Paper Title
The Guidelines to Bring Thai Medicine and Herbs Based on Local Wisdom and to Develop them into Cultural Health Supplementary Products: A Case Study of U-Thai Prasit Corporation, Prachin Buri Province
Abstract
The study on “The Guidelines to Bring Thai Medicine and Herbs Based on Local Wisdom and to Develop them
into Cultural Health Supplementary Products: A Case Study of U-Thai Prasit Corporation, PrachinBuri Province” is a
qualitative research in which the interview research method was conducted with the 2 informants of the 3rd generation to
whom the body of knowledge on Thai medicine and herbs being developed into cultural health supplementary products was
handed down. The participative and non-participative observation methods were also utilized in order to collect data on types
of medicines together with their respective attributions that were related with the marketing efforts. The research found that
the 100 years old interconnection of knowledge on Thai medicine and traditional herbs from the 1st generation down to the
3rd generation was in response to the anthropological concepts on belief, indoctrination and superstition. The knowledge on
Thai medicine and herbs in every legend must have a guru who was characterized as a hermit of a family. The knowledge of
medicine must be carried on through the blood-line to prevent the misfortune in life. While the 1st and the 2nd generation
used and practiced their medicine as a folk medication, the 3rd generation has modified their knowledge and turned it into a
business of cultural health supplementary products. They reorganized the conventional knowledge and adjusted it to comply
with not the only the quality standards specified by Thai traditional medicine, Ministry of Public Health, but also with the
market trends on the demand of health promotion products.
Keywords: Thai Medicine and Herbs, Local Wisdom, Cultural Health Supplementary.