Thailand has been selected to host the Third WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in 2027, marking a major international recognition of the country’s leadership in traditional and complementary medicine.  

Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Pattana Promphat, described the selection as a testament to Thailand’s readiness to convene a global dialogue on traditional medicine and to the growing international recognition of Thailand’s traditional medicine system.  

The WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine is a biennial platform that brings together ministers of health, policymakers, researchers, practitioners and public health leaders to advance discussion on the role of traditional medicine in strengthening health systems. The forum focuses on evidence-based approaches, regulation, innovation, international cooperation and the integration of traditional medicine into national health-care services. 

The first WHO Global Summit in 2023 set an agenda that guided the development of the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. The second Summit turned that strategy into action by launching the Traditional Medicine Global Library, which contains more than 1.6 million scientific records and continues to grow, and by securing time-bound commitments from 26 Member States and around 60 partner organisations. 

Thailand sees the 2027 summit as an opportunity to showcase practical approaches to integrating traditional medicine into mainstream health care while strengthening international cooperation.