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What are the Thai daily reference amounts for each nutrient?

By VISTRA Editorial Team · 11 min read
·
The Thai RDIs give one daily value for each of 33 nutrients, for people aged 3 and over on 2,000 kcal a day, such as protein 50 g, fibre 25 g, vitamin C 100 mg, vitamin D 15 µg, calcium 1,000 mg, iron 22 mg and sodium 2,000 mg. They are not split by sex or age.

The Thai Reference Daily Intakes (Thai RDIs) give one daily value for each of 33 nutrients. They are for the general population aged 3 and over and assume 2,000 kcal a day. Examples are protein 50 g, dietary fibre 25 g, vitamin C 100 mg, vitamin D 15 µg, calcium 1,000 mg, iron 22 mg, zinc 11 mg and sodium 2,000 mg. The values are the same for men and women and do not change with age.

This article lists all 33 values in plain language, with examples of foods that contain each nutrient, explains the units, and shows what Thai studies have found about how much Thai people actually eat.

What are the Thai RDIs, and who are they for?

The Thai RDIs are daily reference values set by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health. The percentages on Thai nutrition labels are worked out from them, so every food is compared against the same values.

Who the values cover

Point Detail
Who The general population aged 3 and over
Energy assumed 2,000 kcal a day
Not for Children under 3, pregnant women and people who are ill
Split by sex or age No. Each nutrient has one value
How they were set With reference to the Codex reference values and to values from Europe, the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, the Nordic countries and Thailand's own dietary reference intakes, without exceeding upper limits

One value, not a personal target

Tables from other countries, such as the US recommended intakes, are often set separately for men and women and for each life stage. The Thai RDIs are a single reference value instead, so they should not be mixed with those tables. For how intake tables differ by age, see How do recommended intakes change with age?

How much protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre do the Thai RDIs give?

The first six values cover the energy nutrients, fibre, saturated fat and cholesterol.

# Nutrient Thai RDI per day Foods that contain it
1 Total fat 65 g Cooking oils, butter, nuts, fatty meat
2 Saturated fat 20 g Fatty meat, butter, lard, palm oil, coconut oil, coconut milk and cream, cheese, cakes and pastries
3 Cholesterol 300 mg Foods from animals, such as egg yolks, meat and cheese
4 Protein 50 g Beans and pulses, fish, eggs, meat
5 Total carbohydrate 300 g Starchy foods such as rice, bread, noodles and potatoes
6 Dietary fibre 25 g Wholegrains, beans, lentils and chickpeas, vegetables, fruit, potatoes with their skins, unsalted nuts

Food examples are from England's NHS on saturated fat and fibre, and from MedlinePlus, which says cholesterol is found in foods from animal sources such as egg yolks, meat and cheese.

Where the numbers come from

Protein, total fat and total carbohydrate are worked out from a 2,000 kcal diet: 10%, 30% and 60% of the energy respectively. The value for saturated fat is based on a ceiling of no more than 10% of energy, so 20 g is an upper amount, not an amount to reach. For the types of fat in cooking oils, see How do cooking oils differ, and what fats do they contain?

Fibre

The Thai RDI for dietary fibre is 25 g a day. For fibre in Thai food, see Eating few vegetables? How can you add fibre to Thai meals?

What are the Thai RDIs for vitamins?

There are 13 vitamins on the list.

# Vitamin Thai RDI per day Foods that contain it
7 Vitamin A 800 µg RAE Cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk and yoghurt, liver; as beta-carotene in spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, mango and papaya
8 Vitamin D 15 µg Oily fish, red meat, egg yolks, liver, fortified foods; the skin also makes it in sunlight
9 Vitamin E 9 mg α-TE Plant oils, nuts and seeds, wheatgerm
10 Vitamin K 60 µg Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, vegetable oils, cereal grains
11 Vitamin B1 (thiamin) 1.2 mg Peas, bananas, oranges, nuts, wholegrain bread, liver
12 Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 1.2 mg Milk, eggs, mushrooms, plain yoghurt
13 Niacin 15 mg NE Meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs
14 Pantothenic acid 5 mg Chicken, beef, liver, eggs, mushrooms, avocado
15 Vitamin B6 1.3 mg Pork, chicken, some fish, peanuts, soya beans, oats, bananas, milk
16 Biotin 30 µg Found in a wide range of foods, at low levels
17 Folate 400 µg DFE Broccoli, leafy green vegetables, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, liver
18 Vitamin B12 2.4 µg Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs
19 Vitamin C 100 mg Oranges and other citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes

Food examples are from the NHS pages on each vitamin, including the page on B vitamins and folic acid. The NHS notes that biotin is found in a wide range of foods but only at very low levels, and its page on iron advises avoiding liver during pregnancy.

What do RAE, DFE, NE and α-TE mean?

Some vitamins come in several forms, so their values use units that count those forms together.

