The establishment of Thai Association for the Study of Pain (TASP) began in 1989 when Prof. Somsri Pausawasdi who was the President of the Anesthesiologists Association of Thailand was contacted by Prof. Michael Cousins who was the President of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). He was accompanied by Prof. John D. Loeser as the secretary of IASP. They focused on forming the chapter of Thailand, increasing the membership and distributing the education in the pain knowledge.

As the result of the cooperation between the Anesthesiologists Association of Thailand and Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, the Pain workshop conference were held on February 10-12, 1990 at Siriraj Hospital with both guest speakers from IASP. With the mainly support from IASP, TASP as a host providing the accommodation during 5 days’ trip; there were a successful workshop with 170 attendees. As expected, the attendees who were interested in the area of pain also applied for the membership of the IASP with both professors’ as the reference. All applications were sent to Seattle where the IASP office was situated, with the special discounted fee as a developing country benefit. Instead of USD$ 100, we paid USD$ 20 for membership fee. The TASP assembly first held on March 5, 1990 with 30 members joined out of 70 members totally at that time with the name as Thai Chapter of IASP.

With the great effort of distinguished committee members, the Thai Chapter of IASP, under the first president Prof. Sira Bunyaratavej and the secretary Prof. Somsri Pausawasdi was approved by IASP. The announcement was done by Prof M.Cousins in 6th World Congress on Pain in Adelaide, Australia (April 1-3, 1990) who then accepted TASP as a new Chapter of IASP. Assoc.Prof.Waraporn Waikakul, the president of TASP, term 1992-1995 has continued making an effort to maintain the warm hospitality of Thailand, internationally. With the distinctive culture of Thailand in all aspects, TASP has been known by the Chapter which has always got the great support from IASP since then. There was the first bulletin named “Pain News” distributed to TASP member by mail.

Prof. John D. Loeser was the next president of IASP after Prof M.Cousins, at that time the regular membership fee was USD$ 40. There were 117 members of TASP at the end of 1990 from all around Thailand and multidisciplinary such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, social workers, physiotherapists. These number of membership has been increasing and by the end of 1991, it was 200, by the end of 1995 it was 488 members.

Thai Association for the Study of Pain (TASP) has been registered and approved as an association in July 31, 2002 and later as TASP on February 20, 2008.

TASP as the center for the study of pain and pain management of Thailand. The mission statement reads:

1. To promote the education, research and management in pain to health care personnel who are interested in pain
2. To distribute pain knowledge and pain management strategies to health care personal and the public
3. To promote the Thailand culture

The regular activities of TASP that has been done

1. annual scientific meeting
2. Inter-hospital Pain Conference (case conferences in the medical schools)
3. Broadcast television program to distribute more knowledge to the public such as Global day against pain
4. Conference joined with other institute and the “Lecture tour”
5. Bulletin such as “Pain news”
6. Published and distributed the Clinical Practice Guideline
   • CPG Acute Pain
   • CPG Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
   • CPG Neuropathic Pain
   • Opioids special interest group