Thailand has emerged as a major destination for medical tourism in the Asia-Pacific region since the 2000s. Over the past two decades, the country’s medical tourism industry has experienced remarkable growth, attracting patients from around the world. This article will examine in detail the history, current situation, factors behind its success, present state, and future prospects of medical tourism in Thailand.
Development of Medical Tourism
Thailand’s medical tourism industry began to develop in earnest following the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Faced with economic challenges, the Thai government focused on internationalizing medical services as a new means of earning foreign currency and economic recovery. This strategic shift enabled a unique value proposition by combining Thailand’s abundant tourism resources with high-quality medical services at relatively low costs.
In 2004, the Thai government officially launched the “Medical Hub of Asia” initiative, positioning medical tourism as part of its national strategy. Under this vision, the government implemented proactive policies. Specifically, these included support for international accreditation (JCI) of medical institutions, relaxation of visa regulations for foreigners, and expansion of language training programs for medical professionals. These efforts rapidly established a service delivery system in Thai medical institutions that met international standards.The private sector also responded to government policies with active investments.
Major private hospitals, led by Bumrungrad Hospital, began developing services tailored to foreign patients’ needs, such as hiring multilingual medical staff and introducing airport transfer and interpretation services. These efforts played a crucial role in enhancing the international reputation of Thai medical services.
In the late 2000s, Thailand’s medical tourism entered a new phase. Medical institutions began developing “treatment + resort” packages that utilized Thailand’s tourism resources, going beyond merely providing treatment services. This innovative approach was particularly successful in attracting patients from the Middle East and Europe.
For example, plans combining cardiac surgery recovery periods with beach resort stays and packages combining health check-ups with sightseeing tours became popular.
In 2012, the number of foreign patients visiting Thailand for treatment reached 2.53 million, marking rapid growth in the medical tourism industry. Building on this success, Thai government formulated the “Medical Hub Strategy (2017-2026)” in 2017. This new strategy aimed to diversify the industry by expanding from traditional treatment-based medicine to preventive medicine and wellness fields.
Specifically, key measures included introducing advanced medical technologies, developing medical IT infrastructure, and strengthening medical human resource development. In Thailand, some medical institutions are publicly listed companies, and services and advertisements aimed at attracting foreign patients are widely conducted.
Current Situation and Scale
As of 2023, Thailand’s medical tourism market size has reached $2.9 billion, occupying an important position in the global market. According to market research firms, this market is expected to expand at an astonishing annual growth rate of 42.9% by 2030. This growth rate significantly surpasses the average growth rate of the global medical tourism market, indicating that Thailand has established itself as an industry leader.The proportion of foreign patients in Thailand’s major hospitals ranges from 30% to 45%, with some hospitals showing even higher ratios.
For example, at Bangkok Hospital, 250,000 out of 850,000 annual patients are foreigners, accounting for about 30%. These figures vividly demonstrate the ability of Thai medical institutions to attract international patients. Thailand has obtained JCI accreditation for more than 60 facilities, the highest number among ASEAN countries, indicating that it meets international standards for medical quality and safety.
One of the strengths of Thailand’s medical tourism is its ability to provide high-quality medical services at relatively low costs. For example, the cost of knee replacement surgery is less than half that in the United States, highlighting its cost competitiveness. This price advantage is particularly attractive to patients seeking elective treatments or self-pay medical care not covered by insurance.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a significant blow to the medical tourism industry worldwide, and Thailand was no exception. Border closures and travel restrictions led to a sharp decline in the number of foreign patients from 2020 to 2021. However, the swift response of the Thai government and medical institutions demonstrated the industry’s resilience by continuing to provide medical services while strengthening infection control measures.
In 2023, during the recovery phase from the pandemic, the Thai government continued to improve institutional aspects, such as introducing a new visa specifically for medical purposes (allowing a 90-day stay). This new visa is expected to be a significant advantage for patients requiring long-term treatment or recuperation, further enhancing the competitiveness of Thailand’s medical tourism.
