From Moscow to Ban Khia

Her Voice

From Moscow to Ban Khia

A Community Enterprise Leader’s Devotion to Local Development and the Enhancement of Thai Herbal Products

Every year when I came home (from Moscow), I saw so many herbs everywhere. That’s when I started thinking, ‘why don’t we form an herbal group? I’d see herbs all over the house, and in every village, they were just left unused. Having worked in the spa industry, I knew these very same herbs from our homes were being used in spas abroad and here in Thailand too.

Thanawan Boonkrapphuang

President of the Ban Khia Herbal Community Enterprise, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province

What Happens Now?

At 56, Thanawan stands as proof that change begins with courage. Once a village woman balancing household duties and caregiving, she has become a community leader who transforms local wisdom into opportunity.

” I thought there’s so much potential to generate income for the community. And realized I could help lead that change, creating livelihoods for people here. “

Every day, she weaves together her many roles — herbal producer, mentor, market trailblazer, and village health volunteer — driven by the belief that women’s strength can sustain entire communities.

However, obtaining official product certifications in Thailand remains a significant challenge for small-scale herbal entrepreneurs.

To bring herbal products
to market legally and safely,

producers must meet strict regulatory requirements, including approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and compliance with community product standards such as OTOP and Community Product Standard certifications.

Challenges We Face

“ When we apply for official product standards, the process becomes very complicated because we are just local villagers … ”

“ … If we had FDA certification, we could even export our products abroad, and that would increase our group’s income significantly. ”

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While these standards help ensure product quality and consumer trust, the process can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. Many community-based producers struggle to access the financial capital, technical knowledge, and administrative support required to meet regulatory criteria, test product safety, and maintain documentation.

“ We really hope that government agencies and partners can extend support and guidance to us — to be ”

To qualify, there are many strict requirements ...

“ … we need a proper production facility and specific infrastructure, like nine separate rooms. We already have the dream and the motivation, but the process is complex and challenging. For a community group like ours, it is not easy. ”

As a result, promising local herbal products often remain limited to informal markets despite strong cultural value and commercial potential. Supporting these entrepreneurs with capacity-building, financial assistance, and simplified regulatory pathways could enable

more inclusive growth in Thailand’s rising herbal economy.

What They Already Have

Knowledge and Expertise

Thanawan’s experience from working in the spa industry abroad gives her valuable skills in herbal product development and quality standards.

Community Collaboration

She mobilizes local women into a cooperative enterprise, turning shared effort into collective strength.

Local Wisdom

The enterprise draws on deep traditional knowledge of Thai herbs and natural healing.

Local Natural Resources

In Chiang Rai communities, a wide range of herbal plants—such as kaffir lime and lemongrass—are commonly found and easily accessible. Together with strong agricultural knowledge and available land for cultivation, these local resources can be developed and processed into diverse value-added products, creating significant opportunities to increase income through community-based production.

What They Need

Business and Marketing Support

To make their herbal products more competitive in wider markets.

Market Linkages

Connections to retail networks, fair trade markets, spas, or wellness tourism sectors could increase sales volume and income stability.

Access to Microfinance or Community Enterprise Grants

Essential for Scaling Production and Ensuring Consistent Supply.

Youth Engagement

Encouraging younger generations to join ensures continuity and innovation.

Which issue or policy do you think should be addressed as a priority?

Regulatory Complexity

Small-scale herbal producers must comply with strict regulations from the FDA and community product standards such as OTOP or Community Product Standard (CPS). Meeting these requirements often requires significant infrastructure (e.g., separate production rooms), product testing, and documentation, which is challenging for local village groups.

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Limited Access to Capital and Technical Knowledge

Community enterprises often lack financial resources to build compliant production facilities, purchase equipment, or cover testing and certification costs. There is a knowledge gap in areas such as food safety, quality control, packaging, and marketing, making compliance and scaling difficult.

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Sustainability and Growth Challenges

Small groups struggle to maintain consistent production, quality, and marketing efforts due to limited human and financial resources.

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Rural and Community Development Policies

Government programs exist to support micro and community enterprises (e.g., funding, training), but access is often limited for small, informal producers.

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