An increase in overseas patient numbers should lift earnings in thailands health tourism sector this year, with doubledigit growth forecast as service providers move to boost their profile and service offerings. However, in the past few years the world has seen a boom in medical tourism. Thailand has emerged as a leading medical tourism destination in recent years. Medical tourism in thailand treatments, hospitals and. Medical tourism a case study for the usa and india, germany and hungary 8 introduction1 with general tourism on the rise unwto 2010, it is estimated that the volume of medical tourists could reach 4 million per annum by 2012 deloitte 2008a. Healthy outlook for thai medical tourism demand the national. Pdf medical tourism in thailand erik cohen academia. Why choose thailand for medical treatment mymedholiday. Medical tourism in thailand is a lucrative business, developed and. For the past week, lots of media was abuzz about the results of an in vitro study by australian researchers involving ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasitic infections.
To study the core competency in caring for patients with foreigners in the treatment. The number of medical tourists that come in thailand has been steadily increasing since the early 2000s. Studying muay thai is a main activity for thai sports tourism, which the government promotes. Health and wellness tourism thailand in addition to the.
Sign up for an imtj country subscription for access, or login if youre already a subscriber. Thailand s medical devices sector is the 8th largest in the asiapacific region. The study showed that health and wellness tourism generated 858,340 trips to thailand and produced estimated earnings of 31. A medical tourist tax, to channel some of the proceeds from the tourism industry into the health system, could be considered to redistribute some of these gains to the. Private hospitals help complement the system, especially in bangkok and large urban areas, and thailand is among the worlds leading medical tourism destinations. Consumers in search of value, deloitte center for health solutions, 2008 the ecosystem of medical tourism industry. Why medical tourism in thailand thailand is not only a major tourism destination in the world but also one of the most popular countries for medical tourism. Stress among medical students in a thai medical school. In 2010, we checked the records of all visits to five private hospitals that are estimated to cover 63%. This is the first such study carried out in thailand, and is expected to enhance. That said, medical costs in thailand are rising, as they are in most parts of the world.
Cnn documentary shows medical tourism in thailand is a. The figures include medical tourism within health and wellness, but tat are unable to say how many are medical tourism and how many are health and wellness tourists. Such services are not only meant for thai tourists but also international tourists who visit the country for medical purposes. Ranked among the worlds 50 best healthcare systems by the world health organization who, thailand is slowly gaining recognition as a popular destination for health tourists. Health tourism is a key growth sector of the indian healthcare delivery industry. Medical tourism is a growing phenomenon with policy implications for health systems, particularly of destination countries. This book is the first comprehensive legal and ethical analysis of one part of the globalization of health care.
The main units of analysis in this study are international medical tourists in thailand. The global medical tourism market size was valued at usd 44. Medical tourism in thailand thailand health care system. Medical tourism association a global platform for the. The ministry of public health claimed thailand received 2. Healthy outlook for thai medical tourism demand emiratis who seek treatment abroad, including in thailand, are either selfpaying or do so at the expense of the ministry of health. Malaysia, thailand and the philippines to extract lessons and the best practices for another asian country, sri lanka that demonstrates considerable potential in medical and wellness. Medical tourism thailand bangkok hospital hua hin duration.
The medical tourism association is a global nonprofit association for the medical tourism and international patient industry. However, all of those companies are very focused on the medical side of the medical tourism. More than a million foreigners travel to thailand every year to get medical and surgical procedures done. Using the example of thailand, where annually a million nonthai patients seek medical treatment, this article provides a critical analysis of the political. Medical tourism is a fast growing multibilliondollar industry around the world and it entails trade in services of two major industries i. Moreover, medical tourism is forecasted to support the growth of the tourism sector at around 16% per year during 20172020. Thailand seeks to boost market share of medical tourism in asia. The world may be getting smaller every day, but until very recently health care remained local. Our guide to medical tourism worldwide helps you to decide which is the best destination and healthcare provider for your needs, and provides practical advice about going overseas for surgery, dentistry or other kinds of treatment. The rise of medical tourism harvard business school. Thailand has healthy prospects for medical tourism.
In addition, there are an estimated 538 local medical device manufacturers in thailand at the end of 2017. The mta works with healthcare providers, governments, insurance companies, employers and other buyers of healthcare in their medical tourism, international patient, and healthcare initiatives with a focus on. Singapore and india are the next leading destinations, but data for these countries are also unclear, say industry analysts. Although reliable estimates of the annual number of people. According to the international healthcare research center ihrc, medical tourism is likely to. An introduction to medical tourism whitehead agency group. This has resulted in the country taking its place on the top of the global medical tourism market.
