Thailand's proposed salt tax to be a tiered system

The planned "salt tax" is expected to materialise within the next year, with implementation in the form of a tiered system based on sodium levels. According to Kulaya Tantitemit, director-general of the Excise Department, Thai people currently consume twice the amount of sodium than the standard recommended, and measures to reduce this level of consumption are deemed necessary. This is similar to the sugar tax introduced by the Excise Department 7-8 years ago, which led beverage producers to reduce sugar content in their products. According to Ms Kulaya, the products likely to be subject to the salt tax first might be snacks, which are considered to be non-essential items when it comes to food consumption. The implementation of this measure will be made on a gradual basis to avoid burdening businesses, she added. She also said the salt tax, based on the level of sodium found in foods, would result in the imposition of a higher tax rate on foods with a higher sodium content and a ...