Unit Used for What it means
µg RAE (retinol activity equivalents) Vitamin A 1 µg RAE equals 1 µg of retinol or 12 µg of beta-carotene from food
µg DFE (dietary folate equivalents) Folate 1 µg DFE equals 1 µg of folate in food or 0.6 µg of folic acid added to fortified foods
mg NE (niacin equivalents) Niacin 1 mg NE equals 1 mg of niacin or 60 mg of the amino acid tryptophan
mg α-TE (alpha-tocopherol equivalents) Vitamin E Vitamin E counted as alpha-tocopherol

The definitions of RAE, DFE and NE are from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets on vitamin A, folate and niacin.

What are the Thai RDIs for minerals?

There are 14 minerals on the list.

# Mineral Thai RDI per day Foods that contain it
20 Calcium 1,000 mg Milk, cheese and other dairy foods, green leafy vegetables such as kale and okra, soya drinks with added calcium, fish eaten with the bones such as sardines
21 Phosphorus 700 mg Red meat, dairy foods, fish, poultry, bread, brown rice, oats
22 Magnesium 310 mg Spinach, nuts, wholemeal bread
23 Iron 22 mg Red meat, beans such as kidney beans, edamame and chickpeas, nuts, dried fruit, fortified breakfast cereals, liver
24 Iodine 150 µg Milk and dairy foods, eggs, sea fish, shellfish; in Thailand, iodised salt and iodised fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces
25 Zinc 11 mg Meat, shellfish, dairy foods such as cheese, bread, cereal products such as wheatgerm
26 Selenium 60 µg Brazil nuts, fish, meat, eggs
27 Copper 900 µg Nuts, shellfish, offal
28 Manganese 3 mg Bread, nuts, wholegrain cereals, green vegetables such as peas
29 Molybdenum 45 µg Foods that grow above ground tend to have more than those that grow below ground
30 Chromium 35 µg Meat, nuts, cereal grains
31 Sodium 2,000 mg Salt; also found naturally in foods and added to processed foods such as ready meals, cheese, bread and savoury snacks; in Thai cooking, fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces
32 Potassium 3,500 mg Bananas, vegetables such as broccoli, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, fish, beef, chicken
33 Chloride 2,300 mg Mostly as part of salt (sodium chloride)

Food examples are from the NHS pages on each mineral, including the page on other minerals, and, for iodine and sauces, from the Thai study described below.

Values that differ from many other tables

Because the Thai RDIs use one value for everyone, some of them differ from the sex- and age-specific tables of other countries. Iron (22 mg) and vitamin C (100 mg) are examples. When an article or label gives a daily figure, check which system it comes from.

How much do Thai people actually eat?

Thai studies show that, for some nutrients, everyday intake is far from the reference value. Each study covers only the people it measured.

Nutrient Thai RDI What a Thai study found
Sodium 2,000 mg Average 3,636 mg a day among 1,599 adults nationwide (2021)
Potassium 3,500 mg Potassium in urine averaged 1,221 mg a day in the same survey
Calcium 1,000 mg Average 378.6 mg a day for men and 265.6 mg for women in the rural Northeast (2008)
Salt — About 11.5 g a day for adults, estimated from food and condiment data (2021)

Sodium and potassium

A nationwide survey by Thai researchers, including the Thai low salt network and Mahidol University's Ramathibodi Hospital, published in 2021, selected 2,388 adults from all regions and Bangkok and estimated sodium intake from 24-hour urine collections. Among the 1,599 who completed the collection, average sodium intake was 3,636 mg a day, highest in the South (4,108 mg) and lowest in the Northeast (3,316 mg). Potassium in urine averaged 1,221 mg a day, with little difference between regions. Not everyone selected completed the urine collection, and the figures were adjusted upwards by 10% for sodium lost in other ways. For cutting back on salty food, see Love salty food and can't cut back? What can you do?

Salt and iodine

A study by the Bureau of Nutrition of Thailand's Department of Health, published in 2021, used national consumption data and the salt content of products to estimate that Thai adults get about 11.5 g of salt a day from household salt and salt in processed foods and condiments. Iodised food-grade salt has been required in Thailand since 1994, and fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces may be iodised directly. In the model, iodised salt in processed foods alone (not counting fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces) met about 100% of the average iodine requirement for non-pregnant adults. These are modelled estimates, not measurements of individuals.

Calcium

A Khon Kaen University study, published in 2008, used 3-day food records and a food questionnaire with 436 healthy adults aged 20 to 85 in the rural Northeast. Average calcium intake was 378.6 mg a day for men and 265.6 mg for women. It covered rural areas of one region.

Energy and nutrients among office workers

A Mahidol University Faculty of Public Health study, published in 2014, surveyed 215 office workers aged 20 to 50 at four workplaces in Bangkok. Men got 54.4% of their energy from carbohydrate, 15.9% from protein and 29.6% from fat; women 56%, 16.2% and 28.6%. Compared with the Thai Dietary Reference Intakes, a separate set of values from the Thai RDIs, both men and women had intakes of fibre and most micronutrients below the Thai Dietary Reference Intakes. The figures are self-reported, from a convenience sample (people chosen because they were easy to reach) in one city.

