Observers have also quite rightly noted that the weight explosion throughout Thailand over the past two decades has come as many Thais become increasingly exposed to Western food and Western lifestyle. Yet the true evil agent of change as rightly identified by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (SorSorSor), operated under the Ministry of Health, more than 10 years ago was – and remains – economics.
It’s no secret that even in Western countries the urban poor suffer the worst quality diets as fast food is cheaper, more readily available for those working long hours and brings some form of privilege to the lives most urban poor lead – whether they realise they are actually urban poor or not.
As the SorSorSor points out even in Thailand ready-to-eat meals provide energy, but are unhealthy, fast food is cheaper and there is more variety, and as with any product the cheaper the food, the less quality.
This “combo” has seen the number of Thais becoming overweight spiral upwards, and sugary drinks have played a key part. The tax will not spark an overnight health epiphany, but it will do what all taxes do – it will make a dent in the number of sugary drinks the average person consumes, and that’s a good thing. Reducing the number of sugary drinks by just one a day can have a dramatic effect on a person’s weight, and health, over the course of a year.
But how much are we supposed to believe that this new tax is purely to improve people’s health when Toon Bodyslam – a genuinely inspirational figure for Thais wanting to lead healthier lives – was back on the island this week to yet again run to raise funds for government hospitals? Let’s repeat that – for government hospitals.
And it’s not like the government doesn’t already reap its share of tax from sugar production, with the likes of Mitr Phol, Thailand’s main sugar producer, expecting group total revenue for 2019 to stand at B90 billion.
With the money to be harvested from this new excise tax, the government could easily pay for a new submarine, or two, if that’s what they really wanted.