The Excise Department under the Finance Ministry is preparing a proposal to levy a “salt tax” on packaged and processed food manufacturers. The measure would apply to products such as instant noodles, snacks and ready-to-eat meals, with tax rates varying depending on sodium content per serving.
Higher sodium levels would face higher tax rates, similar to the structure used for Thailand’s sugar tax introduced in 2017.
Foods prepared and sold on-site, including fast food, would be exempt from the levy.
This tax would likely be rolled out in phases to allow manufacturers time to adjust product formulations. Under the proposal, the highest-sodium products could initially face lower tax rates for at least six years before stricter thresholds take effect.
“The goal is to encourage manufacturers to reformulate their products and gradually reduce sodium content,” said Rachada Wanikakorn, deputy director-general of the Excise Department.
She noted that implementing a salt tax may be more complicated than the sugar levy because sodium has fewer substitutes in food production.
Why the need for such a tax?
The policy proposal comes as Thailand grapples with widespread excessive sodium intake.
A national health survey conducted in 2024 to 2025 found that Thais aged 15 and above consume an average of about 3,650 milligrams of sodium daily — nearly double the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum of 2,000 milligrams.
The study, carried out by Ramathibodi Hospital with the Health Systems Research Institute and the ThaiHealth Foundation, found that about 88% of the population exceeds the recommended daily sodium intake.
Health authorities warn that excessive sodium intake is contributing to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the country, including hypertension, kidney disease and cardiovascular conditions.
The government aims to reduce sodium consumption by 30% by 2030 under its Strategic Approach to Lower Sodium and Salt (SALTS) strategy.
Mixed reactions
But the proposed policy drew cheers and jeers, with supporters saying a tax could push manufacturers to lower sodium levels in processed foods and help reshape dietary habits.
For critics, however, such levies could disproportionately affect lower-income households, which tend to rely more heavily on inexpensive packaged foods. Others note that salty ingredients, including fish sauce, are deeply embedded in Thai cuisine, potentially limiting the effectiveness of the measure.
Similar public health taxes in countries such as Hungary and Colombia have produced mixed results, with debate continuing over their long-term impact on food consumption.
