Thailand pushes health system overhaul with new visa, research deals and ฿100bn investment target
The Thailand Ministry of Public Health has unveiled an expansion strategy it says will reshape healthcare delivery and pull in at least 100 billion baht in research investment, as the country positions itself as a global medical hub.
The plan rests on three pillars: a new one-year medical treatment visa (Non-Immigrant O-MT) for foreign patients, clinical research partnerships with global pharmaceutical giants, and a long-term roadmap branded MOPH PLUS+ to link patient records and upgrade primary care nationwide.
New medical visa opens door to longer stays
Foreigners seeking treatment in Thailand can now apply for a Non-Immigrant O-MT visa valid for one year, with multiple entries permitted and stays of up to 90 days per visit.
The visa, approved this year, allows patients to bring up to three companions. Applicants must show at least 800,000 baht in funds, roughly equivalent to 20 months of Bangkok's monthly minimum wage, and hold health insurance covering at least 100,000 USD, about 3 million baht.
Treatments covered include anti-aging medicine, rehabilitation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dental work and cosmetic surgery—areas where Thai hospitals have built expertise and where patients often need extended recovery time.
The fee is 6,000 baht per person, with an extension fee of 1,900 baht.
In January, the government moved to align this medical visa with the Destination Thailand Visa, a flexible entry scheme aimed at digital nomads and remote workers, to reduce overlap in visa categories and simplify immigration checks.
Shorter-term visitors face new rules. From 15 September, the 60-day visa exemption for citizens of 93 countries was scrapped and replaced with a 30-day exemption for 60 countries, restricted to tourism. Medical tourists who need to stay beyond 30 days must now apply for a proper medical visa.
Travelers will also notice a procedural change: all foreign arrivals must now fill out a Thailand Digital Arrival Card, a digital replacement for the paper TM6 form.
Thailand ranked as the world's second-best medical tourism destination this year, according to Travel And Tour World. Last year, more than 3 million foreign patients received care in the country.
Top source countries include China, Qatar, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and the wider ASEAN region. Patients from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia also come in large numbers, drawn by costs 40–70% lower than in their home systems.
Global drugmakers sign research and manufacturing deals
Thailand is negotiating with 10 global pharmaceutical companies to bring clinical research and drug manufacturing into the country, part of a push to become what the government calls a Medical Investment Hub.
US-based MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding to expand clinical trials in Thailand. Each new drug trial is expected to draw about 2 billion baht in investment and create roughly 1,000 jobs. The company also plans to transfer technology for manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients for new HIV drugs, working with the Thai Government Pharmaceutical Organization.
Swiss healthcare giant Roche has signaled interest in investing about 15 billion baht in research and development, with talks including the possibility of a local production base.
Sandoz, the generics arm of Novartis, is in separate negotiations and is expected to sign a cooperation agreement soon.
The government's overall target is 100 billion baht in research investment from these partnerships. So far, about 4 billion baht worth of deals have been signed, with MSD alone expected to invest more than 2.5 billion baht by 2027.
A parallel four-year project called BPM-TEAM, backed by 1.75 million Australian dollars in funding, is already underway. Led by Australia's CSIRO with Thai partners including BIOTEC, NSTDA and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, it aims to strengthen Thailand's capacity to produce biologics and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Hospitals to link data as primary care gets an upgrade
The MOPH PLUS+ strategy runs through 2030 and rests on seven pillars, from smart primary care to global standards aligned with the OECD.
A key piece is the Smart Life & Primary Care pillar, which aims to link patient records across all hospitals and clinics so people can access care anywhere in Thailand without carrying paper files.
The ministry is also creating a national Health Mapping system to decide where to open or upgrade facilities based on local need.
Other measures include expanding comprehensive eldercare centers open to private investment, deploying volunteer health workers to vulnerable communities, and opening drug rehabilitation centers in every district.
Four guiding policies for 2025–2026 focus on reducing regional health disparities, enforcing the Primary Care System Act B.E. 2562, managing health budgets across provinces and regions, and fixing service gaps in Bangkok.
Economic gains weighed against hospital debts
The health ministry says its health economy strategy has already generated 118 billion baht in direct economic value—17% of its initial target. The broader goal is to reach 1.98 trillion baht, or 11.08% of GDP, within three years.
The Medical Hub policy alone is meant to contribute at least 0.5% of GDP.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects medical and wellness tourists to spend an average of 107,662 baht per trip, about 102.67% more than typical tourists. The agency has set a revenue target of 125 billion baht from medical tourism this year.
The healthcare market is projected to grow from 37.65 billion USD in 2026 to 61.38 billion USD by 2032, an annual growth rate of 8.49%.
Yet public hospitals are under strain. They now owe more than 60 billion baht to drug companies, squeezed by an aging population, rising chronic disease and medical inflation running at 10.8%—far above the country's 2% GDP growth.
The World Bank, in a report titled "Building Thailand's Future Today," names sustainable and health-related tourism as one of five industries that can drive productivity, investment and high-quality job creation.
But the bank also notes that Thailand's healthcare system still faces staffing shortages, and the government acknowledges the need to train more specialists, researchers and skilled workers to support the expanding sector.