For 2024, the Thai government anticipates receiving 2 million medical tourists, with an expected economic impact of about 100 billion baht (340 billion yen). To achieve this goal, the government is implementing a multifaceted approach, including improving medical infrastructure, training medical professionals, and strengthening marketing strategies.
Medical Tourism Customers
Thailand’s medical tourism customer base is diverse, with needs varying according to the characteristics of each region or country. The main customer segments can be classified as follows:
- China and India:
With the rise of the middle class, this segment has been expanding at an annual growth rate of over 15% since 2023. - Neighboring ASEAN countries:
Patients from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos account for 35% of the total, primarily seeking short-term stays for relatively inexpensive general treatments. - Middle East:
Long-term stays combining advanced medical care with resort facilities are increasing, especially from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. - Western countries and Japan:
There is a notable demand for elective treatments (such as fertility treatments and cosmetic surgery) taking advantage of the price difference with advanced medical care. Some hospitals targeting foreigners have set up dedicated counters for each nationality, including foreign residents.
Major Medical Institutions
The major institutions supporting Thailand’s medical tourism each have distinctive services and specialized fields. Here are details of some representative medical institutions:
Bumrungrad International Hospital
Bumrungrad International Hospital is a leading private hospital driving Thailand’s medical tourism. Since its establishment in 1980, it has developed services focused on international patients, becoming a symbolic presence in Thai medical tourism.
The hospital’s most notable feature is its comprehensive multilingual service. With over 150 medical interpreters on staff, it can provide services in 11 languages. This enables patients from around the world to receive treatment without feeling language barriers. In terms of facilities, it offers comfortable inpatient environments comparable to luxury hotels, enhancing the quality of patients’ recuperation.
Bangkok Hospital Group
Bangkok Hospital Group operates Thailand’s largest private medical network. Leveraging this extensive network, it provides uniformly high-quality medical services throughout Thailand.
It also offers comprehensive services for international patients, including creating medical records in languages other than Thai and providing meals that consider dietary habits to support patients from various countries seeking treatment.
Samitivej Hospital:
Samitivej Hospital is known for its services specializing in preventive medicine. Its comprehensive health check-up packages are particularly popular among patients from EU countries, with over 40% of foreign patients coming from Europe.
Samitivej Hospital is also taking advanced initiatives in emergency medicine. It has established an international transport system using emergency helicopters, enabling the acceptance of emergency patients from neighboring countries and rapid response to accidents or sudden illnesses in remote areas. This initiative has expanded the scope of Thailand’s medical tourism and contributed to gaining international trust in emergency medical services.
Yanhee International Hospital:
Yanhee International Hospital is a specialized institution internationally renowned in the fields of cosmetic surgery and gender reassignment surgery. It performs over 12,000 plastic surgery procedures annually, and its track record and technical capabilities are recognized worldwide.For gender reassignment surgery, it has established a comprehensive support system from psychological counseling to post-operative care.
It also maintains high standards in safety management. It has introduced a quality management system certified to ISO 9001 and continuously works to improve the safety and quality of procedures. This strict quality control system gives great reassurance to patients from overseas and is a factor in enhancing the hospital’s international reputation.
Future Prospects
Three directions are noteworthy as future growth strategies:
First is the integration of digital medicine. The Thai government has announced plans to deploy a telemedicine platform nationwide by 2025, and the introduction of VR technology for surgical training and AI-assisted diagnostic systems is progressing.
Secondly, the promotion of precision medicine, with a policy to focus on personalized treatment utilizing genomic analysis explicitly stated in the national strategy.
Thirdly, addressing regional disparities is a challenge. To improve the current situation where medical resources are concentrated in the Bangkok metropolitan area, construction of a comprehensive medical center in Phuket began in 2024.
Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing about balancing this with ensuring medical access for local residents, and there are proposals to introduce a special tax on foreign patients.From the perspective of maintaining international competitiveness, a human resource development program is underway to raise the English proficiency standard of medical professionals to CEFR B2 level by 2026. Through these efforts, Thailand is expected to establish its position as the “Medical Hub of Asia” as it aspires to be.
＜References＞
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