Everything you need to know about Thailand’s one-year medical tourist visa

Medical tourism is big business, and Thailand - already the fifth most prominent market globally according to the World Travel and Tourism Council - is set to start issuing one-year medical tourist visas from January 2023 in its bid to further cement its position as one of the top destinations for medical tourists the world over. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about this new visa.

Some basic facts

The new visa will cost THB ฿5,000, after a THB ฿1,000 reduction from the current fee. It will allow the holder to travel in and out of Thailand, but the holder will be allowed to stay in Thailand for a maximum of only 90 days in any one stretch. Interestingly, the new medical visa will be limited to patients needing continuous treatment for more than 90 days.

Applicants must provide proof of a hospital appointment, health insurance, and sufficient financial resources for treatments (covering a minimum of THB ฿800,000) when applying for the new visa. The hospital will have to provide an outline of the applicant’s treatment plan and also an estimate of the expenses.

This new medical visa is for applicants including those seeking treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, organ transplants, anti-aging treatments, and cosmetic surgery. With supporting medical certificates, these visas may be extended beyond one year.

There’s also mention that the new medical visa can include three immediate family members without having to satisfy additional financial requirements, though further details on that are not available yet as of this writing.

Bumrungrad Hospital and Bangkok Dusit Medical Services are among the operators spearheading the new program.

Further reading:

●     The present and future of Thailand’s medical tourism industry

●     COVID-19 vaccine tourism emerges in Thailand

Why Thailand is a magnet to foreign medical tourists

One word: cost.

Foreigners can often get private medical treatment in Thailand that costs just a fraction of what the same treatment would cost in their home country, and if you have the right insurance, private healthcare in Thailand can be even more affordable. Even for people who are eligible for free medical care from the public healthcare system of their own country, the waiting lists are often long enough to make flying to Thailand for private medical treatment an easy call to make, especially when the condition is potentially life-threatening.

Of course, even free service wouldn’t interest as many people as Thailand’s private healthcare does, if the quality was poor and the medical professionals didn’t speak your language (or speak it very poorly). Luckily, doctors in Thailand are very well-trained in the latest medical procedures and treatments, and they (along with the medical staff) possess very commendable language skills particularly where there is a high concentration of medical tourists.

At the same time, private hospitals there are typically equipped with the latest and most sophisticated medical equipment, and are known for their outstanding facilities and customer service that make you sometimes feel like you are staying at a hotel.

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