Page 59 - Proceedings of The Fifth Meeting of Indigenous Medicine in the Mekong Basin

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2.3 Legal Activities
The laws related to the reform of health service system and administration
with clauses on decentralization, folk healer certification, and protection of
intellectual property and herb resources are:
(1) The Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Act
B.E. 2542 (1999). The law stipulates that the DTAM, Ministry of Public Health, is
responsible for the protection of and support for Thai local wisdom, education and
training, studies/research and development of local knowledge, and compilation of
information and registration of knowledge in Thai Traditional Medicine and herb.
(2) The Practice of the Art of Healing Act B.E. 2542 (1999) article 33(1)(3).
The law allows the evaluation of folk healers in order for them to be granted
permission to practice the art of healing. Currently, there are 161 granted
practitioners.
(3) The National Health Security Act B.E. 2545 (2002) article 18 (8). The law
supports government’s local administration offices’ work to operate and manage
local health security system through the District Health Fund.
(4) The National Health Act B.E. 2550 (2007) in accord with section 7 of the
National Health Charter. The legislation supports the utilization and development of
health related local wisdom through Thai traditional medicine, indigenous medicine
and alternative medicine.
(5) DTAM’s regulations regarding the issuance of certificate for folk healers
(2010). This allows the screening and certifying of folk healers in each area to
encourage their participation in community health care.

3. Future Direction
(1) Research and development
The wisdom of indigenous medicine is multi-dimensional and most of it is not
written down. It lies in the tacit knowledge of folk healers, most of whom are elderly
persons. So the conservation and protection of Thai Traditional Medicine wisdom
needs more than survey and registration. A plan for support and development
should be promptly in place. Research and development should focus on the
process of building a learning ground and a place to share direct experience from
their practices. In order to effectively establish a knowledge base for the people, the
development of knowledge beneficial to health should be multidisciplinary.
Integrated studies with more than one discipline in the learning of indigenous
medicine will help clarify the knowledge as well as open a new dimension in
knowledge development.
(2) Policy that responds to ASEAN and the World
Thailand has been prepared to answer the health promotion need of ASEAN
as well as the world in the revival of primary health care, as suggested by the World
Health Organization (WHO). Thailand has drafted a strategy framework for health
development through Thai traditional medicine to accommodate its participation in
ASEAN Community. Thailand also signed on to the inclusion of traditional medicine
in the primary health care system and the employment of Thai traditional medicine
practitioners in district health promotion hospitals. This is to encourage the
utilization of traditional medicine in family and community health care as well as
develop a transfer system linking that to the primary health care system.