Phuket hosts the Global Wellness Summit from 10 to 13 November, with Thailand's TAT as co-host

Phuket will host the Global Wellness Summit 2026 from 10 to 13 November, and on 30 October the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said it will use the event to present Thai wellness to an international audience. The summit is organised by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM), with TAT, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Phuket Province as co-hosts. The shared goal is to support Thailand's ambition to become a "Global Health & Healing Destination".

The venue is Angsana Laguna Phuket and the theme is "The Science, Art & Soul of Wellness". Around 600 Thai and international delegates are expected, among them industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, academics and medical experts. Her Majesty Queen Suthida is scheduled to preside over the official opening ceremony on 11 November and deliver the opening address.

The four days are laid out clearly. On 10 November there are welcome activities and evening receptions. The royal opening follows on 11 November, together with keynotes, plenary sessions, panels and roundtables. On 12 November a student competition called "Shark Tank of Wellness" runs alongside an Innovation Lab and a Gala Evening. The final day, 13 November, brings more industry discussions, innovation showcases and the announcement of the host destination for the 2027 summit.

TAT will run a booth titled "Thailand Wellness Journey: The Ultimate Healing Sanctuary", with wellness routes across all five regions of the country. They cover traditional medicine, massage, cuisine, cultural heritage and natural resources. DTAM will present regional Thai massage traditions, herbal products and food-based wellness, TCEB will show its meetings and events capabilities, and the Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation will highlight Phuket's local crafts and cultural heritage. Other exhibitors include Amathopia, Laguna, BDMS Wellness Clinic and Chiva-Som.

TAT promotes health and wellness travel under the line "Healing is the New Luxury", in step with its "Value over Volume" direction, which puts quality, international service standards and benefits for local communities first. TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool described the summit as a valuable chance to share Thailand's wellness heritage with global industry leaders. After the event, TAT plans to link Thai wellness operators with overseas partners and to build experiences that combine health with gastronomy, culture and community life, as part of its "Transform Together" approach for 2027 and the ambition to be "Asia's No.1 High-Value & Meaningful Destination".

For a traveller, a wellness trip rarely stays inside one resort. People who come for a spa programme, a retreat or a clinic stay often add beaches, temples, markets and local food, and many of those places sit well away from the hotel. In Phuket, where sights are spread along the coast, how you move around the island shapes how much of the trip you actually see.

This is where Balm Rentals fits in. It is a marketplace for renting bikes, scooters and cars in Thailand, built to make that part of the journey easier: the price, the deposit and the rental terms are shown before payment, the website and the iOS and Android apps speak the traveller's own language, and the vehicles come from licensed, verified local owners. We see it as a complement to the rental shops that already serve Phuket's visitors, one more way for guests who like to plan ahead to find them. Anyone who intends to drive should check the licence and insurance rules that apply to them in Thailand and confirm the details with the owner before collecting the vehicle.