For decades, the Thai people have received infinite benevolence from the kindness of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother. Consequently, the people of Thailand have always maintained a deep bond with Her Majesty, upholding Her with the highest respect and reverence.
The news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother on October 24, 2025, marks a monumental loss for the Thai nation. The Thai people realize that She was the spiritual center of the nation. Throughout Her life, She bestowed immense love, care, and compassion upon her subjects. The authors believe that every Thai person recognizes Her Royal Grace and clearly perceives Her dedication to the well-being of the people, especially those living in remote and undeveloped areas.
As professionals in the public health sector, the authors have clearly witnessed that Her Majesty consistently supported Thai herbal medicine, realizing its benefits for the health of the Thai people. She emphasized holistic well-being and held profound insights regarding public health. She viewed health not merely as the absence of disease, but as a state of complete physical and mental well-being, reflecting the Royal Quote: “A sound mind resides in a sound body.” This reflects the holistic health concept She always upheld and promoted. Realizing that access to healthcare, particularly in remote areas, faced many limitations regarding medical personnel, medicines, supplies, and hygiene knowledge, She initiated and supported various projects aimed at sustainably elevating the quality of life for the people.
One of Her key Royal Duties was the establishment of the “Royal Medical Units” in 1967 to provide medical services to people in remote areas. However, these units did not merely provide basic treatment; they also played a role in distributing medicines, educating people on proper drug use, and promoting the use of traditional herbs with medicinal properties. The Royal Medical Units served as a bridge connecting communities with the state public health system by referring patients requiring specialized care to main hospitals and collecting local health data for long-term health development planning.
Furthermore, to enable people to care for their health continuously, She supported the “Village Doctor Project,” which trained community members in basic health knowledge, safe drug use, and the use of traditional herbs. She valued local wisdom, especially Thai herbs with various medicinal properties such as Andrographis (Fah Talai Jone), Turmeric, Black Galingale, and Gotu Kola, which can be effectively used to treat general ailments. This project not only reduced the burden on the public health system but also conserved and promoted Thai wisdom for future generations.
With immense Royal Grace bestowed upon those who sacrificed for the nation, She founded the “Sai Jai Thai Foundation under Royal Patronage” to care for soldiers, police officers, and civilians injured or disabled in the line of duty. When She encountered sick subjects, She would accept them as patients under Royal Patronage. The Foundation provides continuous medical treatment, supplies, medicines, and assistive devices for the sick, injured, and disabled, while also promoting both physical and mental rehabilitation.
Her Majesty always provided assistance during crises by donating medicines, supplies, and moral support. A clear example was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite Her advanced age and illness, Her concern for Her subjects never waned. She donated personal funds to purchase medicines, supplies, and personal protective equipment for medical personnel nationwide, realizing that if medical staff faced health issues, they would be unable to perform their crucial duties for the country effectively.
The Queen Mother initiated policies to promote Thai herbs, fostering systematic research and development. She supported the establishment of herbal research centers in various regions to study medicinal properties, develop product forms, and integrate herbs into the public health system. She encouraged communities to cultivate herbs for self-reliance in primary health care and to generate supplementary income through processing herbs into health products such as balms, herbal oils, and herbal teas.
The Royal Duties of the Queen Mother are not merely history pages but serve as a great inspiration that continues to light the way for health and public health practitioners at all levels in Thailand. She demonstrated that "health" is not just about treating disease, but about caring for life comprehensively with understanding, empathy, and accessibility. As authors playing a role in the health and pharmaceutical sector, we humbly adopt Her guidelines as our working principles, especially in promoting safe drug use, developing innovations for patients, and revitalizing Thai herbal wisdom for a sustainable national health system.
Continuing Her Royal Wish by acting with a heart full of compassion, understanding the suffering of patients, and believing that “good health is the foundation of a quality life,” we humbly pledge to be small units working together to carry on Her work, so that the light of Her mercy remains bright in the hearts of the Thai people forever.
In remembrance of the boundless Royal Grace of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, we shall proceed according to Her Royal Initiatives forever.
