THE CONSTITUTION OF THE THAI TRADITIONAL MEDICINE ACADEMY

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were to 1) study the constitution of the Thai traditional medicine academy and 2) to study the development of Thai traditional medicine personnel. The study was a qualitative study collecting the data from 2 resources: (1) the data collection from books, thesis, academic articles, laws, online based data and (2) the in-depth interview with 12 key informants who were recruited through purposive sampling. They were 3 Thai traditional medicine specialists, 3 lecturers from Abhaibhubejhr College of Thai Traditional Medicine, 2 lecturers and 4 students from Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School. The results revealed that in Rattanakosin era, Thai traditional medicine had been continuously restored and inherited. Being under the influence of modern Western hegemony that spread into Thailand caused a change in thoughts, beliefs, paradigm, attitudes in health care and laws related to medicine. The establishment of modern hospitals and medical schools also affected the constitution of the Thai traditional medicine academy and the development of Thai traditional medicine program as well as made Thai traditional medicine unacceptable. Moreover, the development of the current program was added more knowledge of medical science than knowledge of Thai traditional medicine which made the concept, theory, and identity of Thai traditional medicine remained unclear. Therefore, the constitution of a new Thai traditional medicine academy requires a review of Thai traditional medicine concepts and accepts the Thai traditional medicine identity so that the program and personnel development guidelines will be based on Thai traditional medicine theory as they should be.