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modern world, Thai traditional medicine rational thought has impacted traditional civi-

knowledge was forced to adapt to new mod- lizations, affecting mainly, the transmission
ern forms of codification, trainings and laws, of traditional knowledge. Thus, in this sec-
which can impact the integrity of Thai tradi- tion it is going to be analyzed the positives

tional medicine wisdom; Also, it results in a and negatives impacts of the changes on the
disconnection of practitioners to the ùchainû, transmission of Thai traditional knowledge
that is to say to the ùfamily of traditional since the modernization process in Thailand.

wisdomû that they belong to. Thus, in order Four main changes are presented, based on
to analyze the impacts that the moderniza- the history of Thailand and the current situ-

tion of the world has caused to the Thai tra- ation of the modern world. The positive and
ditional medicine, in the next section, it is negative points are presented based on the
investigated the changes that took place in analysis of the researcher, which may agree

the transmission of knowledge in Thailand, or disagree with Guénon.
and what it has affected since then. Change 1: In the past, Thai traditional

medicine knowledge used to be safeguarded
Discussion
only on teachersû memory, and passed on only
Modernization is the process of adopt- to members of family. But due to historical

ing new ideas and new ways of thinking to circumstances and the progress of Thai soci-
the needs of society. The prevalent knowl- ety, the knowledge begun to be recorded in
edge in the modern world is the scientific format of scriptures, and available to people

knowledge, a type of knowledge under the in general, and not limited to families of tra-
domain of reason, where the rational thought ditional doctors.
is considered superior than the ùpure intellectû. The fall of Ayutthaya, the capital of the

In this sense, traditional knowledge, a knowl- ancient Siam, in a war against Burma in 1767,
edge of metaphysical order, is subordinated marks the development of the transmission

to the sphere of reason and substituted by of Thai traditional medicine knowledge, be-
the ùadvancedû modern science. Thus, to sur- cause during the war many ancient and holy
vive from the pressures of the modern world, scriptures were destroyed, including medi-

traditional knowledge has to adapt to the new, cal scriptures.
and it has to conform its traditional aspect to After the fall of Ayutthaya, King Rama I

the rational thought. (1782-1809) commanded the restoration of Wat
With the advancements of the world, the Pho, where according to Chaithavuthi &