Thai healthcare firms to step up geographic diversification

They’re expanding into Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

With the competition in the Southeast Asian medical tourism sector heating up, Thailand is expected to use every way possible to get ahead.

According to a report by BMI Research, Thailand is expected to leverage its geographical position.

“Situated within the Indochina region, the country is well placed to attract patients from the frontier markets of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, which have underdeveloped healthcare systems,” the report noted.

For example, for Q216, Bumrungrad International Hospital, a Thailand-based private healthcare provider heavily geared towards medical tourism, saw Burmese medical tourists account for the largest proportion of revenues earned from international patients.

“Similarly, Myanmar patients were the second biggest contributor to Bangkok Dusit Medical Services' (BDMS) medical tourism revenue, behind Japan but ahead of the UK and Germany,” the report noted.

Meanwhile, Thailand's proximity from the Middle East has also allowed it to tap into markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE accounting for 17.6% of total medical tourism revenue for Bumrungrad International, according to the report.