The Thai brand, a leading manufacturer of traditional medicine, will enter its 72nd year in business in 2019.

The actress’s popularity is being used to help the company gain access to the hearts, purses and e-wallets of millennials who are still not very familiar with its Oriental-sounding name.

This reflects some of the efforts now being made by the third generation leadership of the brand as its executives work tirelessly to refresh its image and appeal to younger generations and overseas markets, said company owner Sitthichai Sombunwetchakan.

He is now watching his successor modernise the decades-old business, just as his forefathers did before him.

Ouayun Osoth Co picked Taew as a presenter for its two key products — Fah Talai Jone, which is the Thai name for the medicinal tropical plant, and is also considered a popular remedy for sore throats in Thailand; and Bai Makham Khaek, or senna leaves, which also come in capsule form and is claimed to help people suffering from constipation.

Making these traditional medicines more well-known and keeping their quality in line with internationally acceptable standards are two issues that the company takes very seriously from generation to generation, Mr Sitthichai said.

He recalled the business lessons passed down to him by his father and said these have been the company’s core values since it was established in 1947.

Ouayun Osoth must “make quality medicines at affordable prices and not take advantage of customers,” he said.

His father, Sathian, a traditional doctor, first opened a family-run drugstore in 1947. Located near Memorial Bridge on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, Ouayun Osoth soon made itself known among customers seeking alternative or “holistic” medicines.

In 1986, Mr Sitthichai succeeded his father. It was during this time that Ouayun Osoth went through many major changes that enabled it to grow further in the traditional medicine industry.

Nine years after he took over its management, Mr Sitthichai changed the small pharmacy into a company and relocated its office to Bang Kae.

He built a factory and used new technologies to reformat and repackage traditional medicines in more easy-to-take and Western-friendly capsule forms.

In 2015 the factory was granted the good manufacturing process (GMP) standard for medicinal products by the Food and Drug Administration.

This helped improve public recognition of the company and its products, sending sales and revenue to the next level.

However, the company said it will continue to develop as it strides confidently into the digital age.