Health Ministry revises doctor allocation plan to tackle nationwide shortage
Public Health Ministry proposes special allowances for doctors in high-workload areas as only 72% of posts are filled and resignations continue to rise.
- Thailand's Health Ministry has proposed a new doctor allocation plan for fiscal year 2026 to address a critical nationwide shortage, with the country currently at only 72% of its staffing target.
- The revised strategy will prioritize sending new medical graduates to the most understaffed provinces and introduce more flexible rules for cross-regional placement to better meet needs.
- To improve doctor retention in high-need areas, the plan introduces new incentives such as special allowances, fast-track promotions, and earlier access to specialized training.
- The plan also allows for the reassignment of doctors across districts or provinces based on need and the rotation of specialists from large hospitals to support smaller facilities.
Somrerk Chungsaman, Permanent Secretary for Public Health, announced on October 11, that the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has submitted a new proposal for the allocation of medical graduates for fiscal year 2026 to the Medical Council of Thailand. The plan aims to address ongoing doctor shortages and improve the distribution of state-sponsored physicians across underserved regions.
According to the ministry, Thailand currently has 25,490 active doctors, or about 72% of the staffing target under the 2022–2026 framework of 35,578 positions. The most critical shortages are in Health Regions 2, 4, and 8, where staffing levels stand at just 61%, 63%, and 66%, respectively.
Ten provinces were found to have fewer than 60% of required medical personnel, including Bueng Kan (44%), Sa Kaeo (48%), Loei (54%), Ang Thong, Mae Hong Son (55%), Tak, Phetchabun, Pathum Thani (58%), Ranong, and Nan (59%).
When measured by doctor-to-population ratio, the most underserved provinces include Bueng Kan, Samut Prakan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nakhon Phanom, Nonthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Loei, Chaiyaphum, and Mae Hong Son.
The number of doctors resigning from the public sector has also risen steadily, from 789 in 2020 to 1,201 in 2024.
Dr Somrerk explained that in fiscal year 2025, challenges arose in allocating service areas for contract-bound medical graduates. After assigning a full quota of doctors to Health Regions 8 and 10, several other regions — notably Regions 4, 5, and 6, were left with an insufficient number of first-year medical trainees. To fill the gap, the ministry had to rely on non-government-funded doctors and externally affiliated trainees.
He added that a significant number of doctors who had already been approved and allocated quotas were later found ineligible due to incomplete qualifications. This led to reduced quotas in some health regions during the regular allocation round, requiring additional special and post-special rounds to balance the distribution.
As a result, the ministry has proposed new guidelines for the allocation of government-sponsored doctors for fiscal year 2026, focusing on improving equity and efficiency in nationwide medical service distribution.
Key measures proposed for fiscal year 2026
Dr Somrerk explained that in fiscal year 2025, challenges arose in allocating service areas for contract-bound medical graduates. After assigning a full quota of doctors to Health Regions 8 and 10, several
Key measures proposed for fiscal year 2026
- Prioritise shortage areas first, focusing on province-level distribution.
- Revise allocation rules for government-funded medical programmes (CPIRD and ODOD) to allow cross-regional placement or flexible service repayment.
- Apply the “One Province, One Region, One Hospital” approach to allow doctors, both general and specialised, to be reassigned across districts or provinces based on need.
- Introduce special allowances and fast-track promotions for doctors in high-workload or shortage areas.
- Encourage specialist training in rural areas through incentives such as shorter service commitments or bonus points in admission criteria.
- Create regional support funds to enhance incentives and working conditions for doctors in remote provinces.
2026 medical graduates and incentives
For fiscal year 2026, 2,795 medical graduates under government scholarship contracts are expected to complete their studies. The allocation committee, which met on September 5 2025, approved 1,980 placements under the Ministry of Public Health, including 1,973 within the Office of the Permanent Secretary.
To encourage retention, the ministry proposed that doctors working in shortage areas for two consecutive years be allowed to pursue core speciality training, while those completing three years of service could apply for both primary and subspecialty fields.
The plan also calls for rotating specialists from large regional hospitals to support provincial facilities, enhancing healthcare capacity and training quality nationwide.
In well-staffed provinces, community hospital doctors in their second and third years would be permitted to gain experience in regional or general hospitals. The allocation of doctors in training during years two and three will also be adjusted to better balance nationwide medical resources.
