Phyathai Hospital Group rebrands into premium segment

The move came as competition in the health-care industry heats up, with hospitals and health-care providers rushing to transform their operations in response to the government's ambitious goal of Thailand becoming a global medical and wellness hub.  

Att Thongtang, chief executive of Phyathai-Paolo Hospital Group, said the rebranding will be in line with consumers' shifting demands for more convenience in terms of time and cost while still receiving excellence in medical services from expert teams.

He said the rebranding of Phyathai Phaholyothin Hospital would provide cutting-edge amenities.

"Phyathai 1, Phyathai 2, and Phyathai Phaholyothin [formerly Paolo Phaholyothin] Hospitals are working together to create joint medical programmes and resource management standards. Adapting to changing social dynamics and the needs of the health-conscious New Age demographic," he said.

He explained that people of all ages are actively concerned about their physical and mental health and prioritise self-care, with cost being a secondary consideration. 

Att Thongtang

However, the hospital continues to be a medical excellence centre for all types of patients, including those on social security, seeking to recover from their illnesses, he said. 

Claiming that Phaholyothin Road in Ari district would become Bangkok's new Sukhumvit, he noted that the rebranding would enable the hospital to meet more expats' and foreigners' requirements. 

Sukhumvit is a well-known area in Bangkok for its luxurious shopping malls, which cater to high-end fashion enthusiasts as well as dynamic international offices. 

Still, the majority of patients will be Thais, but the hospital's rebranding is expected to increase the proportion of foreigners from 10% to 30% in the near future. Currently, the majority of foreign patients are from the ASEAN region, with some coming from Arab countries. 

Meanwhile, the decision to rebrand the hospital is consistent with the National Innovation Agency (NIA) initiative to transform Ari district into a pilot area for the country's medical innovations through the Yothi Medical Innovation District project.

The YMID, which covers 1.7 million square metres, is a collaboration among the NIA, the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, intending to create a prototype area to develop medical innovation. Its goal is also to increase the Thai people's access to modern technological medical services.

Veeraya Paocahroen

Veeraya Paocahroen, executive director of Phyathai Phaholyothin Hospital, said the hospital's rebranding highlighted its advanced and cutting-edge medical and treatment expertise. This refers to the hospital's readiness to embrace new medical innovations and technologies before expanding to other chained hospitals and partners.

Rather than becoming a testing ground for new technology, he emphasised that Phyathai-Phaholyothin Hospital would be the first to demonstrate how new innovation and technologies would be implemented based on the years of experience and insight knowledge of its doctors, nurses, and medical staff.  

"The hospital aims to improve local health care by combining digital transformation with innovative services that deliver added value to customers," he said. 

“We provide the Health Up app for at-home appointment scheduling and tracking, as well as 24-hour Telecare services, which improves convenience for both patients and medical professionals.”

Meanwhile, he noted, the rebranding would transform its image from a hospital focused on illness treatment to a health and wellness shopping destination. 

This rebranding also reduces the patient load at Phyathai 1 and Phyathai 2, both on the Sukhumvit Mass Transit line. 

Both hospitals will share medical expertise and resources, offering hospitality-style services to improve medical care for all ages and increase efficiency, he said. 

Furthermore, to concretise the transformation, Veeraya said the hospital has developed five Centres of Excellence: 

1. The Abdominal Surgery Centre offers modern laparoscopic surgery with minimal scarring, reduced pain, and quick recovery.
2. The Orthopaedic Institute specialises in endoscopic spinal surgery, shoulder, elbow, and knee joint repairs, sports injuries, and joint replacement.
3. The Digital Dental Centre implements digital innovations in dental care.
4. Let's Talk Centre provides mental-health consultations and therapeutic activities in a safe, comfortable setting.
5. Love Space Centre offers sexual-health consultations through Telecare.

In addition, specialist centres such as the Child Development Centre and the Comprehensive Health Check-up Centre promoting health from childhood to adulthood will be included as well.

Noting that the rebranding, which includes cutting-edge technologies in terms of medical processes and products, would incur costs, Veeraya said the expenses would be reasonable with various optional payments thanks to its personalised database. 

Being launched on the concept of "It's Time for the New Age of Holistic Healthcare," Phyathai Phaholyothin Hospital has ushered in a new era of improved health for all, he said. 

"We are committed to providing high-quality health care through innovative technology. We combine experienced physicians' knowledge with dedicated staff and carefully chosen technology. 

“This collaboration produces excellent results by emphasising 'value-based health care' and prioritising patient-centred care," Veeraya said, promising that patients will receive high-quality, cost-effective care under the Phyathai Phaholyothin standard.

Phyathai Hospital Group is a private hospital chain that operates under the Bangkok Dusit Medical Services network, Thailand's largest private health-care provider. The group accounts for nearly 40% of BDMS' total revenue.