Increasing Thailand's Wealth

[Sunbelt Asia]

Bangkok Post Article

DEVELOPMENT / INCREASING THAILAND'S WEALTH

Big gains possible through closer ties with Japan

SOMPORN THAPANACHAI

Pursuing closer ties with Japan could help Thailand double its per capita income within five years, says Kenichi Ohmae, one of the world's best-known strategic thinkers. He said Thailand should use its strength in services and hospitality to cater to Japan's elderly population, estimated at eight million with capital of US$510 billion.

The Thai government has been attempting to encourage retirees to arrange long stays but with very modest success so far.

''If I were the Thai government, I would do 10 times more,'' said Mr Ohmae, who has written extensively on the globalised economy and is known as ''Mr Strategy''.

He made the comment yesterday in Bangkok at a seminar titled ''Thailand A Roadmap for Action in the Borderless World''. The event was held by the Office of the Civil Service Commission and the Association of Thai Government Scholarship Students.

Mr Ohmae suggested that Thailand apply a regionalism strategy, by learning from the success of China in developing a strong economy through decentralisation of authority, resulting in the competition among provinces to achieve growth.

He noted that northern Thailand could to become the focus of the Japanese elderly community, the central region could focus on finance, industry and medical treatment, while the South should concentrate on tourism and medical tourism services.

He said Japanese retirees needed care-givers to look after them as young Japanese people were eager to work in other fields. While the Japanese government is not fond of importing foreign care-givers, there is the opportunity to build Japanese senior communities in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai.

''The Japanese government is thinking about using robots to care for elderly people,'' Mr Ohmae said. ''If Thailand can provide a good community, they will come while their children will visit them. You can do it if you like. But if you don't do it, I believe the Philippines will do it.''

Thailand has strength in medical treatment, which is far more expensive in Japan and western countries, so the country could use this competitive edge, he said.

Mr Ohmae also believes Thai craftsmanship skills could be leveraged for value-added jobs in housing construction such as building specialised houses adapted from containers for Japanese people. His company is working to build 6,000 container-houses to supply the Japanese market.

Japan has long been the largest investor in Thailand and Japanese companies are committed to Thailand as their sole export base in Southeast Asia, he pointed out.

''No Japanese is getting out of Thailand for the reason of China,'' he said. ''Thailand should not compete over the border with Vietnam or China but the government should focus on key things in which Thailand has the strength.''

One area Mr Ohmae says Thailand should not pursue is call centres, given second-language weaknesses that may take 10 years or more to overcome.

Because countries were increasingly interdependent, especially East Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan, Thailand should find opportunities to use other people's money to create prosperity, Mr Ohmae said.

''The key to success is to get other people's money to come into the country. Don't use the taxpayers' money to fund prosperity in your own country.''

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[womble]

His advise to stick to what you know and not copy others is good, and his example of call centres is a fine one indeed.

Personally I think the best Thai hospitals are among the best hospitals in the world. The doctors are well qualified, the nurses easy on the eye and friendly unlike the irish sisters back home. Great value for money also. Stay away from most private provincial hospitals though for anything more serious than cuts and bruises, as they are eigher not good enough or over priced.

Bangkok hospital in samui charges 2500 baht just to see doctor. I went in to get some painkillers and came out with a bill for 3000 baht!

Edited September 9, 2006 by womble

[farangsay]

His advise to stick to what you know and not copy others is good, and his example of call centres is a fine one indeed.

Personally I think the best Thai hospitals are among the best hospitals in the world. The doctors are well qualified, the nurses easy on the eye and friendly unlike the irish sisters back home. Great value for money also. Stay away from most private provincial hospitals though for anything more serious than cuts and bruises, as they are eigher not good enough or over priced.

Bangkok hospital in samui charges 2500 baht just to see doctor. I went in to get some painkillers and came out with a bill for 3000 baht!

[womble]

Most of the irish nurses back in UK seem to be a little.........

how do we say...............

on the heavy side...............

and a little serious.

Nah, Thai hospital for me.

[GuestHouse]

Personally I think the best Thai hospitals are among the best hospitals in the world. The doctors are well qualified, the nurses easy on the eye and friendly unlike the irish sisters back home.

I don't give a sh1t what the nursing staff look like, so long as they know what they are doing.

Having spent 3 months in one of the best Thai hostpitals, followed by being medivact to the UK and then spending a futher 2 months in a UK hospital my personal experience taught me that the Thai nurses are pretty - Pretty bl00dy useless.

Yes you can get good medical care in Thailand, but to claim it as good as the best internationally is streatching things somewhat.

[womble]

Personally I think the best Thai hospitals are among the best hospitals in the world. The doctors are well qualified, the nurses easy on the eye and friendly unlike the irish sisters back home.

I don't give a sh1t what the nursing staff look like, so long as they know what they are doing.

Having spent 3 months in one of the best Thai hostpitals, followed by being medivact to the UK and then spending a futher 2 months in a UK hospital my personal experience taught me that the Thai nurses are pretty - Pretty bl00dy useless.

Yes you can get good medical care in Thailand, but to claim it as good as the best internationally is streatching things somewhat.

The reference to the nurses was meant tongue in cheek, regardless it enhances ones stay. I prefer the friendliness of the Thai nurses over their european counterparts, their joking nature makes light of the seriousness of ones stay. Which I believe to be a benefit as opposed to a negative, to each their own.

I can only comment on my own stays in hospital in Thailand and I think the health care was excellant. Here's an article from others who share my opinion of this particular hospital.

Here's a little extract,

But for people needing medical care, it's known increasingly for Bumrungrad Hospital, a luxurious place that claims to have more foreign patients than any other hospital in the world. It's like a United Nations of patients here, and they're cared for by more than 500 doctors, most with international training.

The hospital has state-of-the-art technology, and here's the clincher: the price. Treatment here costs about one-eighth what it does in the United States. It's the No. 1 international hospital in the world.

"It's sort of Ground Zero. I haven't heard anybody yet who's told us that they take more than 350,000 international patients a year," says Curt Schroeder, CEO of Bumrungrad."

"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/21/...ain689998.shtml

I might add that the figures certainly seem to suggest that many people do think the healthcare is extremely good, it wouldn't be the no 1 international hospital in the world if it wasn't doing something right. Obviously value for money is a factor, but in order to draw so many affluent customers, the facilities have to be world class which in my opinion they are.

Ofcourse certain diseases and health problems are better treated in other specialist hospitals of which there are many around the world that in a particular field will be better and offer new trial treatments etc. But for the average stay this hospital is as good as most in the west. Certainly better than most hospitals in UK.

Edited September 11, 2006 by womble