The
Thai government is aiming to develop Thailand into the status of a “World-Class
Health Provider” by 2014, with total projected earnings of 11.5 billion US
dollars over the five-year period of 2010-2014.
The new strategic plan will be a substantial
upgrade over the successful project to establish Thailand as “Spa Capital of
Asia” which was achieved in 2008. It will involve a holistic collection of
curative medical treatments, preventive spa and wellness services, and sales of
herbal products and other supplies for the global health and wellness industry.
Broken down further, the earnings projection
is for medical treatments to generate 8 billion US dollars over the 2010-2014
period, spa and wellness services 2.23 billion US dollars, and sales of
products and supplies 1.3 billion US dollars. According to Mr Apichai
Jearadisak, Advisor, Federation of the Thai Spa Association, Thailand already
leads the regional spa market.
“With more than 1,200 registered spas, 400 of which are high-end luxury facilities,
and all of them together employing some 25,000 professionally trained
therapists, Thailand undoubtedly has a claim to call itself the ‘Spa Capital of
Asia’,” he said.
He said that there were many factors that make
a Thai spa experience unique such as, service-minded spa personnel, traditional
Thai massages, spa therapies and recipes, high operational standards, and a
broad range of multi-cultural spa concepts. He noted that people came to spas
to relieve stress, enhance their personal appearance and well-being, and reduce
pain. Much business is also being generated in the form of a spa experience
being offered as a “gift” for birthdays and other personal celebrations.
Mr Apichai said that the Thai spas were
working to upgrade the standards of their services and products, as well as the
hygienic standards in the spas themselves. Efforts were also being made to
improve the quality of their communications and marketing. On the medical side,
Dr Med. Prapa Wongphaet, President of the Thailand Medical Tourism Cluster
said,
“Thailand has more than 30 international accredited hospitals in Bangkok
and various tourist destinations; such as, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin,
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and more”.
She said that two leading Bangkok hospitals
were already well-known for their ability to service medical tourists from the
Middle East countries. Dr Prapa, who also chairs the Health Services Business
Committee of the Board of Trade said,
“Thailand could offer a complete combination of advanced medical
treatments and other health related services, plus a good vacation. The most
popular are health vacations, anti-aging vacations, beauty vacations, spa
vacations and more mind-body wellness vacations. The most favourite adjacent
services are dental treatments and dental cosmetics, medical check ups,
aesthetic skin treatments, body shape up treatment, weight management programs
and life-style modification programs.”
Dr Prapa said that more than 200 private and
public hospitals had received the “Hospital Accreditation Certificate” issued
by the Healthcare Accreditation Institute (public organization). She said that
since 2010, the “Thailand Medical Tourism Cluster” concept had involved the
collaboration of five government agencies and five leading business
associations to support all aspects of medical and health and wellness tourism
to Thailand.
Nadjib Mohamed
Thailand Business News
Business & Investment Opportunities
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