Thai traditional medicine is a national identity, handed down
from the wise Thai ancestors. These people had accumulated
their experiences of health care in fighting against the problems
of illness and disease since the period of Sukhothai (more than
700 years ago). Ranikhanihaeng, a great king at that time, had
ordered the establishment of a large medicinal plant garden to
serve as a source ofdrugs for the treatment of the ailments of his
people.'
Thai traditional medicine can be categorized into four major
systems: traditional herbal medicine, psychological treatment,
traditional massage and physical therapy, and traditional herbal
medicine based on the element or humor theory?