Thailand to become int'l medical hub

BANGKOK, August 4 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health is confident that Thailand will become an Asian, and even international, medical hub, expectedly generating some 815 billion baht of incomes from medical services over the next five years. Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said on Friday that Thailand generated 97.87 billion baht from medical services last year when 2.2 million foreigners arrived to seek medical services in the country. Wittaya acknowledged that his ministry is implementing a strategic plan to develop Thailand into a regional and even international medical hub over the next five years, with the Department of Health Service Support taking the lead in the implementation, and that the strategic plan focuses on the improvement of medical treatment including dental services, the treatment of special diseases, long-term accommodations for patients, health promotion activities including spa and massage services, the production of health and herbal products which meet the Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) standard of the World Health Organization (WHO), the increase in products related to Thai traditional medicine and alternative medicine and the establishment of hospitals specializing in Thai traditional and alternative medicine nationwide. Besides, Wittaya revealed that his ministry plans to extend each stay of foreign patients who seek treatment in Thailand from 30 to 90 days without having to apply for a visa so that they can enter Thailand for the purpose frequently in one year, and that the privilege will initially apply to people of five Arab countries, namely the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain late this year. According to the public health minister, the government will also spend about 3.1 billion baht on the initiative to develop Thailand into a regional and international medical hub within the due course. (TNA)