Herbal Industry Group Offers 5 Recommendations to New Government to Elevate Thai Herbal Sector

Sittichay Dang-prasert, Chairman of the Herbal Industry Group at the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), revealed five key recommendations for the new government led by the Bhumjai Thai Party to reform the herbal industry. These include: 1) Supporting research and development to create scientifically-evidenced herbal products, addressing the current lack of clinical evidence, 2) Upgrading production standards from herb farms to factories and distribution to meet international standards, 3) Creating new distribution channels for younger generations like tele-pharmacy and automated medication services, 4) Promoting herbal branding to transform traditional herbal medicines into luxury wellness products, and 5) Continuously pushing 'soft power' initiatives such as creating unique herbal formulas associated with government leadership. Sittichay noted that the herbal industry involves approximately 1.5-2 million farming households, 10,000-15,000 production facilities, and 300,000-500,000 brand owners, potentially impacting 7-8 million people across the supply chain.