
BDMS Wellness, a unit under Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc, is developing a 25-billion-baht BDMS Silver Wellness & Residence project to serve the elderly in Thailand, aiming for people to take better care of their health.
The project, spanning 13 rai of land in the Lumpini area in Bangkok, will support the so-called "silver economy", catering to the needs of pensioners, especially Thais and foreigners older than 50, said Tanupol Virunhagarun, chief executive of BDMS Wellness Clinic and BDMS Wellness Resort.
"BDMS Silver Wellness & Residence will be a mixed-use development, including a hotel, residential area, heathcare centre and personalised rehabilitation centre," he said.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2030.
The government aims to make Thailand a regional hub of medical tourism, leveraging the large number of foreign tourist arrivals.
Last year more than 35 million foreigners arrived in Thailand, spending in excess of 1.6 trillion baht here, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
Thailand is in the centre of Southeast Asia and is rich with natural resources and has a strong culture, while it is equipped with facilities to support medical tourism, said Dr Tanupol.
The global medical and wellness industry is projected to expand by 7.3% a year to US$9 trillion in value by 2028, according to Global Wellness Institute. This rate exceeds global GDP growth, which is estimated at 4.8% a year.
Dr Tanupol wants to see BDMS be part of government efforts to make Thailand a global wellness destination.
The company recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand Privilege Card Co (TPC), the operator of a long-term residency and perks programme, to offer luxury privileges to Thailand Privilege card holders who have long-stay visas in the country.
There are 37,000 cardholders, said Manatase Annawat, president of TPC.
The collaboration will help BDMS expand its customer base, as 2-3 million foreign customers use wellness and healthcare services, said Dr Tanupol.
This group spends 60,000-70,000 baht per person for stays averaging 7-10 days.
"Most customers come from the Middle East, followed by China and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam," he said.
There were 13.5 million tourists in the medical and wellness sector in 2023, with the numbers expected to exceed 15 million this year, said Dr Tanupol.