This qualitative research aimed to study the meaning, the characteristics, and the dimensions of pain from a Thai point of view. It was conducted under the research project on the development of the quality of pain management for people in the hospital. The subjects were 62 patients, experiencing pain and receiving treatment in 4 hospitals in northeast Thailand. Data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings included: 1) concept from experience of pain, perceived pain as suffering physically and psychologically, 2) different characteristics between acute and chronic pain, 3) four levels of pain intensity: mild, moderate, high and severe, 4) pain effects on four dimensions: physical, psychological, behavioral and societal (family-social-economy), 5) two factors related to pain: alleviating factor and predisposing factor, and 6) pain management relies on beliefs, culture and religion i.e. good deeds in Buddhism affected six dimensions: physical, psychological, social, spiritual, treatment seeking and asking health personnel for help. The results of the present study revealed the influence of culture beliefs on the meaning of pain, pain characteristics, and the effects of pain as well as pain management in terms of cultural contexts. The findings may be implemented for the development of pain assessment and the model development of pain management more appropriately according to cultural contexts.

Keywords: Meaning of pain, Pain characteristics, Dimension of pain, Thai perspective, Qualitative research