phum panya chao baan (local wisdom) and traditional healers in Southern Thailand

Abstract

Thailand is now focusing on forming the sufficient health-care system by using local wisdom and traditional health resources. The use of local resources such as traditional medicine (TM) and traditional healers to share expenses can be cost-effective in increasing good health of the Thai people. Traditional healers have played an important role in Thai health long before the introduction of Western medicine. Although modern health providers play a key role in the provision of health care in the Thai health-care system, traditional healers and their practice still exist in most rural areas of Thailand. Thai people continue to seek help from traditional healers because they perceive that there is no single healing system that could promote a total well-being. They look for the one that could best help them to return to normal health. The individuals expect that any healing form would be complementary, or an alternative, to another. Thai health policy has recognized traditional medicine (TM) and traditional healers as local resources in Thai health. Thus, these resources are promoted in Thai health today. The cooperation between traditional healing system and modern health care could also increase choices for consumers within the Thai health-care system. However, obstacles to smooth cooperation between the two groups still remain.