Thian Fa

Yesterday I got a call from a westerner who lives here in Thailand; he had heard that I am a health advocate for natural medicine and asked me if I could advise him.
I asked which disease/pains he had and what did he just want : he told me that he would like to go to a good traditional Chinese doctor.

The most famous in Bangkok is the Thian Fa Foundation, established in 1902 by the Chinese  immigrants and it is build on the grounds of the Tempel of the Goddess of Mercy (Th. Mae Kwan Im - Ch. Quan Yin -Jp. Hase Kanon), which is about 150 yards from Hualampong, the Central Railway Station.

When you come on the temple grounds, you go to the right hand side and at the first door, you will have to sign up as a costumer, the first time you come here. For this step you will have to speak Thai (or Mandarin) as the administrative staff does not speak any English.
Here they will give you a costumer card, which you have to bring with you, every time you return.  This hospital is not for tourists, but they will accept westerners who live here.

After signing up, you will go to the next room, where you will find a traditional Chinese doctor:  this time is was a Chinese elderly lady, who started to ask questions : she speaks a bit English.  She did the pulse diagnosis, facial diagnosis and tongue diagnosis. 

After about 10-15 minutes she started to write a recipe in Mandarin and told the patient to come back in 6 days. We picked up the recipe, and went to the second building, the traditional pharmacy, where we met again very friendly staff.
It took about 10 minutes , we saw them mixing a lot of dark concoctions in a jar, and putting it in a plastic bottle. They told him to keep it in the fridge and drink it all within 6 days, but to warm it before drinking it.
For Thai people they gave 1.5 liter, but for westerners 2.0 liters as the volume of medicine depends on the body weight.
The best is when you bring your own bottles with you. When we went outside the guy asked me where to pay: I told him that this is a foundation, you dont pay anything, if you want, you can put some money in the donation box, but nobody will look at you if you don't.

Please do not confuse the Thian Fa Foundation with the Thian Fa Hospital, as this last one is on the same grounds but is not free. In the hospital they perform e.g. accupuncture and moxibution, but also allopatic medicine.

Afterwards we went to pray for the Godess of Mercy, to thank her for taking care of us.