Thailand will start issuing one-year visas to people seeking medical treatment, as the Southeast Asian nation positions itself as a global hub for healthcare tourism in the post-pandemic era.
The cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to lower the fee for such visas to 5,000 baht (US$140) from 6,000 baht mooted a year earlier, Tipanan Sirichana, a deputy spokeswoman for the government, said in a statement. The new permits will be issued starting from January 1, she said.
The medical visas will allow foreign patients to fly in and out of Thailand besides allowing them a maximum stay of 90 days at a stretch
They will be restricted to patients that require continuous treatment for more than 90 days and will be issued from January 1 for a price of US$140
The medical visas will allow foreign patients to fly in and out of Thailand besides allowing them a maximum stay of 90 days at a stretch, Tipanan said. Applicants will need to produce evidence of a hospital appointment, health insurance and proof of adequate financing for treatments covering at least 800,000 baht, she said.
Thailand is seeking to lure more foreign visitors in the post-Covid period by promoting itself as a world-class destination for medical treatment, with hospital operators such as Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL and Bumrungrad Hospital PCL leading the efforts.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is also betting on a rebound in the tourism industry to power a growth recovery next year, the Bank of Thailand said this week. The country has seen a better-than-expected recovery in international arrivals after the government scrapped most of the restrictions on travel and businesses following an easing of Covid-19.
Source: South China Morning Post