The government is promoting Thai herbs as a soft power product, in a bid to increase their value in the global market.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin wants to promote the country's herbal industry by developing products from Thai herbs to not only meet demand domestically and overseas, but also raise the profile of Thai herbs on the world stage.
Thai herbal products have the potential to add value to the global market because of their medicinal properties, diversity of herbal plant species, and integration of local wisdom.
Market estimates for 2030 put the global market for herbal products at 2.7 trillion baht.
In 2023, Thailand emerged as the No.1 exporter of quality herbal raw materials and herbal products in Asean and ranked fourth in market size in Asia, with a total value of 489 billion baht.
The global herbal market was valued at US$60 billion in 2023, with Asia-Pacific gaining the largest market share of 57.6%, followed by the US with 22.1%, Europe at 18%, the Middle East with 1.5%, and Australia at 0.9%.
Mr Chai said the government recently set up the National Thai Herbs Policy Committee through a collaboration of five ministries -- the Public Health Ministry, Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Industry Ministry, Commerce Ministry, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation -- which aims to make Thailand a leader in herbal production.
Since the government picked some herbs as champion products following the committee's resolution last year, production of Thai herbs has expanded.
The committee has also scaled up the production of Thai herbs by promoting the so-called Herbal City Project in 14 provinces nationwide.
They are classified in three groups: raw material cities (Amnat Charoen, Surin, Maha Sarakham, Sakon Nakhon, and Uthai Thani provinces); industrial herb production cities (Nakhon Pathom, Saraburi, Prachin Buri, and Chanthaburi provinces); and herb-based tourism and spa cities (Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Surat Thani and Songkhla provinces).
The project focuses on the development of a herbal industry in full, including plantation, processing and production, which adds value to the local economy and creates a sustainable community.