Thailand to earn Bt800bn from medical services in five years

BANGKOK, August 30 (TNA) - The government has targeted Thailand to earn up to 800 billion baht from medical services over the next five years and become a global leader in medical and health services at the same time. When opening Thailand Medical Expo 2012, themed Thailand: World Class Medical Hub, being held in Muang Thong Thani on the outskirts of Bangkok from August 30-September 2, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced that the government will promote Thailand as a leading medical and health care center of the world with an official target of generating a national income of 800 billion baht within five years. Yingluck said that Thailand has quality personnel, technologies and services in modern and traditional medicine and Thai hospitals are recognized as a best in Asia; while there are also 33 world-class spa facilities in the country. The prime minister acknowledged that her government is also working to provide all local people with equal access to medical and health services and reduce their expenses on health services, and that 45 million Thai people, or 75 per cent of the country's total population, have already accessed to medical and health services. (TNA)