Medical tourism vs universal healthcare for all Thais

 21-Jun-17, The Bangkok Post 

Since universal healthcare coverage was introduced to Thailand in 2002, it has provided cheap medical care, heavily subsidised by the government, to about 48 million Thai people, a huge fraction of the population, who pay just THB30 USD0.90 for each medical treatment.

Image: Patipat Janthong

But that scheme now appears to be under threat. The main issue is the end of universally subsidised healthcare and the beginning of co-payments where patients pay for more of their medical treatment.

The medical tourism industry generates about THB40 bn (USD1.2 bn) per year and continues to grow. Locals constitute 70% of private hospital customers in the country, but foreigners are expected to contribute 30% of the private hospitals' revenue in 2017, up from 27% in 2016.

Private medical tourism lures doctors and nurses away from government hospitals where the public is provided medical treatment under the universal healthcare coverage.

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