‘Wealthyy Thailand’ platform to offer opportunities in medical tourism industry

The project provides a “holistic” platform to educate doctors, nurses, medical students as well as small and medium businesses on providing medical wellness services and products. It will also serve as a hub for people, especially tourists, to search for and book treatments at certified wellness resorts and spas in different parts of the country.

The initial goal is to train 2,000 doctors and educate some 30,000 students over the next 12 months.

Siriya Thepcharoen, executive vice president of real-estate developer Nusasiri and executive director of Panacee Medical Center, said the company is currently in the process of identifying partners across the country.

Speaking at the platform’s launch ceremony on Saturday, she said the goal for the first year is to have at least 100 partners in each province.

“I believe the wellness industry is one of Thailand’s strengths and it will not only drive its GDP but will also improve our local businesses and generate more revenue,” she said.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), approximately 10.5 million tourists come to Thailand for medical treatment every year. In 2022, Thailand generated 19 billion baht in “medical tourism” revenue.

Siriya said she expects Thailand’s medical tourism to grow exponentially this year, with some 30 million foreign visitors.

Medical tourism will also help the country exceed its projected tourism revenue target of 2.38 trillion baht.

Medical tourism in Thailand has the potential to generate US$25 billion (865.5 billion baht), provided services can be lifted to world standards, she said.

The first step will be to level up all wellness and spa providers nationwide, reskill and upskill the workforce in the industry and educate and encourage the new generation to join the industry as employees or entrepreneurs.

“We will be mentors through the ‘Wealthyy Thailand’ platform, providing know-how, tools, management, and marketing strategies for business partners to enter and grow in this market," she explained.

The medical centre, meanwhile, will work on a commission basis to sell services at certified wellness resorts and spas via its network, she said.

The Wealthyy Thailand platform is being launched in cooperation with TAT, the Tourism Council of Thailand and the Digitla Economy Promotion Agency.