Guidelines

Only available in Thai Language

Trans-fat policy

In January 2019, Thailand put in place a ban on PHO.

Law on Food Labelling (No. 3) 2018

Update on New Food Labelling law - In Thai Language

National Plan to Promote Physical Activity (2018-2030)

The Ministry of Public Health Thailand, the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, launched the National Plan to Promote Physical Activity (2018-2030) and its Action Plan (2018-2020) in 2018. These first-ever policy documents reiterate the high-level political commitment of the Royal Thai Government in promoting a healthy lifestyle.

(Draft) Strategic Framework Food Management of Thailand Second Edition 2017-2036

Report in Thai language

Control of Marketing Promotion of Infant and Young Child Food Act

The Act is enacted to strengthen the control of marketing promotion of infant and young child food. The act bans all advertising of food for infants (eg breastmilk substitutes) and complementary food for infants. It also prohibits the use infants or young children in advertisements.

National NCDs Prevention and Control Strategic and Action Plan (2017-2021)

NCD Country Profiles 2018 (Obesity Targets)

The profiles also provide data on the key metabolic risk factors, namely raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and obesity and National Targets on Obesity (as of 2017)

Sugar tax on beverages

Excise sugar tax on certain beverages to reduce consumption of sugar and to increase health consciousness. Beverages with >6g sugar per 100ml targeted.

Healthier Choices logo

In August 2016, the voluntary Healthier Choices logo was launched in Thailand, a front-of-pack labelling scheme to help consumers identify healthier food choices (Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 373, B.E.2559 2016, Re: The Display of Nutrition Symbol on Food Label, 12 February 2016). The logo was developed in collaboration between the National Food Commission, the Ministry of Health's Food and Drug Administration, the Health Promotion Foundation and Mahidol University. The Healthier Choices logo is owned by the Thai Food and Drug Administration, and its use is managed by the Nutrition Promotion Foundation of Mahidol University. The point system contains minimum and maximum levels of total fat, saturated fat, total sugar, protein, sodium, calcium fibre and iron in six categories, ranging from 0 (worst) to 5 (best).

The Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) Label

The Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 374) BE. 2559 (2016) issued by the Thai Food and Drug Administration requires five categories of food (snack, chocolate, bakery, semi-processed food and chilled or frozen meal) to carry a Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) label.

Labeling of Prepackaged Foods

Labeling of prepackaged food manufactured for sale or imported for sale is mandated to have percentage by weight of main ingredients in descending orders in the Thai language.

Smart Kids Camp

An intervention to improve physical activity and promote healthy behaviour among school-aged children

National food committee

The National Food Committee is the main mechanism for the development and the promotion of national strategies and policies on key aspects of food and food chain - namely food quality, food safety, food security and food education.

Thailand Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative - Thai Pledge

The Thailand Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (Thai Pledge) is a common commitment to responsible food and beverage advertising on TV, radio, print media and third party internet that includes a shared commitment not to advertise food and beverage products to children under the age of 12 in Thailand unless the products meet specified nutritional criteria. These voluntary measures are made by food and beverage companies in support of the efforts of governments, parents, industry and others to promote healthy lifestyles amongst children in Thailand.

The Pak Poon Model

It comprises early childhood development programs, support units for disabled children, alternative learning programs for drop-out students, programs oriented to reducing obesity among children and ageing people, and programs to encourage people to live self-sufficiently by having their own gardens.

Food-based dietary guidelines for Thailand

The Thai food guide is a hanging flag, known as "the nutrition flag". The four layers in the nutrition flag denote the type and amount of the food groups that are recommended for consumption. To achieve a healthy food intake and control the obesity prevalence.

GNPR 2016-17 (q7) Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling

WHO Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016-2017 reported the evidence of breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling (q7)

Obesity and complication management guideline

Document in Thai. Guidelines endorsed by Health System Research Institute

Weight Management Clinic, Bangkok Hospital

The weight management clinic at Bangkok hospital helps patients manage their weight and reduce the risk of health conditions linked to obesity. The clinic has a multidisciplinary team of endocrinologists, nutritionists, bariatric surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, health psychologists, and specialised nurses.