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Chulabhorn Royal Academy Inspects "Phayao-Chae Son Model": Elevating Innovative Eldercare and Integrating Wellness Tourism Toward International Standards
June 9, 2026 — The executive committee of Chulabhorn Royal Academy, led by Professor Emeritus Rajata Rajatanavin, M.D., Acting Deputy Secretary-General of Chulabhorn Royal Academy, alongside Dr. Thakur Phanich, Professor Ruengpung Sutthent, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Yuwares Sittichanbuncha, M.D. (Acting Deputy Secretaries-General of Chulabhorn Royal Academy), and Mr. Burin Trakarnvanich, Acting Assistant Secretary-General of Chulabhorn Royal Academy, and their delegation, traveled to Phayao Province and Chae Son National Park in Lampang Province. . The purpose of the visit was to inspect the operations of the School of Hospital Management Innovation, Faculty of Health Science Technology, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, to monitor progress in developing elderly care systems and extending them into commercial wellness tourism models.
On this occasion, the CRA executives attended a presentation on operational results regarding personnel development in elderly care under Chulabhorn Royal Academy’s elderly and dependent care curriculums. The presentation was held at Phayao Hospital, which serves as a high-performance clinical training hub for students enrolled in the Certificate Program for Caregivers at the School of Hospital Management Innovation, Faculty of Health Science Technology, Chulabhorn Royal Academy. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Thawatchai Panthong M.D., Director of Phayao Hospital, along with the hospital’s executive team
Phayao Hospital serves as a real-world clinical training facility for trainees in Chulabhorn Royal Academy’s elderly and dependent care programs. The hospital implements stringent preparations for Infection Control (IC) and distributes trainees across eight vital departments for practical experience, including Medical Wards, Surgical Wards, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. This comprehensive training ensures that professional caregivers and Care Managers acquire the highest levels of skill and safety standards to provide continuous and seamless care for patients and elderly individuals after they are discharged back home.
Furthermore, the local initiative has successfully upgraded a community enterprise into a commercial venture driven by technology. The Phayao Lanla Economy Community Enterprise, in collaboration with The Wisdom Center Company Limited, has elevated the status of local caregivers—most of whom are Village Health Volunteers and public-spirited volunteers who received professional upskilling from Chulabhorn Royal Academy. The enterprise secures stable income for these workers through a structured system providing hourly, daily, and monthly elderly care services. Additionally, innovative technology has been introduced to drive the "Caring Wheels: Comfortable Travel for Seniors" platform, which offers transportation services for elderly patients and their relatives to hospitals or various destinations. The initiative also features a "Medicine Rider" service that delivers prescribed medications directly to homes, enabling elderly individuals to access public health services in a completely seamless manner.
Following the hospital visit, the executives traveled to Chae Son National Park in Mueang Pan District, Lampang Province, to receive a presentation on the success of the research project titled "Chae Son: A World-Class Wellness Tourism Model City for the Elderly." This project is a collaborative effort between certified caregivers who graduated from Chulabhorn Royal Academy’s local programs in Mueang Pan District and Chae Son National Park. The partnership focuses on upgrading facilities and tourist attractions to comply with Universal Design standards, preparing the site to welcome senior tourists from around the globe. On this occasion, the executives participated in DIY Wellness Activities, which form part of the project’s health tourism itinerary.
These activities included Body and Mind Rejuvenation through bespoke personalized perfume crafting, spa treatments, and traditional Thai massage for relaxation; Nature Therapy through forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) to restore holistic well-being; and Hydrotherapy involving natural hot spring baths and sampling onsen eggs boiled in mineral-rich natural hot springs beneficial to health.
ซึ่งเป็นความร่วมมือระหว่างนักบริบาลผู้สำเร็จการอบรมหลักสูตรจากราชวิทยาลัยจุฬาภรณ์ ในพื้นที่อำเภอเมืองปาน และอุทยานแห่งชาติแจ้ซ้อน ในการพัฒนาสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและแหล่งท่องเที่ยวให้สอดรับกับอารยสถาปัตย์ (Universal Design) เพื่อรองรับกลุ่มผู้สูงวัยจากทั่วโลก โอกาสนี้ คณะผู้บริหารได้ร่วมทดลองกิจกรรมเพื่อสุขภาพ (DIY Wellness Activity) ซึ่งเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของโปรแกรมการท่องเที่ยวเชิงสุขภาพในโครงการวิจัย ได้แก่ กิจกรรมพักกายและพักใจ: การทำน้ำหอมกลิ่นเฉพาะบุคคล สปาและการนวดแผนไทยเพื่อการผ่อนคลาย , กิจกรรมธรรมชาติบำบัด: การอาบป่าเพื่อฟื้นฟูสุขภาวะ , กิจกรรมธาราบำบัด: การแช่น้ำแร่ธรรมชาติ และการรับประทานไข่ออนเซ็นต้มจากน้ำพุร้อนธรรมชาติที่อุดมไปด้วยแร่ธาตุที่มีประโยชน์ต่อร่างกาย เป็นต้น ทั้งนี้ คณะผู้บริหารราชวิทยาลัยจุฬาภรณ์ได้กล่าวชื่นชมความสำเร็จของการบูรณาการงานวิจัยในครั้งนี้
The executive committee of Chulabhorn Royal Academy highly praised the success of this integrated research project. They noted its outstanding ability to translate academic knowledge into tangible economic and social value, create stable careers for local caregivers, and elevate a Thai national park into a global wellness tourism destination. This initiative successfully prepares the region to handle the transition into an aging society sustainably, bridging the dimensions of public health and commercial wellness tourism.
The outstanding and unique hallmark of the elderly and dependent care training programs by the School of Hospital Management Innovation, Faculty of Health Science Technology, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, lies in its comprehensive, end-to-end integration of knowledge through three high-performance standard curriculums certified by the Department of Health Service Support (HSS). These consist of the 420-hour Certificate Program for Caregivers (CG) to develop highly skilled care workers through real-world clinical training in healthcare facilities; the 130-hour Care Manager Program to produce coordinators who manage and integrate community healthcare systems; and the 91-hour Community Enterprise Development Program for Eldercare to nurture organizational leaders and modern social entrepreneurs. Designing these curriculums across all three dimensions—practitioners, system managers, and organizational leaders—in tandem with utilizing social innovation mechanisms and technologies in model areas, does not only sustainably elevate the health and quality of life for aging individuals within their home communities. It also serves as a vital cog in creating stable careers, driving the grassroots economy, and strengthening civil society to tangibly and sustainably support the transition into a world-class aging society.”
