Thailand wants to transform its herbal inhalers into a flagship product of global wellness.
While little known in the West, these inhalers are part of everyday life in Asia, where they are used to relieve stress, headaches, or fatigue.
Their growing popularity is now attracting the attention of the Thai government.
A national strategy for a booming sector
Thai woman with an inhaler. Photo: Thailand Foundation
The Thai Ministry of Public Health has unveiled a new strategy to make the Thai herbal inhaler industry a global leader in the medical and wellness field.
The goal is to generate 10 billion baht ($310 million) of economic value in five years.
The Department of Traditional and Alternative Thai Medicine organized a national workshop on November 7, 2025 focused on the theme "Developing the Thai medicinal plant industry: herbal inhalers".
The session, chaired by Associate Professor Akkaranan Ariyasripong, advisor to the Deputy Minister of Health, presented plans to combine traditional Thai wisdom and modern innovation to attract international investment.
A local market that is already thriving
Lisa during a reunion with family members. Fans noted the name of the inhaler visible in the photo, from the brand Hong Thong, which quickly sold out.
The Thai market for inhalers is valued at around 4.5 billion baht ($138 million), with herbal inhalers accounting for 1.33 billion baht ($40 million), Akkaranan said.
The ministry's "Medical and Wellness S-Curve" initiative aims to standardize and develop the sector, in order to increase its value to 10 billion baht within five years.
The workshop on Thai herbal inhalers was held at the Department of Traditional and Alternative Thai Medicine to discuss industry growth strategies and global promotion.
New standards and an investment fund for innovation
Inhalers in Thailand.
Two key strategies will guide this effort: improving production standards and supporting innovation.
The ministry:
- Will introduce a new Thai Premium Herbal Standard (TPHS) certification to guarantee quality and safety
- Will provide R&D funding for functional inhaler products
- Will offer matching grants of 50% to SMEs to bring their factories up to GMP standards
A proposed “Thai Herb Wellness Fund” will also co-invest in start-ups and offer tax incentives under the Board of Investment.
Pilot projects called "Pann" and "Phat" will help entrepreneurs develop new formulas, test products, and receive legal and export support.
Low-interest loans and mentorship programs will be available starting in January.
An online platform for exporting Thai know-how
E-commerce.
Dr. Montaka Theerachaisakul, deputy director general of the department, stated:
"The government has also launched 'Siam Mani,' an e-commerce platform for certified Thai herbal products, allowing entrepreneurs to sell premium products online without platform fees."
The ministry stated that the new strategy aimed to position Thai herbal inhalers as a globally trusted product, adding long-term value to the country's wellness economy.
An industry marked by quality challenges
Hong Thai brand inhaler.
The strategic promotion of Thai herbal inhalers follows a recent controversy involving the Hong Thai brand.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detected microbial contamination in batch 332, which led the company to recall more than 200,000 units for destruction.
Two million additional units found in the factory without proper authorization were seized by the FDA.
Teerapong Rabeutham, founder and owner of Hong Thai Herbal Co., who participated in the workshop, said the company had been working hard to correct all past mistakes and continually improve its products.
"Our goal has always been to produce effective and appealing herbal products for Thai consumers," he said.
Dr. Chaiwat Techapaithoon, president of Hong Thai Herbal Co., added that he was pleased that Thai herbal products were now being promoted as a form of soft power beneficial to the nation.
He acknowledged past production problems, but stressed the importance of resolving them in order to preserve the reputation of Thai herbal products.
"The media coverage has caused significant damage, not only to Hong Thai, but to the entire industry," he said.
Ultimately, Thailand hopes to transform this everyday product into a symbol of its expertise in wellness on an international scale.
- Thailand wants to make its herbal inhalers a flagship product of global wellness, with a target of 10 billion baht in five years.
- The Ministry of Health is introducing new quality standards (TPHS) and an investment fund to support innovation and exports.
- Despite an expanding market, the sector still needs to overcome the quality control problems revealed by the Hong Thai case.
See also:
Medicinal plants in Thailand: Thai names and properties
Everything you need to know about Thai massage in Thailand: a complete guide for 2025
How Thailand is successfully using a medicinal plant to treat Covid-19
Shopping: The 14 Best Souvenirs and Gifts to Buy in Thailand
The Lisa Effect: How Thailand's Blackpink Star Turns Everything to Gold
Source: Khaosod English
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1 comment
All of this is very good in terms of promotion and encouragement for Thai companies that will dare to invest in launching into international trade in this pharmaceutical sector…
It will still be necessary for all these products to be recognized and receive the various approvals, taking into account the quality requirements and the multiple controls and regulations that differ from one country to another regarding the sale and dispensing of these products, whether over-the-counter or by prescription. Some nations will consider these products as over-the-counter products, others as parapharmaceutical products, and still others as therapeutic drugs, classified at various levels of authorization. These products are intended to secure a prominent position in the European and American markets, which are particularly strict and wary of all "natural" products, as they are unaware of the exact composition, the percentage of each active ingredient, their origin, and the manufacturing standards.
All this will take time, while the Thai authorities seem eager to put the cart before the horse (once again) by pushing pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase production as early as next year by offering financial aid, low-interest loans, in order to open the international market within a maximum period of 5 years.
Without any certainty of being able to access this market with the same ease as the national market, which is far less restrictive and controlled to more lenient levels of pharmaceutical and medical dispensing standards…
Let's hope that the manufacturers and SMEs in the sector will not face a flat refusal internationally for the most demanding markets and that the investments made will not end up undermining their long-term financial health.