BANGKOK: Thailand is positioning San Kamphaeng Hot Springs as a national wellness model, backed by Thai massage, herbal innovation and a three-year standards plan.
The Public Health Ministry, together with the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs subcommittee and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), has signed two memoranda of understanding to transform local resources into a high-value economic asset.
Signed on Thursday (April 23), the agreements aim to upgrade the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs operation in Mae On district, Chiang Mai, into a national model for thermal wellness while creating jobs and generating income for local communities.
The first agreement, between the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs management subcommittee and the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, covers the development of the “Thai Pho–Lanna Massage” course and the introduction of Thermal Wellness Standards for health-focused hot springs to bring them into line with global benchmarks.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said local personnel had already completed the 450-hour course, giving them advanced vocational skills and enabling them to earn income from resources in their own communities.
The second agreement, between the subcommittee and the GPO, focuses on developing commercial and innovative products through research into mineral water and local herbs. These will be turned into health products under the “SANN by GPO” brand, as well as bottled mineral water, to raise the site’s economic value.
Pattana said the three-year partnership is intended to develop San Kamphaeng Hot Springs into a learning institute and national model for thermal wellness, with a distinctive Lanna-style Thai wellness identity combined with hydrotherapy properties.
He said the project would help create a new source of Thai soft power, attract quality tourists and strengthen health tourism in Chiang Mai and the wider North.
“This signing marks a concrete step in putting the royal initiative into practice, with community participation at its heart,” Pattana said.
“It is also an important milestone in reforming Thailand’s health economy through cooperation between central and local agencies, which will be a key mechanism in driving Thailand towards becoming a World Herbal & Wellness Hub under government policy, while turning local wisdom and natural resources into a stable source of income for the people.”
Pattana added that Thailand’s hot springs are not confined to Chiang Mai, but are found across the country, including in the South, with each site offering different mineral compositions and water temperatures.
He said the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine plans to build on these strengths to develop sustainable tourist destinations similar to Japan’s onsen model.
The ministry has already surveyed several hot spring sites, including San Kamphaeng in Chiang Mai and Phu Toei in Phetchabun, to study the active substances in the water.
Thailand has also coordinated with Japan to collect samples and compare key properties, including possible benefits for skin care and overall health, with the aim of developing standards and practical guidelines to further promote Thai tourism, Pattana added. - The Nation/ANN