How can the Thai RDIs be used in everyday life?

On food labels

Thai nutrition labels show how much of each nutrient a serving contains as a percentage of the Thai RDI. Because the reference is the same for every product, two foods can be compared directly, as long as you check the serving size.

Across a day of meals

The values are for a whole day, from all foods together. No single food needs to supply them, and the foods in the tables above show that most nutrients come from several kinds of food. A plate with rice, vegetables, a protein food such as fish, eggs, beans or meat, and fruit draws on many rows of the tables at once.

Which substances are not on the list

The Thai RDIs cover energy nutrients, fibre, vitamins and minerals only. Omega-3s, collagen and similar substances are not included, so there is no Thai daily figure for them.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take regular medicines, speak to a doctor or pharmacist before taking dietary supplements.

Dietary supplements are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Thai RDIs?

The Thai Reference Daily Intakes (Thai RDIs) are daily reference values for 33 nutrients, set by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health and used on Thai nutrition labels. They are for the general population aged 3 and over and assume 2,000 kcal a day. They do not apply to children under 3, pregnant women or people who are ill.

Are the Thai RDIs different for men and women, or by age?

No. Each nutrient has one value, with no split by sex or age. For example, iron is 22 mg, calcium 1,000 mg and vitamin D 15 µg for everyone the values cover. Tables from other countries are often set separately by sex and life stage, so the numbers should not be mixed.

How much protein, fat and carbohydrate do the Thai RDIs give?

Protein 50 g, total fat 65 g and total carbohydrate 300 g a day. These come from 10%, 30% and 60% of the energy in a 2,000 kcal diet. Dietary fibre is 25 g. Saturated fat is 20 g, based on a ceiling of no more than 10% of energy, so it is not an amount to reach.

What are the Thai RDIs for vitamins?

Vitamin A 800 µg RAE, vitamin D 15 µg, vitamin E 9 mg α-TE, vitamin K 60 µg, vitamin B1 1.2 mg, vitamin B2 1.2 mg, niacin 15 mg NE, pantothenic acid 5 mg, vitamin B6 1.3 mg, biotin 30 µg, folate 400 µg DFE, vitamin B12 2.4 µg and vitamin C 100 mg.

What are the Thai RDIs for minerals?

Calcium 1,000 mg, phosphorus 700 mg, magnesium 310 mg, iron 22 mg, iodine 150 µg, zinc 11 mg, selenium 60 µg, copper 900 µg, manganese 3 mg, molybdenum 45 µg, chromium 35 µg, sodium 2,000 mg, potassium 3,500 mg and chloride 2,300 mg.

What do RAE, DFE and NE mean?

They are units that count different forms of a nutrient together. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that 1 µg RAE of vitamin A equals 1 µg of retinol or 12 µg of beta-carotene from food; 1 µg DFE of folate equals 1 µg of folate in food or 0.6 µg of folic acid added to fortified foods; and 1 mg NE equals 1 mg of niacin or 60 mg of the amino acid tryptophan.

How much sodium do Thai adults actually eat?

A nationwide survey published in 2021, which collected 24-hour urine from 1,599 Thai adults, estimated average sodium intake at 3,636 mg a day, highest in the South (4,108 mg) and lowest in the Northeast (3,316 mg). The Thai RDI for sodium is 2,000 mg.

Are omega-3 and collagen on the Thai RDI list?

No. The Thai RDIs cover 33 nutrients: energy nutrients, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3s, collagen and similar substances are not on the list, so there is no Thai daily figure for them.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Category: Daily Essentials →
SOURCES
  1. Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 445 (B.E. 2566) on Nutrition Labelling – Thai RDIs (Annex 3)
  2. Chailimpamontree W, et al. Estimated dietary sodium intake in Thailand: A nationwide population survey with 24-hour urine collections. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2021 (PubMed) ↗
  3. Chotivichien S, et al. Assessment of the contribution of industrially processed foods to salt and iodine intake in Thailand. PLoS One 2021 (PubMed) ↗
  4. Ivanovitch K, et al. The intake of energy and selected nutrients by thai urban sedentary workers: an evaluation of adherence to dietary recommendations. J Nutr Metab 2014 (PubMed) ↗
  5. Pongchaiyakul C, et al. Dietary calcium intake among rural Thais in Northeastern Thailand. J Med Assoc Thai 2008 (PubMed) ↗
  6. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids (Health Professional Fact Sheet) ↗
  7. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate (Health Professional Fact Sheet) ↗
  8. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin (Health Professional Fact Sheet) ↗
  9. NHS: Vitamins and minerals (good sources of each vitamin and mineral) ↗
  10. NHS: B vitamins and folic acid ↗
  11. NHS: Iron ↗
  12. NHS: Others (minerals such as magnesium, potassium, selenium and zinc) ↗
  13. NHS: How to get more fibre into your diet ↗
  14. NHS: How to eat less saturated fat ↗
  15. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Cholesterol ↗
General educational references — not product claims.