Market Overview

• Thailand achieved universal healthcare in 2002 through three public health insurance schemes.
• In addition to public sector healthcare in China, the private sector is flourishing driven by wealthier patients who are avoiding the public system.
•  76.2% of the population is covered under the government-provided Universal Coverage Scheme, 13.3% is covered under the Compulsatory Social Security Scheme, and 8.2% is covered by the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme. Additionally, 2.2% of the population is covered by private health insurance.

Market Size

• While the size of the health insurance market in Thailand was unavailable, the total healthcare market in the country is growing and is expected to reach 28.5 billion USD by the year 2020.

Trends

• Thailand is the most popular destination globally for medical tourism. The government is attempting to strengthen this industry in the country in order to offset the medical costs of the Thai population.
• The aging population of Thailand is driving an increase in the need for medical care and thus the market size.

Challenges

• A current challenge for the public sector of healthcare in Thailand is "fiscal sustainability in the long term", especially due to the increasingly elderly population and chronic diseases.
• There is also a shortage of healthcare professionals, as the number of trained people employed in the sector has not increased as rapidly as the expanded access due to universal healthcare coverage.