Thailand concentrates on medical tourism with magazine launch

The Health Travel Industry Research Society of Thailand (HTRIS Thailand) launched earlier this week a medical travel magazine to promote Thailand's medical tourism industry to the world.

The 120-page glossy magazine will come in full colour and be distributed monthly to than 60 countries through Thailand’s embassies and consulates, chambers of commerce, trade promotion offices and tourism information centers throughout the world.

It will highlight the very best of Thailand’s medical, hospitality, tourism, travel and wellness industries, according to the HTRIS secretary-general Chatree Niramitvijit.

“We are working with industry representatives to inform the world about the best offerings, promotion discounts and package deals” he said.

Niramitvijit added that the media watchdog for the medical tourism industry, The Research Society, had an important role in furthering the development of the medical sector in the country.

“The society’s purpose is not only to analyse how the world market views the international service industries such as healthcare, travel, security, hospitality, wellness and tourism in Thailand”

“But also to ensure that the increasingly aggressive promotion from competing nations in the region do not overshadow Thailand’s primacy in the region as a favourite medical travel destination.”

Revenue for the Asian medical travel industry is forecast to grow at least 14% over the next four years.

Despite the growing threat from neighbouring nations including Singapore, Malaysia, India and the Philippines, Thailand has said it is confident in obtaining a greater share of the regional market.