Ministry to boost 'eco-health tourism'

The Public Health Ministry is planning to promote traditional Thai medicine through "eco-health tourism" in provinces that are rich in natural herbal resources. However, NGOs and academics fear that could lead to exploitation of rural villagers and remaining resources.

Taking the opportunity of the current "Amazing Thailand Years" drive to promote traditional herbal products, the Institute of Traditional Thai Medicine recently announced support for forest tours.

Director Pennapha Subcharoen said traditional healers could act as guides and help educate tourists about herbs during their forest walks. At the same time, she said, villagers could earn money selling herbal products to tourists.

Tourists could also try traditional Thai massage and herbal sauna services, both of which are increasingly available at Buddhist temples and hospitals in several provinces.

The main aim of the "Traditional Medicine Tour for Life" is to promote traditional knowledge about herbal therapy among both Thai and foreign tourists.

Some 30 provinces, including Nan, have been chosen for the campaign.

However, concerns have been raised over the ability of rural communities to take care of their resources.

Only in recent years has traditional herbal therapy been revived. This adds to the fact a lot more has to be learned about existing herbal species in the country.

Thailand is one of 30 countries in the world which still has a large variety of plants, with more than 300 species per square kilometre of forest land.

Non-government agencies and academics based in Nan have voiced concern that "eco-health tourism" may lead to exploitation and commercialisation.

They said it would be very difficult to screen tourists, some of whom might come with the intention of making profits through commercialisation of Thai herbs.

Prateep Insaeng of Wiang Sa district's education office said despite the ITTM's good intentions, it was also important to look into the readiness of rural communities and authorities concerned to protect their resources and knowledge from exploitation.

Even for a province with a strong conservation base like Nan, it would take at least two more years for its people to be able to do so, he added.

According to Mr Prateep, the biggest concern was that villagers would have to pay more for herbs they had been using daily for ages once the species were registered by business people looking for profit.

To preserve and protect local herbs from exploitation, he said, it was urgent for authorities concerned to make a survey of different species in the country.

Mongkhol Vongkalasin, of the Bangkok-based Tour for Life Group, agreed the type of tourism envisaged by the ITTM would be difficult to manage because some people joining such tours might not be genuine tourists.

Samruay Padpol, deputy chairman of the Hak Muang Nan (Love Nan) Group, said most traditional healers would not hesitate to share their knowledge with anyone wanting to know more about medicinal herbs, and thus could become victims of exploitation.

He added traditional herbal formulas written on palm leaves often were burned along with the bodies of traditional healers once they died because many people still did not realise the value of such formulas.

Several Thai formulas written on palm leaves also ended up in German and British museums, said Mr Prateep.

Mr Samruay said his group was trying to gather remaining traditional medicinal formulas to protect them from exploitation, but with only limited success.

"It is very difficult to compile such information from among the hilltribes because they don't have it written down. It is passed on verbally and different tribes speak different tongues," he said.