#WellnessThailand

In southern Thailand, the fragrant bark of chaluud (Alyxia reinwardtii) threads through markets, kitchens, and spiritual ceremonies. For generations, chaluud has been valued in traditional medicine as both a comforting scent and a versatile remedy. Today, scientists are tracing its biochemistry, highlighting its longstanding role as a natural protector of body, spirit, and environment.

Chaluud goes by several local names, including lood, chanuud, and nuud. Its healing reputation runs alongside daily life in Thai villages, where the bark is dried as incense, woven into garlands, and kept at home to bless spaces during Buddhist rituals. In the dry and stormy seasons of the south, families rely on chaluud as a protective charm and practical remedy.

In Thailand’s lush landscapes, the scarlet hue of kham ngeo—also known as annatto or Bixa orellana—has colored foods, fabrics, and healing practices for generations. Today, researchers and health-minded Thais are revisiting kham ngeo to explore its true potential, weaving ancestral knowledge with contemporary science.

As natural remedies gain traction, kham ngells dual roles as a dye and folk medicine gain renewed relevance. Thai consumers increasingly seek safe, plant-based options, and kham ngeo sits at the crossroads of culture and innovation. What science reveals about its traditional uses offers practical insights for daily well-being.

Elephantopus scaber Linn. has long been part of rural Thai healing. Locally known as โด่ไม่รู้ล้ม, the plant’s name evokes resilience: “stands tall, refuses to fall.” Folklore uses its various names, including ขี้ไฟนกคุ่ม, หญ้าสามสิบสองหาบ, and หนาดผา, to describe its everyday role in traditional medicine. As herbal knowledge meets modern science, Elephantopus scaber is increasingly examined through rigorous research while remaining rooted in Thai culture.

The plant’s broad, rough-edged leaves and purple flower heads signal its versatility in folk remedies. Generations have used its leaves for wound care, decoctions from the root for urinary and kidney concerns, and whole-plant teas to help reduce fever. In rural communities, it is also linked with vitality and stamina, reflecting a holistic view of health that spans energy, urinary relief, and general well-being. Local narratives tie the herb’s sturdy growth to daily health practices and protective routines.

Across Thailand’s dramatic mountain valleys and rainswept forests, one humble herb has thrived for centuries, earning a reputation as unyielding as its Thai name, “โด่ไม่รู้ล้ม”—the plant that “stands tall, refusing to fall.” Known scientifically as Elephantopus scaber Linn. and under many folk names such as “ขี้ไฟนกคุ่ม,” “หญ้าสามสิบสองหาบ,” and “หนาดผา,” this resilient perennial from the Asteraceae family has been woven deeply into the tapestry of local healing traditions. Now, as interest in herbal medicine merges with advances in biomedical research, Elephantopus scaber is stepping into the laboratory spotlight, inviting new respect for the wisdom passed down through generations—and prompting essential questions about its true medicinal potential.

Hidden in Thailand’s forests, a climbing shrub known as Salacia chinensis, or กำแพงเจ็ดชั้น, has a storied role in traditional Southeast Asian medicine. Locally it goes by names such as ตะลุ่มนก, ตาไก้, ขอบกระด้ง, and หลุมนก. Researchers are now exploring its traditional uses through the lens of modern science, uncovering insights that both support and refine age-old practices.

Traditionally, communities in Thailand have used the plant’s woody stems and roots to support heart health, improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and manage blood sugar. In many rural households, a bitter decoction made by boiling the plant is consumed alone or blended with other herbs. Elders recall how a “hot constitution” or fatigue could be addressed with the plant’s tonic properties. In Thai folk practice, กำแพงเจ็ดชั้น is valued as a rejuvenator and is used differently across regions, reflecting a deep, regionally diverse healing culture.

Among Thailand’s lush forests, hidden beneath the embrace of tangled vines and sturdy trunks, grows a climbing shrub with a storied past and promising future: กำแพงเจ็ดชั้น, or Salacia chinensis. Known by myriad regional names such as ตะลุ่มนก, ตาไก้, ขอบกระด้ง, and หลุมนก, this plant has been treasured in traditional Thai and Southeast Asian medicine for centuries. Today, as researchers peel back the layers of its traditional use, they’re uncovering scientific evidence that validates (and in some cases, challenges) the age-old practices of herbalists and healers.

