Victory! Starbucks Thailand Ends Soymilk Upcharge After PETA Plea

Bangkok — Soymilk for all! In a major victory for cows, Starbucks’ licensing partner Maxim’s Group has confirmed it will stop charging extra for soymilk in Thailand, following talks with PETA. Last year, actor and PETA supporter Praya Lundberg also wrote to Starbucks Thailand, urging the company to drop the upcharge on vegan milks.

“Vegan milks are more popular than ever as people learn about the suffering mother cows and their babies endure in the dairy industry, and its devastating impact on the climate catastrophe,” says PETA Asia President Jason Baker. “PETA celebrates Maxim’s compassionate decision to make animal- and planet-friendly soymilk more accessible and encourages everyone to make the swap in their favorite Starbucks drinks.”

Cows have deep maternal instincts and, like all mothers, produce milk only to feed their babies, but in the dairy industry, cows are repeatedly forcibly inseminated. Newborn males are routinely slaughtered for veal, while female calves endure the same fate as their mothers until their bodies wear out and they’re sent to slaughter.

PETA points out that cows in the dairy industry belch out massive amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, fueling the climate catastrophe. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their food-related carbon footprint, and slashes their risk of developing cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA offers free tips,

In Asian populations, up to 95 percent of people are lactose intolerant or refuse cow’s milk because of personal or religious beliefs. PETA encourages everyone to urge Starbucks’ franchise stores in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore to offer vegan milks at no extra charge, as many other Starbucks throughout Asia have done.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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