Thai Government Announces Comprehensive Dairy Industry Reform

On August 1, 2026, the Thailand Government Public Relations Department announced a new initiative aimed at reforming the nation’s dairy industry. The government plans to restructure the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization (DPO) to enhance the sector's overall competitiveness and efficiency. A primary objective of this policy is to address the issue of raw milk surpluses, which have historically impacted local producers.

Additionally, the government is expanding the national school milk program to include students up to the third year of secondary school (Matthayom 3). This move is intended to increase domestic consumption and provide better nutritional support for students.

For residents and expatriates, these changes may lead to shifts in the local dairy market, potentially affecting the availability or pricing of domestic milk products as the government stabilizes supply chains. For travelers, while these policy shifts are unlikely to impact short-term tourism, they reflect a broader government effort to modernize agricultural infrastructure.

Several details remain to be confirmed, including the specific timeline for the DPO restructuring and the exact mechanisms that will be used to manage the raw milk surplus. Stakeholders are awaiting further announcements regarding how these reforms will be implemented across different provinces.