(Photo by Patipat Janthong)The Excise Department will bring up taxes over six years to help drink manufacturers gradually lower the sugar content of their products to meet the department's threshold or face a significant rise in tax. The grace period will be divided into two phases of three years each, said department planning bureau director Nutthakorn Utensute. In the fifth year, the Excise Department will double the tax rate on drinks that fail to comply with the department's limit on sugar content, he said. At present, the average sugar content in beverages in Thailand is two times higher than the WHO standard. Non-alcoholic drinks generate tax income of 18-20 billion baht a year for the Excise Department.

Source: Bangkok Post July 24, 2017 00:22 UTC