Thailand to host world diabetes forum, moves closer to medical hub ambitions

The “IDF World Diabetes Congress 2025” is slated for April 7-10 next year at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Bitec).

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said on Monday that the bureau had joined the Diabetes Association of Thailand in bidding for the right to host the congress.

“Winning the bid is an important achievement for Thailand and in line with the country’s 20-year strategy to promote Thailand as a medical hub,” Chiruit said.

He added that the event is expected to attract 10,000 participants from across the world and generate about 800 million baht in revenue.

It is also expected to create approximately 560 jobs and contribute about 27 million baht in tax revenue, he said.

Dr Narong Saiwong, the Public Health Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, said Thailand sees an average of 300,000 new diabetic patients per year.

He said that in 2022, studies show that of the 3.3 million diabetes patients registered at hospitals under the ministry, only 29% manage to control their blood sugar. This means the country spends approximately 47.6 billion baht per year to treat the rest of the patients.

Wannee Nitiyanant, president of the Diabetes Association, said hosting the event offers Thailand a fantastic opportunity to showcase its medical capabilities and readiness to host top-notch medical conferences.

She said the United Nations named diabetes as one of the top non-communicable diseases in 2011 and it has fast become one of the major global health threats.

Established in 1950, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is a non-profit organisation covering more than 240 national diabetes associations in 161 countries.

The IDF World Diabetes Congress is held every two years in member countries.