The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce used the Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026 to launch a five-year strategy for 2027 to 2031 that targets 150 billion baht a year in revenue from international visitors by 2031. The summit ran on 3 and 4 September 2026 at Shangri-La Chiang Mai. The plan rests on five industry clusters, a 1.141 billion baht investment programme developed with Chiang Mai University, and four pilot wellness routes that participants visited on the second day.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026: World Class Wellness Destination |
| Dates and venue | 3 and 4 September 2026, Shangri-La Chiang Mai |
| Host | Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce |
| Strategy period | 2027 to 2031 |
| Revenue target | 150 billion baht a year from international visitors by 2031 |
| Investment plan | 1.141 billion baht, 14 flagship projects, five pillars |
| Pilot routes | Four, visited on 4 September 2026 |
What is the Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026?
The Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026: World Class Wellness Destination was a two-day event held on 3 and 4 September 2026 at Shangri-La Chiang Mai. The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce hosted it with support from the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and private-sector tourism networks.
Chamber Vice President Akom Suwannakantha announced the summit at a press conference on 24 August 2026. Boonlue Thammanurak, Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai, opened the event at 10.00 on 3 September, which brought together government agencies, private-sector networks, entrepreneurs and investors.
The first-day programme combined a keynote address, a panel with representatives from TAT, TCEB, the medical sector and Thailand’s spa and wellness industry, a networking workshop on Chiang Mai’s longevity strategy to 2035, and business matching across five sectors: medical services, food, cosmeceuticals, wellness activities and tourism. An exhibition featured products and services from more than 20 longevity economy businesses and partners.
The wellness plan for Chiang Mai, 2027 to 2031
International visitors a year
Today
2031 target
Average spend per international visit
12,485 baht today
20,000 baht by 2031
Annual revenue target from international visitors by 2031
Reach the longevity economy with the Chiang Mai Business Network
Source: Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce longevity strategy, 2027 to 2031
What is the 150 billion baht longevity strategy?
The strategy runs from 2027 to 2031 and targets 150 billion baht in annual revenue from international visitors by 2031, according to The Nation. It covers five clusters: medical and healthcare services, healthy and personalised food, cosmeceuticals and herbal products, mental wellbeing and lifestyle activities, and digital marketing powered by innovation and artificial intelligence.
The Chamber sets out measurable targets for the five-year period. Rus Tourism News describes the foreign visitor target as an increase of 150 percent.
| Measure | Starting point | 2031 target |
|---|---|---|
| International visitors to Chiang Mai | About 3 million | 7.5 million |
| Average spend per general international visitor | 12,485 baht per visit | 20,000 baht per visit |
| Spend per international wellness tourist | 45,000 to 80,000 baht per visit | Priority high-spending segment |
| Longevity and wellness share of gross provincial product | Not stated in coverage reviewed | 35 percent, approximately 52.5 billion baht |
How the visitor and spending targets add up to 150 billion baht
Multiplying the 7.5 million visitor target by the 20,000 baht average spend target gives 150 billion baht, the same figure as the revenue target. This is CMBN’s own arithmetic, and the sources reviewed do not state the link. The calculation shows that the headline target depends on visitor numbers and spend per visit rising together, and that international wellness tourists spending 45,000 to 80,000 baht per visit lift the average.
The five clusters
- Medical and healthcare services, including the expansion of preventive healthcare.
- Healthy, safe and personalised food.
- Cosmeceuticals, herbal products and high-value health products, built on turning local herbs into internationally recognised, medical-grade innovations.
- Mental wellbeing and lifestyle activities, including mental health therapy, nature-based healing and lifestyle wellness.
- Proactive marketing, driven by innovation and digital technology to attract high-quality visitors.
How is the strategy funded?
The Chamber and Chiang Mai University developed a five-year investment plan with a total budget of 1.141 billion baht, about US$35.9 million, covering five strategic pillars and 14 flagship projects, as reported by Health Club Management.
