Thai Traditional Medicine Promotes Healthy Food at Global Wellness Summit 2026

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Ministry of Public Health, is preparing to present the concept of healthcare through meals at the global seminar, Global Wellness Summit 2026, which will be held in Phuket. This project has the main goal of driving and elevating Thai food menus into international healthy food by focusing on the use of local wisdom to create added economic value in the global market to meet the needs of consumers who are clearly becoming more health-conscious.

The healthy food and beverage market, or the healthy eating segment, has a tendency to grow exponentially. Reference data from the Global Wellness Institute indicates that the market value of this segment in Thailand reached 8.92 billion US dollars in 2022. The global market overview in 2024 has a massive value of 1.148 trillion US dollars and is forecast to grow at an average of 7.1% per year during the period of 2024 to 2029. These figures reflect Thailand's opportunity to fully expand its market share.

Building on local ingredients for the global wellness stage

Thailand has strengths in its diversity of agricultural ingredients and traditional wisdom accumulated over a long period. Taking this body of knowledge for further development will help create new business opportunities for all sectors. This value chain starts with community-level farmers and food producers, through to health service business operators. Developing products in the form of functional food will help create differentiation to make Thai products stand out on the global stage.

The policy to promote Thai menus focuses on presenting nutritional value that is more than just a delicious taste. This concept covers multiple types of products, such as ready-to-eat food, healthy beverages, and nutraceuticals. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration also helps provide support by issuing guidelines to support health claims. This action will help producers communicate product information reliably and increase their competitiveness.

Experience the Thai way of life through exhibitions

For the Global Wellness Summit 2026 in Phuket, Thailand's concept was selected as one of the four main exhibitions that will reflect the nation's wellness potential. Within the exhibition area, attendees will find interactive activities that provide an opportunity to check their dominant body elements according to traditional medicine principles. Such activities will help people understand how to correctly choose food to eat and adjust their lifestyle to suit their own physical condition.

This press release is highly interesting for restaurant operators, hotel professionals, and event organisers who want to adopt health trends to further develop their businesses. This information is also useful for tourists who are interested in taking care of themselves through the consumption of appropriate food according to the principles of dominant body elements.