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bond between folk healers and their patients ding on health care in Thailand reached
is considered çadjacent,é resulting in greater US$ 3.1 billion, which has since increased
understanding between them, as well as the annually. In 2006, it reached US$ 3.81 billion.
patientûs family members. Society has evolved These costs could be reduced through com-
from the ongoing globalization process, in munity care/services or primary health care.
which media information transmission tech- Additionally, health care provided by folk
nologies have changed the attitudes and origi- healers in the community could also reduce
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nal practices related to community living. costs and provide individuals with effective
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Despite economic regional integration, the therapy.
launch of the ASEAN Economic Community Concurrently, globalization is changing
is likely also to contribute to and encourage the way people process their thoughts, view
outbreaks of prominent infectious diseases. the world, and live their individual lives, which
This could happen with migration or the specifically affects traditional customs and
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movement of people across the ASEAN mem- practices rooted in the past. In addition,
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ber states. Furthermore, non-communicable globalization can evolve and grow from every
and related diseases are increasing in low-to aspect of capitalism, resulting in the deve-
middle-income countries due to population lopment of çWestern valuesé in Asian com-
growth and aging in conjunction with eco- munities. In particular, health management
nomic transitions, and the resulting changes relies mainly on modern medicine, which then
in behavioral, occupational, and environmental can result in the abandonment of available
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risk factors. They can affect populations, traditional health-care practices, wisdom, and
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especially in terms of respiratory diseases. knowledge in the community, especially
In the current period, modernization encou- among the younger generation. At the same
rages the adoption of modern lifestyles; people time, traditional healers tend to be those in
are suffering from chronic diseases, such as the older age groups. Without successors,
cancer, diabetes, high-blood pressure, and pa- their knowledge can be lost. As a result, the
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ralysis. Traditional healers, as a part of the benefits from traditional healers furnished to
medical community in Thailand, have ear- the community are less than they should be
nestly contributed to solving problems related despite the rise in illnesses. Therefore, folk
to non-communicable diseases, such as heart medicine is an important essential part of
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disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Con- the medical spectrum.
sequently, traditional healers are able to offer Tabalpria Herbal Center is the main non-

useful treatments and perform practices in governmental organization (NGO) in Surin
order to prevent the common symptoms con- Province aimed at developing and promoting
nected with such diseases and some of the traditional wisdom based on the concept that
chronic diseases themselves. In 2001, spen- traditional health care and its practices can