From ice baths to addiction retreats, Thailand has the title of ‘Wellness Capital of the World’

A star-studded list of life coaches, spiritual guides, psychologists and podcasters with tens of millions of online followers gathered in Bangkok for a summit as Thailand aims to become a global hub for people’s well-being .

For decades, Thailand has been home to a large wellness industry focused on spas, massages, yoga and tourist getaways.

Since the pandemic, the industry has taken off as travelers seek new experiences and Thais build businesses to offer spiritual and physical remedies to the various ills of modern life.

The wellness industry, worth hundreds of billions of dollars globally, has gone far beyond the yoga vacations and Muay Thai camps of yesteryear. Experiences now include vegan festivals in Koh Phangan; ice baths, ecstatic dance and crystal bowl meditation in Phuket; and cannabis oil massages and addiction retreats in Chiang Mai.

Thailand is now among the top 25 in the Global Wellness Institute’s report this January, with a US$35 billion market, 8.5 percent annual growth between 2020 and 2022.

About 2,000 people paid up to $645 to attend Dragonfly’s two-day HEAL (Harmony, Empathy, Acceptance, and Love) summit, which concluded Wednesday.