On 4 June 2026, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) partnered with Thairath Group, through Triple V Broadcast Company Limited (Thairath TV), to hold a press conference launching a new campaign. “Stand Up, Stiff Bodies” The official launch took place in the main conference room on the 11th floor of Building 17 at Thairath Group's headquarters.
The “Stand Up, Stiff Bodies” campaign aims to encourage people to change their habits by reducing prolonged sitting, avoiding inactivity, and incorporating simple daily exercises. The event began with an engaging demonstration of easy stretching exercises, such as torso twists, showing that even brief activity can effectively relieve stress and help prevent disease.
Dr. Pongtep Wongwatcharaipiboon, manager of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, shared insights on the silent threat of NCDs and their formidable enemy, the “mind.” He explained this perspective with interest, “Currently, Thai people have an 81% mortality rate from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. These illnesses are primarily caused by sedentary behavior and excessive energy intake without adequate expenditure, leading to arterial hardening and metabolic system breakdown.”
Dr. Pongtep also emphasized that “the most dangerous enemy in managing health is our own mind, which often battles comfort and tells us to delay action. Although people's available time varies, starting to move for just 3 minutes as promoted in this campaign can be a great first step to build habits and discipline to fight NCDs over the long term.”
Supatnuch Sondamri, senior director of the Office of Social Marketing Communications at ThaiHealth, further explained the significance of the 3-minute duration, “This time frame is backed by research showing it benefits vascular health. Partnering with Thairath Group was chosen due to their strong communication power to motivate the public to become more active, with the easy-to-remember stretching keywords: ‘stand, bend, lift, stretch.’”
Meanwhile, Jitsupa Watcharaphol, co-CEO of Thairath TV and Thairath Online, added, “Although exercising is a growing trend, many people, especially working adults sitting through long meetings, remain inactive. This project aims to rally civil society to recognize health importance, using screen media to remind viewers at home to stand up and move together. The ultimate goal is to embed this behavior as a ‘culture’ in Thai society, enabling everyone to enjoy good health without cost.”
To encourage action, the project invites people nationwide to “reset their bodies” by submitting video entries. The contest rules require creating short vertical or horizontal videos showcasing creative, safe, and practical stretching ideas for daily life.
The contest offers 27 prizes totaling over 100,000 baht, including a grand prize: a 3-day, 2-night health tourism package in Krabi Province (Wareerak Hot Spring & Wellness) with round-trip air tickets for one winner, plus two 2-day, 1-night health tourism packages (Rainbow Arokaya).
Additional prizes include Garmin vívoactive 6 smartwatches, Shokz OpenRun exercise headphones, and 1,000-baht vouchers from Super Sport.
All entries will be judged by an expert panel, with winners announced on 6 September 2026 during the “Stand Up, Stiff Bodies” show on Thairath TV Channel 32.
Beyond the main campaign, ThaiHealth and Thairath Group have extended cooperation through the project “Green Table for Well-being” which presents analytical news content by simplifying statistics and real social events in Thairath’s style, supporting the campaign to heal body and mind and fostering awareness for sustainable behavior change among the public.