Thai Traditional Medicine

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is a wisdom Thai people inherited from their ancestors passing from generations to generations. TTM has been accumulated from years of experiences, observations, testing, selections and collections and handed over to next generations.

Thai people use herbal medicine and particular healing method to treat patients. The treatment is usually combination of beliefs such as Buddhism, astrology and animism and recently modern medicine acquired from the West was also combined. Thereafter, Thai medical science has been steadily developed up to now.

It can be concluded that TTM is a Thai heritage inherited from Thai ancestors. TTM is a combination of massage, steam bath, massage with a hot compress containing medicinal herbs, herbal medicinal plants, religious rites and mental healing.

In 1923 a Medical Act was promulgated to regulate standardization of medical treatments and practices. Since then Thai traditional method of treatment was considered having lower standards and lack credibility and it started to become fading from Thai way of life.
TTM had been abandoned and neglected for almost a century. Thanks to the Thai economic downturn when Thai people are urged to stand on their own feet. One of then measures is a campaign to revive TTM and used it to substitute imported medicine. In addition it is also a reawakening of Thai traditional way of life.

TTM is another good example how Thai people pursue His Majesty the King’s initiative to encourage Thai people to be self-sufficient and lead simple and humble life. The practice is also an excellent method to preserve Thai local wisdom inherited from our ancestors and make it sustained. The preservation will illustrate Thailand as a civilized society and the wisdom will be passed on to future generations continually.