Panel reveals medical tourism hub plan

A government panel set up to develop the country as an international medical hub is to present Thailand as a global medical tourism destination, starting with four southern provinces.

Dr Sophon Mekthon, an assistant to the public health minister, who chaired a recent meeting to discuss the development, said the panel agreed to implement five medical and health objectives.

He said they will first launch an Andaman Wellness Corridor where four southern provinces will provide exceptional medical services such as transgender operations, complex ailment treatments, and top-tier hot springs.

The panel will assign the Department of Health Services Support and other divisions to plan the marketing, medical and research aspects, Dr Sophon said.

He said the second objective is to launch a wellness industry under a Green Medicine and Creative Economy model. The model is set to bring recreational use of cannabis and other economical traditional herbs into use.

The panel will support local participation by providing instructional courses on medical history and culture to locals to attract tourists, he said.

A third objective is to globalise Thailand's cannabis metaverse by making a business model called Cannabis Digital Asset which will allow people to access cannabis businesses via virtual reality technology.

Fourth is to provide World Class Super Centres. The panel will prepare a list of high-potential hospitals to propose to the cabinet and establish a Udonthani Cancer Hospital which will join an MoU with international universities.

Lastly, Thailand will become home to medical schools, following an international medical curriculum, as well those involving traditional and alternative medicines, he said.