PONGSAK VIDDAYAKORN President of BHG

NCREASING numbers of Americans are going to Thailand for high quality, hi-tech medical treatment at prices considerably cheaper than in the United States.
Medical tourism is big business and, with around a million foreign patients a year, Thailand has turned itself into one of the leading destinations for health care.

Bangkok boasts hundreds of hospitals and clinics catering to foreigners. Many offer luxury accommodation, along with the most up-to-date services and Western-trained doctors. Procedures at bargain prices cover everything from dentistry and cosmetic surgery to heart operations and sex changes.

Thailand’s government supports this significant addition to the tourism industry, which has the potential to generate substantial income. Both the public and the private sectors are being encouraged to develop their health service businesses to international standards. The kingdom is being marketed as attractive, not just for hospital treatment but also for a broad range of health care services, including spas, traditional Thai massage, and herbal health products.

One of the most successful companies catering to foreign clients is Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, which owns and operates the 14 hospitals of the Bangkok Hospital Group (BHG).

Pongsak Viddayakorn, the company’s president, says that the prognosis is highly positive. “The health care business will be huge in our country because it is booming, just like in the United States two decades ago. We have invested large amounts of money to serve the growing market.”

BHG is Thailand’s largest private hospital network with a 15 percent market share. It is also the largest hospital operator in terms of market capitalization. Its key strengths are in heart disease, neurology and brain surgery, with high-end Thai and foreign patients as its target markets.

The most recent addition to the group is Bangkok Heart Hospital, Thailand's first private heart hospital, which opened last year.

Dr. Pongsak says treatment of foreign patients will be the main area for growth. “We believe that our market share will get better in the coming years because we have hospitals in the tourist areas that, thanks to the good service that visitors receive, will enhance our brand internationally.”