The CityNews report on the announcement names five proposed projects among the 14:
- Higher standards for the cosmeceutical and herbal industries, so that products meet international high-value markets.
- A Wellness Sandbox, a controlled setting for healthcare innovation and specialised services.
- A Zero Burn agricultural ecosystem.
- Promotion of Lanna wellness brands, rooted in traditional northern Thai culture.
- Lanna Mindfulness routes focused on mental and spiritual wellbeing.
What are the four pilot longevity wellness routes?
The summit presented four pilot experiential routes that participants visited on 4 September 2026: the Holistic Retreat Longevity Route, the Hot Spring Agri-Gastronomy Route, the Medical Innovation Excellence Route and The Secrets of BoKaeo. Each route tests a different part of the five-cluster strategy.
Holistic Retreat Longevity Route
This route centres on mindfulness and holistic wellbeing. Activities include a welcome cacao experience, Yoga Nidra with crystal singing bowls, a community khantoke, visits to Aranyawas Temple and the Lhotha Prasat at Phra That Si Mueang Pong, and self-foot massage. A horse therapy experience at Pong Yang Horse completes the programme.
Hot Spring Agri-Gastronomy Route
Participants explored the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs development and experienced Lanna-style massage, foot soaking, hydrotherapy and herbal compress treatments. Chiang Mai News published a report on this route as the second activity of the summit on 4 September 2026.
Medical Innovation Excellence Route
This route showcases Chiang Mai’s healthcare and health technology capabilities through study visits to Chiang Mai Ram Hospital and the Wellness Centre at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, along with North IVF Medical Clinic and a centre that promotes healthy ageing among older adults.
The Secrets of BoKaeo: Decoding 100 Years of Longevity
The Samoeng and Bo Kaeo route explores the lifestyle of long-lived communities, with an overnight stay in a longevity village. It includes the Rainbow Cave in Khun Khan National Park, community history, local longevity practices, the Signature 12 Sian menu and the Bo Kaeo sea of mist. The programme then continues to the Hmong community at Huai Nam Chang and to Mae Cha Pu village, home to the Pgak’nyau (Karen) community.
What did Weerasak Kowsurat say in the keynote?
Weerasak Kowsurat, a former Minister of Tourism and Sports, delivered the keynote “Longevity Wellness Hub Thailand: The Land of Life” on 3 September 2026. He described a shift in the Thai economy from conventional tourism towards health and longevity, and called on Chiang Mai to move from a place of rest to a place of refuge, according to Naewna.
Weerasak cited Global Wellness Institute figures showing the global wellness economy growing from US$5.8 trillion in 2022 to US$6.8 trillion in 2024, with a forecast of nearly US$9 trillion by 2029. He placed the Thai wellness economy at about US$42.7 billion in 2024.
He proposed a five-layer cascade model that carries value from the local economy of farmers, communities and regional food, through the tourism, visitor, experience and service economies. He also proposed pairing Chiang Mai with Chiang Rai and Kwan Phayao as northern pilot areas, which spreads visitors across the region and builds a shared longevity ecosystem. At national level, he cited a 2035 goal to raise visitor economy revenue from 3 trillion baht to 6 trillion baht.
The programme also launched the Chiang Mai Wellness Playbook 2026, presented by Dr Ratima Srisomwong and Dr Athicha Khwangsopha of the Faculty of Business Administration at Chiang Mai University. Assoc. Prof. Dr Kasemsak Uthaichana of the Chiang Mai University Science and Technology Park presented the five-year, five-pillar plan.
How does the plan fit national and global wellness growth?
The Global Wellness Institute values the global wellness economy at US$6.8 trillion in 2024 and forecasts US$9.75 trillion by 2029. Thailand’s wellness economy reached US$42.7 billion in 2024, which is 0.63 percent of the global market, according to The Nation.
