In Thailand, each region possesses a Regional General Hospital that has a capacity of 500-1000 beds. Each province houses a Provincial General Hospital and a Provincial Health Office. Each district also houses a District Health Office. At village level, health centers deliver healthcare services.



The healthcare sector consists of around 1360 hospitals, of which about two-thirds are in the public sector. In 2006, Thailand was home to an estimated 145,000 hospital beds, with 40,000 of these in the private sector. The public sector hospitals deliver good coverage at various levels. At the provincial level the country has provided coverage of 100 per cent with 90.6 per cent coverage at district level.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) is the largest agency functioning in two-thirds of all hospitals and beds across the country. Approximately, 67 per cent of hospitals and 64 per cent of beds pertain to the MOPH. Of all public sector hospitals, over 80 per cent are community hospitals in various districts, and only 5.5 per cent of the hospitals pertain to other ministries.

There has been a rise in the number of private hospitals in the past few years. In 2006 there were 471 private hospitals, most of which were situated in urban areas and 44 per cent of private hospitals being placed in Bangkok. Most private hospitals now have occupancy rates of only around 30 per cent, as more Thais covered by the government scheme choose for treatment under the Bt30 scheme.

Private health care in the west is extremely costly and for some, prohibitively so. Even less taxing medical areas like dentistry and orthodontics are heavily priced, while surgery and major operations will end up indebting you.

Considering the costs, and the stakes, lot of people have shown the tendency to look for relatively cheap medical care abroad and escape the whooping costs they encounter at home. Many of them have reached Thailand and got the solutions they were looking for, triggering an influx of new-found energy into 'medical tourism' in the country.

There are so many reasons behind choosing Thailand. The primary reason is definitely the range and level of medical services in Thailand. The Thai medical profession is possibly one of the most contemporary in the region.

Various governments that have ruled the country have invested in making sure the education and training Thai doctors receive is on par to that provided in other parts of the region. Many doctors opt for specialist training in foreign countries, specifically the United States and Europe and are at the minimum as equally qualified as physicians in the west.

A qualified, experienced medical profession will be wasted if you don't provide proper facilities and the right equipments. Fortunately, Thailand offers hospitals and clinics which are world class. Equipments are given top priority and lot of money is invested on it, and management standards are such excellent that hospitals are credited with ISO 9001 approval.

Numerous major hospitals come under management groups that make sure top-class standard of medical service is offered through their branch hospitals at various locations across the country. All this expertise and proficiency point to the fact that Thailand's hospitals are safe options for those looking for medical treatment.

Thailand's medical solutions are in no way restricted to major surgery or treatments. Wide variety of cosmetic surgery options are available, as is cosmetic dentistry like laser teeth whitening, etc. and laser sight correction like LASIK, etc.

Thailand is also a sought after place for people needing sex reassignment surgery. Now you must have got an overall idea about the range and level of medical services in Thailand. Therefore ensure that you come to Thailand each time you feel the urge to get medical treatment abroad.