Organic herbs purchased by hospitals: Ban Dong Bang villagers develop a community herbal enterprise

Ban Dong Bang (บ้านดงบัง, Ban Dong Bang) is located in Prachan-takham District, Prachin Buri Province in eastern Thailand. It was originally just a small rural village, and more than ten years ago, with the assistance of the nearby Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital (Note 1), it began to develop an organic herbal enterprise.

When we arrived at Ban Dong Bang, Samai Kunsuk was already waiting at the reception center. Samai is the soul of Ban Dong Bang's organic herbal enterprise and currently serves as the chief advisor of the Ban Dong Bang herbal production team. The whole family has devoted itself to this enterprise; besides ordinary production labor, they are also responsible for research and development and hosting foreign visitors. On the day of our visit, it was Samai who introduced everything to everyone.

In recent years, Ban Dong Bang has gradually become well known, and visitors have come in an endless stream for exchanges, so a reception center was set up at the entrance of the herb garden. Samai first gave everyone a briefing at the center, then led everyone into the community's herb garden. When we left the reception center, another visiting group had just arrived.

(Note 1) A well-known green hospital that actively promotes traditional Thai medicine and organic herbal medicine.

(This article thanks Chen Zhanghan and Orakarn Suttiwerawat for assisting with Thai translation.)

(This article was originally published in Green Claims Monthly, July 2018, issue 176.)