Health Ministry revives bill to shield children from junk-food marketing

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is reviving a draft law aimed at protecting children from the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks, as authorities seek to tackle rising childhood obesity and reduce the long-term risk of non-communicable diseases, or NCDs.

According to a ministry report, the Department of Health has prepared the Draft Food and Beverage Marketing Control Act Affecting Children’s Health, B.E. ..., designed to introduce concrete measures to shield children from marketing for products considered harmful to their health, especially foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and/or sodium, commonly referred to as HFSS products.

The draft’s core aim is to reduce children’s exposure to, and stimulation by, marketing for unhealthy foods and drinks. Health officials believe that lowering such exposure could help reduce consumption of these products and, in turn, lower the future risk of obesity and chronic NCDs.

The move comes as Thailand faces a continuing rise in NCDs such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. The Department of Health says these conditions are major causes of premature death and place a long-term burden on the country’s public health system and economy.

One of the key risk factors, officials say, is excess weight and obesity beginning in childhood. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of Thai children with overweight or obesity has more than doubled, according to the department. Children with obesity are also more likely than other children to grow into adults with obesity, increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.

A major driver is diet, particularly the regular consumption of foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and sodium. These include snacks, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages, which many Thai children consume frequently.

Health authorities say marketing plays a powerful role in shaping what children want, buy and eat. Children are less able than adults to judge commercial intent and are more easily influenced by sales promotions and marketing techniques.

These tactics now appear in many forms, from conventional advertising to the use of cartoon characters and celebrities, sales promotions, prizes and toys, school-based activities, and digital and social-media marketing.

The Department of Health cited figures suggesting that Thai children spend an average of 12 hours and 8 minutes a day on internet media, increasing the likelihood that they will encounter marketing for sweet, fatty and salty foods. Officials warn that repeated exposure can encourage unhealthy consumption patterns and make such behaviour feel normal in children’s daily lives.

Although Thailand already has several health-promotion and consumer-protection measures, the ministry says the country still lacks a specific law with comprehensive and concrete controls on the marketing of foods and drinks that affect children’s health, particularly products high in sugar, fat or sodium.

The draft law has been in the policy pipeline for several years. The World Obesity Federation’s country tracker notes that Thailand has been drafting legislation since 2020 to protect children from persuasive marketing of HFSS foods, with proposed measures covering techniques that appeal to children, school sales, broadcast and outdoor advertising, and promotional prizes.

Public consultation notices from the Department of Health and the Bureau of Nutrition also show that comments on the principles of the draft are being invited from May 18 to June 18, 2026, adding a current policy window to the renewed push.

The ministry said the proposal is in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs, and ASEAN, all of which have urged member countries to use legal measures to protect children from the harmful effects of marketing for foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and sodium.

WHO’s 2023 guideline recommends comprehensive mandatory policies to protect children of all ages from marketing for HFSS foods and non-alcoholic beverages, and says such marketing continues to influence children’s food choices, preferences and dietary intake.

ASEAN and UNICEF’s 2024 regional guidelines also call for legislation to control the marketing to children of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in fats, salt and sugars, and to support regional and global nutrition targets related to NCDs.

The measure also aligns with Thailand’s second National Health Assembly resolution in 2009 on managing overweight and obesity. Resolution 2.8, clause 3.4, called for rules on food marketing targeted at children where such marketing could worsen overweight, obesity and NCDs.

According to the ministry, more than 20 countries have already introduced legal controls on the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to protect children’s health. It cited examples including Singapore, Chile and the United Kingdom, where legal measures have helped reduce children’s exposure to, and the impact of, marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages.

The Department of Health said Thailand should move ahead with clear legal controls on the marketing of foods and drinks that affect children’s health, especially products high in sugar, fat or sodium. Such action, it said, should be combined with stronger food and health literacy, as well as environments that support healthier choices for children.

The ultimate goal of the draft law is to protect children from marketing that can encourage unhealthy consumption, promote better eating behaviour, support good health and reduce the risk of obesity and chronic NCDs in adulthood.

Officials said the burden of NCDs is not only a health issue but also an economic one, as chronic diseases remain a major cause of premature death and long-term public spending. By intervening earlier in childhood, the ministry hopes to reduce future pressure on families, communities and the national health system.