He said medical tourism programmes would focus on visitors from the Middle East, Scandinavia and Japan. Promotions would be supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Public Health and Commerce ministries, resort and hotel operators, as well as state and private hospitals.

Mr Weerasak said the programme would help private hospitals and resort operators generate more income. The funds would also trickle down to the public system, he said.

Many affluent visitors from the Middle East, Japan and Scandinavia have sought medical treatment in Thai private hospitals over the past few years.

However, there is still room for expansion from foreign groups with social security or insurance coverage. For example, residents of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries have an average 80,000 baht per head to cover their health insurance costs.

Mr Weerasak said he had met with ambassadors of the six GCC countries and Japan to Thailand to request their support.

He said facilities for visitors should be improved, and that the TAT planned to develop an Arabic website.

The Tourism Development Office has also surveyed the number and quality of tour guides nationwide to ensure an adequate supply of guides.

Thanks to the policy of promoting Thailand as a medical hub, the number of foreign patients has increased over the past five years, to about 1.5 million last year, a rise from one million in 2006. The Commerce Ministry projects the total to reach 2.5 million in 2012.

But Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the chief executive and co-founder of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc, the country's largest hospital chain operator, said the target could be reached by 2010.
Source: Bangkok Post