Among the vibrant tapestry of Thailand’s gardens and temple courtyards, few plants evoke more nostalgia, sensory delight, and curiosity than the cananga, known locally as กระดังงาไทย (Cananga odorata). Its drooping, frilly yellow-green blossoms are a familiar sight, their heady, exotic perfume lingering in memories of childhood, religious ceremonies, and herbal home remedies. But beyond its decorative and fragrant appeal, cananga’s journey through Thai culture and across Southeast Asia is far richer—a story that bridges folk wisdom and emerging pharmacological science, raising the intriguing prospect that this beloved flower may hold genuine promise for holistic well-being.

Across Thai kitchens from Chiang Mai’s busy markets to quiet household pantries near Nakhon Si Thammarat, garlic’s sharp aroma is a familiar staple. Beyond flavor, krathiam—Allium sativum L.—carries a long history of healing beliefs and now sits at the crossroads of tradition and scientific inquiry. In Thailand, garlic is both a folk remedy and a subject of global medical research.

In Thai traditional healing, garlic has been used as a carminative to ease digestive upset, reduce bloating, and address wind (lom) in the body. Practitioners view it as a tonic that supports lung and heart function, and its diuretic effects are noted in historic manuscripts. Modern dialogue often frames these uses within a broader wellness approach. Research by Thai scholars and practitioners highlights how crushing or mincing garlic activates enzymes that release beneficial compounds, underscoring a bridge between heritage and laboratory findings.

In Thai kitchens large and small, from spirited street corners in Chiang Mai to family tables on the outskirts of Nakhon Si Thammarat, the hot, sharp aroma of garlic is so familiar as to be invisible. But behind every clove of Allium sativum L.—known across Thailand as krathiam, or by regional names such as hua thiam and hom khaw—is a legacy spanning centuries of healing, belief, and now, modern medical research. Far from being a mere flavouring, garlic sits proudly at the intersection of heritage and laboratory, as both folk remedy and subject of global clinical inquiry.

In the lush, biodiverse forests and rural village gardens across Thailand, the Kradom plant—known scientifically as Gymnopetalum chinensis (กะดอม), and by many regional names such as ขี้กาดง in Saraburi, มะนอยหก in Mae Hong Son, and ผักขาว in Chiang Mai—has been quietly woven into local healing practices for generations. Today, as interest in traditional remedies surges and scientific curiosity deepens, Kradom stands at the captivating crossroads of ancient Thai wisdom and 21st-century phytochemical research. What can this lesser-known plant reveal about the enduring relationship between people and the natural pharmacy around them?

In Thailand’s rural villages and diverse forests, the Kradom plant, scientifically known as Gymnopetalum chinensis and known locally by many names, has long woven itself into daily life. Across provinces like Saraburi, Mae Hong Son, and Chiang Mai, Kradom appears in home kitchens and herbal practices. Today, it sits at the crossroads of traditional wisdom and contemporary phytochemical research, inviting Thai readers to consider what this plant reveals about the bond between people and nature’s pharmacy.

In Thailand’s gardens and temple courtyards, the cananga flower—known locally as กระดังงาไทย—remains a symbol of memory, scent, and healing. Its drooping yellow-green blossoms fill spaces with a heady perfume that many Thai families associate with childhood, merit-making, and home remedies. Beyond decoration, Cananga odorata carries a rich cultural history and growing scientific interest that may broaden its role in holistic health.

Traditionally, cananga has traveled from Southeast Asian rituals to premium perfumery. In Thailand, its fragrant blossoms—sometimes called กระดังงาใบใหญ่ or สะบันงา depending on the region—have been used in Buddhist offerings, herbal preparations, and local medicine. Today, its essential oil—called ylang-ylang in global markets—is a cornerstone of both luxury fragrance and Thailand’s spa industry. Modern research now questions how this heritage flower works at the chemical level and what it might mean for health and well-being.