The Global Wellness Institute reported that Thailand’s wellness market reached US$42.7 billion, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes the national strategy through its Healing is the New Luxury campaign. Private investment follows the same direction. According to The Nation, BDMS is investing more than 29 billion baht in the WellEra integrated wellness project in Bangkok. Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai signed an agreement with the Science and Technology Park at Chiang Mai University in April 2026, as CMBN reported in its coverage of the Chiang Mai Investment Hub Dialogue.
The Chiang Mai programme is separate from the Thai Spa Association strategy, which aims to move Thailand’s wellness economy from ninth place in the Asia-Pacific region into the top five by 2030, as Rus Tourism News explains.
Thailand hosts the 20th Global Wellness Summit in Phuket from 10 to 13 November 2026, four days after the date of this article. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced the host selection in 2025, and the summit gives industry leaders a forum to examine new wellness economy data, according to The Nation.
What results has the summit published so far?
Public coverage of the Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026 reports the strategy, the targets, the budget, the programme and the four routes. The sources reviewed by CMBN do not report the number or value of business agreements concluded at the business-matching sessions.
The Chamber has set the direction and the measures for 2031. CMBN will report the first results as the Chamber, Chiang Mai University and the supporting agencies publish them.
What does this mean for Chiang Mai businesses?
The five clusters cover food producers, herbal and cosmetic manufacturers, clinics and hospitals, wellness and hospitality operators, tourism companies and digital marketers. The business-matching programme at the summit was built to connect companies across five of those sectors, and the Chamber named proactive digital marketing as a cluster in its own right.
The strategy raises the value of three things for a Chiang Mai company: a verified public profile, visibility on the surfaces where international wellness travellers search, and a direct line to other businesses in the same sectors. The Chiang Mai Business Network places members inside a community of owners, professionals and decision makers, and every member receives a featured listing on Golden Pages, the human-verified CMBN business directory. CMBN Media Services supports member companies that need to increase digital visibility across all surfaces.
CMBN’s related coverage places the longevity plan in its wider economic setting:
- Chiang Mai venture capital and the investor talk, where Chamber Chairman Dr Kobkit Isarachiwat named healthcare and wellness among four sectors attracting investors.
- Thailand’s 4th National Tourism Development Plan for 2028 to 2032 and what it means for Chiang Mai businesses.
- The business case for medical facilitators, which examines the commercial case for medical facilitators.
Upcoming CMBN gatherings appear on the CMBN events page.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Chiang Mai Longevity Summit 2026?
The summit took place on 3 and 4 September 2026 at Shangri-La Chiang Mai. The first day covered the keynote, panel, workshop, business matching and exhibition. The second day covered the four pilot routes.
Who organised the summit?
The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce hosted it, supported by the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and private-sector tourism networks.
What is the 2031 revenue target?
The Chamber targets 150 billion baht a year in revenue from international visitors by 2031, about US$4.7 billion.
How many international visitors does Chiang Mai want by 2031?
The strategy aims to grow international visitors from about 3 million to 7.5 million a year.
How do the visitor and spending targets connect to the revenue target?
A target of 7.5 million visitors at an average spend of 20,000 baht each equals 150 billion baht, according to CMBN’s calculation from the Chamber’s published figures.
How much does the longevity investment plan cost?
The five-year plan from the Chamber and Chiang Mai University carries a budget of 1.141 billion baht for 14 flagship projects across five strategic pillars.
What are the five longevity clusters?
Medical and healthcare services; healthy, safe and personalised food; cosmeceuticals, herbal products and high-value health products; mental wellbeing and lifestyle activities; and proactive marketing powered by innovation and digital technology.
What is the Chiang Mai Wellness Playbook 2026?
It is a resource launched at the summit by Dr Ratima Srisomwong and Dr Athicha Khwangsopha of the Faculty of Business Administration at Chiang Mai University.
When is the Global Wellness Summit 2026?
The 20th Global Wellness Summit takes place in Phuket, Thailand, from 10 to 13 November 2026.
