Thai hospitals look to lure Vietnam patients

Vietnam on target

Ureerat Ratanaprukse, consul general of Thailand in HCMC, said Thailand is now home to 45 private hospitals accredited by JCI, the largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care in the United States. Therefore, Thailand wants to attract international guests who wish to visit the country for medical services.

Many foreign tourists come to Thailand for cosmetic surgery, organ transplantation, heart surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery and dentistry. Other health services such as spa, physical therapy and long-term rehabilitation are popular as well.

Ureerat said Thailand is an appealing destination for international tourists thanks to its pristine beaches, ancient pagodas, special street food and high-quality services. Vietnam is a potential source market for the Thai medical tourism sector, she said, as it has high demand for overseas medical treatment.

Erik Fleischman, director of Bumrungrad International Hospital, said Bumrungrad was the only Asian hospital among the world’s top 10 in 2015 chosen by ontoplists.com. In addition to 580 beds and more than 30 special treatment centers, the hospital has an internal travel agency responsible for helping patients extend visas, and an interpreter service center with more than 150 staff who can speak in 48 foreign languages including Vietnamese.

More than 1.1 million patients visit the hospital a year, including 520,000 foreigners from 190 countries. Revenue of this hospital was put at over US$530 million in 2016.

About 2,500 Vietnamese annually come to Bumrungrad hospital, said Nguyen Thanh Phuong, chief representative of the hospital in Vietnam.

Dr. Yongyuth Mayalarp, director of the Corporate Partnership and Social Responsibility Department at Phyathai 2 International Hospital, said the hospital specializes in orthopedics, neurosurgery, infertility treatment and marrow transplantation.

The hospital serves an increasing number of foreign patients as the quality of its services is the same as that of those in Singapore but  its fees are 30% lower, Yongyuth noted.

Ureerat said Thailand is also strong in beauty care services. Dermaster Wellness & Aesthetic Institution offers plastic surgery, weight loss, and hair transplantation services. Meanwhile, Divana Spa, part of the Dii Health Care System, provides medical and aesthetic treatment focusing on the DNA of the skin and the entire body.

Billion-dollar industry

Thailand is aiming to become the regional medical center. To promote the development of medical tourism, the Thai government has issued policies to attract international investors and tourists such as a visa extension from 30 to 90 days for regular visitors from the Middle East, China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, Ureerat added.

Thailand has launched a campaign called “Come to Thailand to improve your health” in which patients can get general check-ups, dental services and infertility treatment.

In 2008, 1.55 million international patients visited Thailand for medical treatment. This number surged to 2.8 million in 2013.

Medical tourism is one of the key growth drivers of Thailand’s private health sector. According to a report by the Kasikorn Research Center in early 2017, international tourists spend a total of US$1.15 billion a year on medical treatment in Thailand.