International Healthcare Week 2026 to boost Thailand’s Healthcare ambitions

Thailand is preparing to host International Healthcare Week 2026 in Bangkok, positioning the event as a major regional platform to support the country’s ambition to become a world-leading medical and wellness hub.

The event, jointly organised by Informa Markets and the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS), will take place from 8-10 July 2026 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

The platform will serve as a comprehensive healthcare gathering, bringing together medical devices, medical laboratory equipment, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical device design and manufacturing, hospital services, healthcare systems, wellness, aesthetics and health innovation.

The initiative comes as health and wellness take on growing importance in global development, driven by ageing populations, preventive healthcare, medical tourism and lifestyle-focused health services.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global wellness economy has reached a record value of US$6.8 trillion. Thailand, meanwhile, has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing wellness markets, with an estimated value of around 1.4-1.45 trillion baht.

The organisers expect International Healthcare Week 2026 to support Thailand’s wider healthcare ecosystem by improving access to health services, fostering innovation and technology adoption, and promoting cooperation between the public sector, private sector and international stakeholders.

Thailand’s readiness as a health destination

Kanyarat Kuisuwan, Director of the Office of Integrated Medical Industry Promotion at DHSS, described Thailand as an internationally recognised health destination, ranking first in Asean and ninth globally in Numbeo’s Health Care Index.

She pointed to Thailand’s 65 hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), the highest number in Asean, as one of the country’s key strengths.

Kanyarat explained that Thailand’s opportunity to become a medical and wellness hub is supported by several factors, including government policy, universal health coverage, medical and wellness tourism, recognised medical professionals and technology, as well as Thai traditional knowledge and herbal wisdom.

“DHSS is working as a promoter of Thailand’s high-value medical industry ecosystem,” she noted, adding that its priorities include developing more business-friendly regulations, promoting digital integration and incubating wellness entrepreneurs.

She also highlighted beauty, health innovation and wellness as key themes in the department’s work, in line with the policy direction previously outlined by Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat.

Another focus is the overseas development of Nuad Thai Select, aimed at strengthening international recognition of Thai identity and supporting Thailand’s image as a global health and wellness destination.

Innovation as a growth driver

Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency (NIA), identified health and wellness as among Thailand’s target industries under the policy direction of Higher Education Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat, with the aim of turning innovation into a new driver of economic growth.

She explained that Thailand’s healthcare sector is expanding at a time when the country faces structural challenges, including an ageing society, the need to shift from treatment to prevention, non-communicable diseases, emerging infections, unequal access to technology and the difficulty of commercialising promising innovations.

Krithpaka viewed Thailand as having the potential to become a medical innovation hub because of its public and private hospitals, medical schools, modern medicine, alternative medicine, Thai traditional medicine and other treatment capabilities.

She identified several areas of opportunity, including medical AI for diagnosis and prediction, advanced therapy medicinal products involving cell and gene technologies, medical devices and equipment, and bio-extracts from Thailand’s biodiversity and herbal resources.

She expressed hope that International Healthcare Week 2026 would help Thai health innovation cross the “valley of death” between research and commercialisation, while supporting and unlocking growth in the target industry.

Regulatory and market challenges

Rungphech Chitanuwat, regional portfolio director for Asean at Informa Markets, identified three key advantages: high hospital standards, strong pharmaceutical manufacturing standards under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), and continued efforts to promote medical tourism, which have helped raise the profile of Thailand’s healthcare business.

However, she also pointed to challenges. Thailand may still be slower than some competitors in areas such as accreditation and mutual recognition arrangements with other countries.

Another issue is the domestic pharmaceutical trading system, which relies heavily on hospital channels, creating a market structure in which some private operators may find themselves competing with the public sector.

Rungphech also warned that Thailand has many innovations, but approval processes may not always keep pace. By the time some innovations are approved, they may no longer be new.

Greater integration between government agencies and the private sector will be essential, she added. Digital health and AI could also help strengthen Thailand’s healthcare system, including through better access to patient records and more connected health services.

“Thailand’s medical hub may currently be associated mainly with medical tourism, but a true medical hub must go beyond that. Alongside medical tourism, it should also include medical devices and advanced medicines,” Rungphech said.

Four major shows under one platform

International Healthcare Week 2026 will combine four major international exhibitions under one platform, covering the full healthcare value chain and creating opportunities for learning, collaboration, investment and innovation showcases.

The four events are:

• CPHI South East Asia – covering pharmaceutical manufacturing and technology, including products, technologies and conferences for the pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturing industry in Southeast Asia.
   
• World Health Expo (WHX) Bangkok – formerly Asia Health and Medlab Asia, covering medical devices, medical laboratory equipment, hospital services and healthcare systems.
   
• Medtec Southeast Asia – focusing on medical device design and manufacturing.
   
• Thailand Medical and Wellness Expo 2026 – jointly organised by DHSS and Informa Markets, showcasing healthcare, wellness and aesthetic innovations.

The broader platform is expected to feature 1,200 exhibitors, more than 200 conference sessions and 35,000 square metres of exhibition space. More than 26,000 visitors are expected to attend.

Industry programmes will include business matching, innovation showcases, expert-led conferences and knowledge-sharing activities such as the Innovation Stage, Pharma Quest, Consultancy Clinic and Scientific Poster Competition.

Economic impact

Rungphech expected the event to connect buyers and manufacturers, open Southeast Asian markets, support Thailand’s medical hub ambition, promote research and innovation, and improve access to healthcare services.

The platform is also expected to support health workforce development and generate wider economic benefits. Exhibition activity, she explained, not only creates revenue for participating industries, but also contributes to hotels, travel, restaurants and related services in Thailand.

“International Healthcare Week 2026 is expected to create business opportunities, drive innovation and strengthen healthcare and drug security, while helping Thailand move closer to its goal of excellence in healthcare services and better quality of life for the public,” she said.

Looking ahead to the next three to five years, Rungphech expected Thailand’s medical tourism sector to continue growing, while the country adapts more actively to an ageing society and seeks progress in advanced medicine.