Health ministry outlines medical hub plan at WTO on Sept 16 targeting value of at least 0.5% of GDP
Thailand’s health ministry plans to connect medical services, research and manufacturing, opening overseas markets and strengthening domestic healthcare.
- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health presented a plan at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to develop the country into a medical hub, targeting an economic value of at least 0.5% of the nation's GDP.
- The strategy expands beyond medical tourism to include investment, research, and manufacturing, and is structured around three pillars: a Service Hub, a Research and Development Hub, and a Product & Health Manufacturing Hub.
- At the WTO forum, Thailand proposed improving international standards for quality and safety, strengthening cross-border connectivity for visas and insurance, and leveraging digital health to support the growth of medical tourism.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health presented plans to develop the country into a medical investment hub at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 16, 2026. The strategy targets economic value equivalent to at least 0.5% of gross domestic product, extending the country’s medical tourism strengths into investment, research and health manufacturing.
Dr Suppachok Wetchaphanphesat, the ministry’s chief inspector-general, said the Thai delegation joined a discussion on “Wellness Without Borders: Powered by Medical Tourism” at WTO headquarters alongside representatives from China, Mexico and Malaysia. The session explored medical tourism and cross-border trade in health services, providing opportunities to build partnerships and open new markets for Thai providers.
Dr Suppachok said Thailand presented medical tourism as part of a wider “Health Economy” connecting healthcare, tourism, wellness, investment and technology. The objective was to generate greater value from the country’s health capabilities and return benefits to the Thai health system, alongside attracting foreign patients.
Medical hub strategy links services, research and manufacturing
The Public Health Ministry’s Medical Investment Hub strategy aims to establish Thailand as a centre for healthcare services, investment, research, innovation and production. The strategy rests on three pillars: Service Hub, Research and Development Hub, and Product & Health Manufacturing Hub.
Dr Suppachok said the ministry also aims to improve Thailand’s global competitiveness ranking in health and the environment from 56th place to the top 50.
Thai hospitals and wellness businesses underpin expansion plans
Dr Suppachok identified internationally recognised healthcare standards as a key advantage, citing more than 60 Thai hospitals accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI). Skilled medical personnel, competitive treatment costs and experience caring for foreign patients also support Thailand’s position, he said.
Thailand’s traditional medicine and wellness services provide further opportunities, Dr Suppachok added. More than 17,000 Thai massage, spa and wellness establishments nationwide offer a foundation for connecting prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and the promotion of wellbeing.
A 2024 survey by the Department of Health Service Support put medical treatment revenue at private hospitals serving foreign patients at approximately 50 billion baht, Dr Suppachok said. Qatar, Kuwait and Oman were particularly valuable Middle Eastern markets, indicating opportunities to attract more customers with strong spending potential.
Thailand’s wellness economy was worth approximately US$42.7 billion in 2024, up 10.1% from 2023, according to Global Wellness Institute figures. Dr Suppachok highlighted wellness tourism as a promising area for combining medical services, wellness and tourism to create value throughout the health economy.
The World Bank Group’s 2026 report, Building Thailand’s Future Today, identifies sustainable and wellness tourism as one of five industries with the potential to drive productivity, investment and high-quality employment in Thailand.
Service Hub plans connect travel, treatment and continuing care
Under the Service Hub pillar, the Public Health Ministry plans to develop an International Health Agency, Public Premium Flagship Hospitals, the Thailand Health Marketplace and Data & Access initiatives, Dr Suppachok said.
The Service Hub initiatives would connect access to information, travel arrangements, treatment and continuing care, creating a seamless patient journey and strengthening the competitiveness of Thai healthcare services internationally.
Thailand proposes stronger standards and cross-border healthcare links
Thailand called for higher standards and closer connections between health services across borders, Dr Suppachok said. The proposals for the future of medical tourism covered three areas:
- Trust and quality: Improve standards, service quality and patient safety.
- Cross-border connectivity: Strengthen links between visas, health insurance and patient referral systems.
- Digital health, telemedicine and shared benefits: Use digital services to provide continuity throughout the patient journey, while ensuring that revenue and investment support sustainable healthcare, employment, technology transfer and workforce development.
Thailand also identified a role for the WTO in connecting healthcare providers with international markets, Suppachok said. Greater regulatory transparency, exchanges of good practice, fewer unnecessary barriers and stronger cooperation could facilitate cross-border health services.
Dr Suppachok described participation in the forum as an opportunity to “find new markets and expand globally” by connecting overseas demand with Thai providers’ capabilities. The ministry aims to attract customers with strong spending potential and develop further investment, research, technology and health industries, strengthening Thailand’s position as an international health services centre while delivering lasting health and economic benefits.
