The latest figures released during the World Diabetes Congress held by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in Bangkok this week show that 11.6 per cent of Thais , approximately 6.5 million Thai adults, are living with diabetes.
Alarmingly, around 300,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Keys to effective control and prevention of diabetes, and to curb the rise of new cases, include the will to change lifestyles and adopt a diet of appropriate nutrition, experts say.
Dr Chaicharn Deerochanawong, President of the Endocrine Society of Thailand and Scientific Chairman of the Thai Diabetes Association, points out that diabetes is one of the key non-communicable diseases or NCDs. Each year, around 200,000 Thais die of NCDs, with diabetes being the cause of death in 30,000 cases.
The prevalence of diabetes in Thailand is in line with the rest of Asia and the IDF says this is likely to significantly increase. Part of this is the Asian culture, lifestyle and diet choices.
While the number of new cases of diabetes across Asia is on the rise, the trend in many European countries, the US and Australia remains constant.
The Asian diet generally comprises high quantities of low-quality carbohydrates, which are associated with poor glycemic control. Thailand and other countries across Asia are undergoing rapid urbanization, which is associated with low physical activity and poor diet.
“In many developed countries, awareness and knowledge about diabetes are quite high. In Thailand, many diabetes patients are not aware that they have diabetes. Without a health check, there is no other clear sign of early-stage diabetes until the conditions become serious."
"One interesting case I can share with you is a patient, aged only 22, coming to see a doctor for deteriorating vision and discovering he had diabetes which badly affected his sight. He must have had extremely high blood sugar for almost ten years without knowing,” Dr Chaicharn said.
He recommended regular health check for everyone, especially those with key risk factors – overweight and obesity, aged over 35 years, genetic traits, and poor diet.
Apart from regular health checks, Dr Chaicharn and other medical experts attending the 2025 World Diabetes Congress stressed that diabetes can be controlled and prevented through “mouth and mind.”
“Diet contributes to over 80 per cent risk of diabetes. Today, there are some innovative devices to constantly monitor your blood sugar. But there is no technology to prevent or cure diabetes. The first advice is to watch total daily calories, not the carbohydrates. And, for obese people with a BMI of over 25, reducing your body weight by only 10 per cent is recommended. Once your weight goes down, then focus more on exercise,” Dr Chaicharn says.
Industry experts attending the congress agreed. They recommended holistic lifestyle modification, which can bring diabetes patients back to the pre-diagnostic level.
Eating whole fruit instead of fruit juice, consuming a complete and balance diet, taking high fiber meals, focusing on moderate portions, and avoiding eating desserts like mango sticky rice while your stomach is empty are some of their recommendations.
To do all these, a strong mind or the willingness to change are key.
“Eating brings happiness, of course. But people have to be aware of the negative impacts that accompany such happiness. That’s why we need strong minds to change,” he said.
