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Well-being“shouldbe defined as physical, spiritual, social and intellectual health. Poverty, injustice or even an inadequate education system can lead to aDr Prawase added that there is considerable effort from various sec- tors intent on improving Thai public health. “Drawing from history, a lot of people, whom I call the forerunners of public health, have persistently devot- ed their efforts to health and medical development. To give you an example, previously medication in remote areas like Kanchanaburi where I was born was very poor. We heard many stories of patients who died from common conditions such as appendicitis and diphtheria, but public health has come a long way as we can now find provincial hospitals and public health centres stationed in all districts and sub-districts throughout the country. Likewise, several public health programmes have been set up to train locals to become village health volunteers, allowing them to depend less and less on the central govern- ment. Even though these volunteers are listed at the very bottom of the6 Elite+public health structure, they are a key factor in developing the living conditions of citizens.”Meanwhile, several campaigns and organizations have been established at the administrative headquarters with the aim of reforming the entire system and broadening the definition of well-being. Well-being should be defined as physical, spiritual, social and intellectual health. Poverty, injustice or even an inadequate education system can lead to a lack of well-being.“In other words, I would say ‘health is the whole’. The medical sector normally emphasizes the technical aspect without further consideration on how to implement these theories into the entire system. We might invent a useful innovation but the next mission is how to apply this to benefit all. For this reason, a self-governing institution, the Health Systems Research Institute, was founded inlack of well”1992 to research a practical system of application. Public health strategy was also reformed from a defensive into an offensive approach, considering how to prevent sickness rather than waiting for it to occur before tackling it. To promote good health, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation [ThaiHealth] was established as a tool. It was an autonomous government agency whose annual revenue was obtained from excise taxes on tobacco and liquor, based on the idea that what is harming good health should contribute something to society in return. Thai- health’s duties have expanded to a wide range of campaigns to promote Thai well-being.”Organisations such as the National Health Security Office and National Health Commission Office of Thailand have taken part in other aspects of promoting public health. Despite the devotion of the activists, however, their efforts and goodwill usually-being