Thailand’s diverse patient data seen as key to AI healthcare leadership

Thailand could leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen its healthcare sector and develop medical innovations for the wider region, speakers said at a panel discussion hosted by Bangkokbiznews on Tuesday (March 31).

The discussion, titled “AI for Health: Road to World Medical Hub”, was held during the AI Revolution Shift 2026: Shaking the Global Economy seminar at Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai in Bangkok.

Trust is crucial in medical AI

Dr Kongkiat Kespechara, Group 3 and 6 Chief Executive Officer of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS), said Thai doctors are highly capable and quick to adopt new technologies.

He said one of the biggest challenges in applying AI in medicine is trust, as errors can occur when systems are used with datasets that differ from those on which they were trained. He cited one example in which an AI system developed and approved in Japan recorded an error rate as high as 23% when deployed in Taiwan because of differences in the underlying training data.

“Thailand is in a position to create differentiated datasets because its healthcare system serves a highly diverse population, including both Thais and foreign patients seeking treatment here,” Kongkiat said.

“If we can build AI trained on this diversity of data, it will lead to innovations that truly meet the needs of people across the region.”

AI could make healthcare more accessible and affordable

Dr Supachai Parchariyanon, fund manager at Seax Ventures, said the traditional role of doctors had once been almost god-like, with treatment delivered only after illness appeared.

But as societies age, he said, healthcare must shift fundamentally towards prevention and prediction, using tools such as wearable devices to monitor vital signs, before ultimately moving to personalised medicine.

AI would be essential in unlocking that future by helping to analyse massive volumes of data and making personalised care easier to access at lower cost, he said.

Thailand, Supachai said, already has strong medical infrastructure, including broad health insurance coverage. He added that Thailand also has many hospitals accredited to international JCI standards, along with world-class medical professionals, allowing patients to see specialists quickly rather than waiting months.

“What Thailand still lacks is the ability to create its own medical innovation,” he said. “The country needs to move beyond simply diagnosing and treating patients towards becoming a leader in advanced treatment innovation that can extend life expectancy and add value to the economy.”

Geopolitics presents a golden opportunity

Supachai said Thailand should use its strong infrastructure as a foundation and bring in foreign innovation as a kind of “time machine” to speed up learning and enable the country to develop its own brands for the global market.

He added that geopolitics also presents a major opening, as US companies are becoming increasingly cautious about investing in China and are seeking ways to better protect their intellectual property.

“Thailand can position itself as the Switzerland of healthcare — neutral and safe for clinical trials,” he said.

He said clinical trial costs in Thailand are around five times lower than in the United States, while the ASEAN market of more than 600 million people, together with the spending power of those covered by life insurance, makes Thailand one of the region’s most attractive propositions.

However, Thailand must act quickly before neighbouring countries move ahead, Supachai warned.

A bridge to an ASEAN health innovation hub

Although Thailand already has solid medical infrastructure, Supachai said what it lacks is a bridge connecting all the necessary players.

To address that gap, a non-profit initiative called the South East Asia Health Innovation Hub has been launched to link hospitals, start-ups, investors and policymakers across Thailand and ASEAN.

The project aims to reach 100 million patients within three years, while also drawing in technology and investment from around the world so Thai people can learn, develop and eventually create innovations of their own.

“Healthcare should be the flagship sector that the country pushes at full speed,” he said, adding that it could help Thailand become the seventh tiger again and lift GDP by at least 5%.

Healthtech investment opportunities highlighted

Arunthep Sangvareethip, founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Emetworks, said many innovations stall at the regulatory approval stage, whether under Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration or similar bodies abroad.

He pointed out that the situation has contributed to brain drain, as talented Thai scientists often have to take their work overseas to secure funding and build wealth because the domestic system remains unreceptive.

“The government does not need to do everything itself when it comes to innovation,” Arunthep said. “Its role should be to create a platform or sandbox where the private sector can test technologies and work together to push exports of Thai-developed technology.”

At the same time, he said entrepreneurs should not rely solely on state policy. Smaller players across the ecosystem must begin moving, finding partners and creating social impact together.

In terms of investment opportunities, Arunthep pointed to several promising healthtech areas for Thailand. The first is body sensor devices, which he said require collaboration with knowledgeable partners to ensure they are used to their fullest potential.

The second is technology to improve women’s health, which he said tends to generate investment returns up to three times higher than usual because women are generally more likely than men to focus on preventive healthcare.

He also highlighted opportunities in functional food, an area in which Thailand has strong potential but remains constrained by legal barriers that need urgent reform.