This explorative study focuses on some key sociological issues at the core of the development process of the thai medical tourism sector. An interesting development at the end of 2018, beginning 2019, is increased attention in the media for the cost of medical treatment at private hospitals. Within this section, you will find information on medical tourism numbers, our estimate of inbound and outbound medical tourists where they can be reliably ascertained and news that provides estimates of medical tourism activity in thailand. Pdf to explore the positive and negative effects of medical tourism on the economy, health staff and medical costs in thailand.
Medical tourism facilitator in thaiand health tour booking. To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of medical tourism in thailand and the impact of such tourism on the thai health system and economy. Medical tourism in thailand and its marketing strategies jutamas rerkrujipimol1 and ilian assenov2. Thailand has become one of asias major medical tourism destinations. Thailand seeks to boost market share of medical tourism in. For over 10 years, thailand has been developing the strategic plan to raise the level of medical tourism and public health services in order to meet international standard. This reversal in the direction of the quest for medical services is to a. Ranked 47th by the world health organization, the thai healthcare system has also been well recognized by the us consular information sheet. Thailand medical tourism is a growing national industry in the heart of southeast asia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and sources of stress among thai medical students. As part of a wider medical tourism study, authors gained access to over 4000 patient records from the five largest private hospitals in thailand. Medical tourism in thailand and its marketing strategies.
An introduction to medical tourism sun, sand and wellness one in a series of marketing guides. There are a lot of companies that provide medical tourism throughout the world, and russia is no different. It presents the first analysis of a large dataset of medical tourists in five thai private hospitals, analyzing in depth. To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of medical tourism in thailand and the impact of such tourism on. Thailand is leading asia as a medical tourism destination.
Latest figures on medical tourism to thailand imtj. Cnn documentary shows medical tourism in thailand is a serious business. This study will furthermore give an overview of the benefits and advantages of. Survey data on 4755 foreign and thai outpatients in two private hospitals were used to explore how medical tourism affects human resources. Kpmg member firms provide a wideranging offering of studies, analysis and.
Medical tourists are individuals who travel abroad for the primary purpose of getting health care in a growing multibilliondollar industry. The questionnaires, which consisted of the thai stress test tst and questions asking about sources of stress, were sent to all medical students in the faculty of medicine, ramathibodi hospital, thailand. The present study presents an overview of medical tourism in india and. India, thailand, and malaysia which will necessarily have potential repercussions for. On another hand, thailand medical tourism has seen its popularity rise owing to the fact that it is home to many internationally accredited hospitals. Figure 14 medical tourism cluster diamond analysis. For the past week, lots of media was abuzz about the results of an in vitro study by australian researchers involving ivermectin, a. At the same time, new opportunities with high growth potential, such as promoting locations in thailand for international film shoots and developing new leisure attractions, will help ensure a sustainable. In 2016, there were 11,219 british people, 6,800 australians, and 5,852 french nationals who visited thailand to take lessons in the classical martial art.
To help understand the impact of medical tourism on the thai health. Availability of additional benefits including better healthcare, latest technologies, innovative medicines, modern devices, better hospitality, and personalized care are some of the drivers of this market. Thailands network of public hospitals provide universal healthcare to all thai nationals through three government schemes. Most studies of medical tourism have focused on the residents of north america, western europe and the eastern mediterranean region, many of whom have high. India is currently promoting medical tourism aggressively. Medical tourism travel abroad for a better and affordable medical treatment. Medical and wellness tourism lessons from asia 23apr2014.
Medical tourism and policy implications for health systems. Medical tourism market size, share industry analysis. These hospitals offer a gamut of treatments, right from cosmeticplastic surgery and dental tourism to organ transplants at affordable rates. To study the impact on nursing service in medical tourism. Health vacations in thailand thailand medical tourism. The thai government is looking towards newer markets, such as china, myanmar, laos, cambodia and vietnam, to take advantage of the growing affluence in those countries and the rising demand for professional health care. Private actors and governments in southeast asia are promoting the medical tourist industry, but the potential impact on health systems, particularly in terms of equity in access and availability for local consumers, is unclear. Thailand the wellness capital of asia ministry of public health certification of thai spas featuring dr rewat wisutwet director general, department of health service support, ministry of public health health tourism, a novel concept, is thailands rising star. People are now going abroad not only to relax on vacation but also seek. Survey data on 4755 foreign and thai outpatients in two. Medical tourism a case study for the usa and india.
1534 55 1159 1517 1013 371 672 316 1050 1059 1460 160 1219 1298 459 457 707 1191 874 1476 580 1149 413 473 1071 1335 145 1495 1334 486 549 228 80 98