Countries participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative will now be eligible to enroll students of traditional Chinese medicine programs into a one-year scholarship program in China. Ten thousand places will be offered at various centers of Chinese medical expertise around the country. Several universities in Thailand, where interest in traditional medicine has grown, have been quick to express interest in sending students to China.

At one of the foremost centers of oriental medicine in Thailand is Rangsit University, on the outskirts of Bangkok. The medical center offers a mixture of Thai herbal remedies and Chinese traditional medicine.

Dr. Wang, originally from east China's Jiangsu Province, has noticed a growing interest in traditional Chinese treatment, especially acupuncture, and has been working at the university for 15 years. One afternoon, a patient consulted him about a sleeping disorder, with the doctor quick to conduct his treatment by reading the patient's pulse.

Precise skills such as this will be a fundamental part of the scholarship program which is now being offered in China.

Thailand is no stranger to the possibilities offered by traditional Chinese medicine, but now more people are becoming devoted to this career.

Ms Thandidas is one example that has bridged the countries closer on a level of traditional Chinese medicine. Her family has opened five Chinese pharmacies in the past 50 years throughout Thailand. In the past, her customers were locals and members of the overseas Chinese community. However, she has noticed a stark change change as traditional medicine has gained popularity. The family now employs a Chinese doctor to run two hour surgeries in their shops on a daily basis, which is proof that Chinese medicine is in good health in Thailand.