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Friday in the afternoon, 22 February 2013 at Ministry of Public Health, NonthaburiProvince. Prime Minister H.E. Yingluk Chinnawatra is about to the Announcement of Visa Exemption (90 Days) for aliens visit Kingdom of Thailand with Medical Purpose especially, the Gulf Cooperation Council: GCC Afterwards, Prime Minister and the group will visit Thai Tradition Medicine Museum and Training Center, Department for Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Ministry of Public Health.
H.E. Yingluk Chinnawatra said government sees the important of Medical Services. Accordingly, Medical Hub was set as the most important key to drive the country to be InternationalHealthServiceCenter with 3 factors to make the economy flows and be cooperated by all sectors. 1) Service Hub includes, Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine 2) Academic Hub 3) Product Hub includes, Thai herbs, medical equipments, vaccines and healthy foods. Besides, any rules or regulations were improved. Therefore, government personnel and private sector will collaborate without the effect in serving Thai residents. The government had processed these things mentioned above, together with the policy to relieve inequality of health services provide for Thais which distributed 3 funds. Thus, Thai people are able to approach quality and standard of the services. Especially, emergency case could be accepted by all medical providers; hospital or clinic.
The P.M. said after visiting the Gulf Cooperation Council: GCC. She found this group of visitors satisfied to take medication in Thailand and also interested in development the medical services and knowledge exchange. The government had assigned Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and Royal Thai Police to set the rules for alien visitors who travel to Kingdom of Thailand with the health purpose. They are allowed staying temporarily in Thailand with their followers; family members, relatives or associates not exceed 4 persons in total. They will be granted 90 days or less, increased from the past that granted only 30 days. The regulations and declarations of Ministry of Interior were published under immigration act, 1979 and be effective since 4 January 2013. The GCC countries were raised the first according to this policy.
Hopefully, the policy will help growing the health services through alien travelers, incomes the country gain and the government appearing on ASEAN Economic Community: AEC in 2015. AEC cooperates in politic, economy and community. The health service factor will be the first fast paced manage. ASEAN countries must be achieved the commitments and opened freely through 10 country members with 590 million populations. Therefore, this is the large market where Thailand able to develop Medical Hub policy.
Dr. Pradit Sinthawanarong, Minister of Public Health said Thailand is accepted for reliability in medical services indicated by the increase of aliens traveling to the country and high value income we gained. Beside we have professional physicians is the highlight of all services, alien visitors are also appreciated our warm hospitality, our Thai style unique we treated them. In 2012, aliens visited Thailand for medical purpose arisen to 2 million visits. 60% of them are the patients who aimed the medication first. Those brought incomes to our country up to 121,568 million baht. The most favorable services they took are medical checkup, plastic surgery, transgender, dental, orthopedics and heart operation.
Dr. Pradit Sinthawanarong continued saying that management the services for aliens under policy of temporary stay; Visa Exemption (90 Days) in Kingdom of Thailand for patients from GCC countries will accommodate and assist patients with chronic diseases who need long term treatments. Ministry of Public Health had operated the system to make them feel more comfortable by opening the counter service at SuvarnabhumiInternationalAirport, SamutprakarnProvince, on 2nd Floor of Arrival Terminal to serve health information for Thais and foreign passengers both in Thai and English languages. We open 60 lines 24 hours operated by 6 staffs. And the first visitor who arrive Thailand for medical purpose will be granted Visa Exemption (90 Days) and he will be received by Dr. Chonnan Srikeaw, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Public Health, who will be chairman on that day.
For visitors or patients traveling to Thailand for medical purpose, the appointment letter, statement, affidavit of support and related document are required. Now we have 103 hospitals with the most reputation joint us. 67 of them are located in any provinces and 7 are located in Bangkok. Moreover Ministry of Public Health also operate the website to serve foreigners information they need on www.thailandmedicalhub.net
…………………………22 February 2013
