Tha Phra Chan clings to Thai herbal traditions

“This is part of the roots of Thai culture. One day, it may no longer exist. The place where it all began is slowly fading away,” says Payao Sitthisong, 70, looking out onto the street from her herbal medicine store. “But the truth is, this is where it all started — right here at Tha Phra Chan.”

Strolling through the tourist area around Tha Phra Chan and Tha Maharaj pier, I was wondering why there were so many Thai medicine stores. So, I took the opportunity to explore and find out.

Located on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River, Tha Phra Chan is one of Bangkok’s oldest piers. The area has long been known not only as a transport hub but also as a centre of traditional Thai herbal medicine.

Lined with shops selling balms, oils and traditional remedies, Tha Phra Chan preserves a rich heritage based on local wisdom and herbal knowledge passed down through generations. For people seeking authentic Thai medicine, it is a must-visit destination.

Ms Payao, the owner of the store that bears her name, shared the story of the area with me.

Payao Sitthisong, 70, sits inside her herbal medicine store at Tha Phra Chan.

The Payao store offers a wide range of traditional medicines including herb balm, herb oil and capsules.

“Back then, this area was called Dong Ya (Medicine Cluster),” she explained. “Around Tha Phra Chan and Tha Tien, people came here to buy herbal balms and traditional medicines.

“There were also many medicine shops in front of Wat Pho that also originated from Tha Phra Chan. People have been coming here to buy herbal remedies for decades.”

Many Thai traditional medicine stores are located along Tha Phra Chan road.

Tha Phra Chan, she continued, is where authentic traditional medicine began. “Just as Thai traditional massage is deeply rooted at Wat Pho and Tha Tien, Thai traditional medicine began here, at Tha Phra Chan.”

Wat Mahathat, located between Tha Phra Chan and Tha Chang, has long been the cultural hub of the area.

“In the old days, people sold these medicines around Wat Mahathat. They set up simple stalls. Most of the herbal medicines were made by people from the provinces,” the long-time seller recalled.

“Back then, there was no Food and Drug Administration approval or regulation. They simply made the medicines themselves, often based on traditional folk remedies — ya phee bok, or ghost medicines as they were known — and it became part of the area’s legend.”

The neighbouring Tha Chang area was also influenced by Tha Phra Chan, but it has come to specialise in topical remedies only.

“Back then, most of the medicines sold in Tha Phra Chan were homemade,” said Jitra Sirilerdpornchai, 80, owner of the Lor Yong Jit store at Tha Chang. “Our shop specialises in traditional Thai medicines for external use, including herbal balms and other topical remedies.”

Jitra Sirilerdpornchai, 80, specialises in topical herbal remedies for external use at her store, Lor Yong Jit, at Tha Chang.

Tha Phra Chan’s customers are mostly Thai people. Not many foreigners know about Thai traditional medicine here.

“Most foreign tourists tend to go to Tha Chang and Tha Tien,” said Ms Payao. “Thai customers still stop by, but business has become very quiet. For the past three years since Covid, it’s been slow.

“Back then, we could make many thousands of baht in daily sales. Now, we’re lucky if we make just a few thousand. There simply aren’t as many people walking through here anymore,” she said.

One of the major challenges facing herbal remedy sellers is applying for FDA approval of their homemade medicines. Older store owners in particular find it a struggle to deal with all the required documents, some of which require English translation.

Many traditional herbal ingredients do not have recognised scientific or English names or lack sufficient scientific documentation. As a result, they cannot be registered with the Thai FDA, even though they have been used for hundreds of years.

In addition, manufacturers must meet strict production standards. Small local or traditional producers often cannot afford or comply with these requirements, making it difficult to legally market their products.

Consequently, many traditional herbal remedies remain unregistered and unavailable in the formal market, limiting public awareness and preventing local herbal knowledge from being preserved and expanded.

For the shopkeepers of Tha Pra Chan, the tradition goes beyond medicine to reflect culture, belief and folkways. Some say that Thai traditional medicine is still waiting for foreigners to find out that it works, which could give new life to Tha Phra Chan.