Sugar

  • Business News

    Thai processed sugar exports to China surge due to ACFTA

    Thai exports to China, particularly those of processed sugar items including syrup, artificial honey, and various sweeteners, have seen a significant surge, courtesy of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). Over the past decade, Thailand has witnessed a yearly growth of 145% in processed sugar exports to China, as reported by the Foreign Trade Department. Ronnarong Phoolpipat, the director-general of…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s sugar intake quadruples WHO daily limit

    Thailand’s sugar consumption soared to a worrying level, with Thai citizens consuming on average 23 teaspoons of sugar per day, almost quadruple the daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The information was revealed by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), which pointed out that this sugar intake greatly exceeds WHO’s guideline of six teaspoons per day. Pairoj…

  • Thailand News

    Thai Commerce Minister defends recent sugar price increase

    The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce defended the recent sugar price hike following discussions with all parties involved. The minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, maintains the decision was made based on appropriate cost considerations, not a failure to control prices. Today, at Government House, Phumtham addressed concerns that the government couldn’t control sugar prices after a Cabinet meeting yesterday decided…

  • Business News

    Global sugar shortage anticipated despite increased production in Brazil, Russia, China

    A report by CovrigAnalytics released yesterday revealed an anticipated global sugar shortage. The deficit is estimated to be 2.4 million metric tonnes in the 2023/24 crop year, marking an increase of 200,000 tonnes from previous expectations. Despite increased sugar production in Brazil, Russia, and China, the shortfall in output from India and Thailand, due to inadequate humidity, will not be…

  • Business News

    Sweet setback: Thailand’s sugar exports face sticky situation with government controls

    Thailand’s sugar exports, which sit second globally behind Brazil, are threatened with potential delays in the coming year. This comes after the Thai government implemented new controls to guard the domestic supply and curb smuggling. The newly instated regulations require official approval for the export of any quantity exceeding one tonne, a move that some traders have voiced concerns could…

  • Thailand News

    Sugar shock: Satun sweet treat vendors stick to their prices, seek government help

    Sweet treat vendors in Satun are suffering from soaring sugar prices, causing a significant decrease in their income and profits. Despite the hardship, they persist in maintaining their original prices, fearing the impact on their customers. The vendors are pleading for urgent government intervention. The rise in sugar prices has had a significant impact on sweet treat sellers, particularly those…

  • Business News

    Sugar prices clampdown: Thai Government enforces caps amid production cost hike

    The Thai government yesterday resolved to regulate sugar prices to lessen the burden on the public. The Minister of Commerce, Phumtham Wechayachai, expressed confidence that the move will not cause controversy with Brazil. Following the weekly cabinet session, Phumtham disclosed that the government had decided to set a limit on the ex-factory prices for granulated sugar at 19 baht per…

  • Thailand News

    Brewing trouble: Khon Kaen coffee shop brews up plea for sugar price control

    A renowned coffee shop in Khon Kaen called on the government to regulate sugar prices. Having been in business for over two decades, the shop is now grappling with the highest sugar prices it has ever encountered. This has led to serious concerns about the survival of the establishment. Yesterday at 1pm, a reporter visited several beverage vendors in the…

  • Business News

    Thai sugar producer KSL faces 15% output drop, eyes low-GI product growth

    Thailand’s third-largest sugar producer, Khon Kaen Sugar Industry (KSL), anticipates a decline of 10 to 15% in sugar cane output, down to 5 million tonnes, for its factories in the 2023 to 2024 crop year due to drought. In comparison, the 2022 to 2023 crop year yielded 6.4 million tonnes of sugar cane. Despite the reduction in sugar cane production,…

  • World News

    Humans are blocking cockroaches from getting laid

    Well, way to go humans – your efforts to get rid of household pests have now cock-blocked cockroaches trying it hook up. It turns out, the sugar that is often placed in roach traps is too similar to the sugary gifts male cockroaches use to attract a mate. Decades of Pavlovian conditioning have now turned off females to their mating practices.…

  • Thailand News

    Thai doctor warns of link between high sugar consumption and liver cancer

    A Thai doctor has issued a stark warning about the link between eating a lot of sugar and the risk of various life-threatening illnesses, including cancer. Wannee Nitiyanan says that high consumption of sugar can trigger a number of non-communicable diseases, such as fatty liver, clogged brain and heart arteries, fatty liver, and liver cancer. She adds that around 70%…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Home-made Thai vaccine ready to start trials | February 11

    Thailand’s Health Minister, Anutin, is now claiming that the first stage of human trials of a locally-produced vaccine brew will get underway next month. The local Thai vaccine is a joint collaboration between the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the Faculty of Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University. It’s understood the vaccine has performed satisfactorily in animal testing, showing an ability to…

  • Business News

    Covid-19 crisis delays Thailand’s biofuel future

    Thailand’s Energy Ministry has postponed a nationwide plan to switch to biofuels until the Covid 19 crisis subsides. The ministry initially told oil refineries to stop producing gasohol 91 at the end of May and planned to increase consumption and manufacture of biofuels like gasohol E20, which will generate income for local farmers who grow biofuel energy crops like sugarcane…

  • World News

    Cambodia burns, Bangkok chokes, schools closed

    Bangkok mums and dads will need to sort out what to do with the kids for the rest of the week after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration closed public schools from today because of the excessive air pollution. Most of the smoke and haze is blowing in from Cambodia with light easterly winds. All schools under the supervision of the BMA…

  • Environment News

    Hazy days and Sundays – Bangkok has fifth highest air pollution in the world

    “Unhealthy”. That about sums up the air Bangkokians are breathing this morning, a situation almost completely avoidable but allowed to continue by the Thai Government. Bangkok is in bad company today with other polluted cities in Asia – Lahore, Hanoi, Delhi and Dhaka – as the fifth most polluted city in the world, a headline the Thai Government would prefer…

  • Environment News

    Air purifiers installed at Victory Monument whilst southern winds blow the smoke north

    The Nation reports that the Rajaprajanukron Foundation, under Royal Patronage, installed four air- purifiers yesterday around the Victory Monument area in a trial of their effectiveness in filtering out PM2.5 dust particles. Silpasuay Raweesaengsoon, permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the machines can purify polluted air at the rate of two cubic metres per second. “Placed in areas…

  • Thai Life

    Thailand is making you fat

    “…compare a Big Mac to an average Pad Thai and there’s at least double the kilojoules in the Thai noodle dish.” I came to Thailand as a fit, healthy 70 kilogram Australian. After six years in Thailand I’m now a reasonably fit, healthy 76 kilogram Australian. Why? Well, Thai food, despite its healthy appearance and fresh origins is also full of fats,…

  • Environment News

    Central Thailand farmers ignore orders to stop burning off their sugar cane

    Stick your burning ban up your 2.5 micron particulate! Local sugarcane growers in Nakhon Sawan, central Thailand, are burning their fields at night despite authorities’ ban on the practice. It appears little to nothing is being done to curb the practice which is one of the main causes, if not the main cause, of the smoke and haze problems in…

  • World News

    ASEAN meeting reports on global sugar deficit and opportunities for SE Asian countries

    The ASEAN Sugar Alliance says there will be a global sugar deficit of about 2.5 million tonnes in 2019-20, and prices are expected to firm following a number of years of falling prices and surplus stocks. The prediction was reported at the fourth meeting of the ASEAN Sugar Alliance in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday. Market analyst, futures trading and risk manager…