Preservation of Local Wisdom to Enhance the Sustainable Strength of Thai Massage Business

Abstract

The objective of the research titled "Preservation of Local Wisdom to Enhance the Sustainable Strength of Thai Massage Business" aims to 1) to preserve local wisdom in order to strengthen the sustainability of the Thai massage business, and 2) to provide guidelines for planning and addressing problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as unforeseen circumstances that may impact the Thai massage industry. This mixed-method research incorporates quantitative and qualitative approaches. For the quantitative research, a questionnaire was administered to two sample groups: the executive board, managers, and staff who are members of the Thai Traditional Medicine Association. Group one comprised 484 recipients of the Thai Traditional Medicine Center, while group two consisted of 453 participants. Qualitative research involved conducting interviews with 40 Thai massage recipients. The research findings yield the following results: 1) Guidelines for preserving local wisdom to enhance the sustainable strength of the Thai massage business can be categorized into five aspects. The first aspect is knowledge management, which involves the preparation and development of a digital media database to systematically collect and disseminate knowledge on Thai massage across the four regions. Collaboration with local communities is crucial for inheriting and preserving the local wisdom heritage. The second aspect is adherence to rules and regulations. Thai massage business entrepreneurs must operate their establishments in compliance with COVID-19 disease control and prevention measures, as well as follow a management model that ensures the sustainability of the Thai massage business. The third aspect is product development. Thai massage training courses should be enhanced to meet the diverse needs of customers. The fourth aspect is staff development, including training and continuous improvement to ensure correct and proficient Thai massage techniques. Establishing standards and competencies for masseurs, along with promoting professional licenses/certificates, is also essential. The fifth and final aspect is government promotion. The Ministry of Public Health should actively support and promote access to training courses for Thai massage service staff, enabling them to enhance their knowledge, specialization, and massage skills. This will elevate their professional standards and make them eligible to take the professional license examination.