Health Resorts Thailand
THAILAND: A growing Medical Mecca
Thailand has been the destination of choice for many visitors from the Middle East. The friendly people, five-star resorts and accommodations, and the natural beauty of Thailand’s landscape have been top attractions for decades.
These days, another growing reason Arab tourists are flocking to Thailand is the world-quality medical facilities and services available in the country. Patients are choosing to combine a medical check-up or treatment, with an exotic holiday in the Land of Smiles all at a fraction of what it would cost in the US or Europe.
Those who choose to come to Thailand for their medical care enjoy several benefits. Travel from the Middle East to the capital city of Bangkok is convenient with several air carriers operating direct flights from key cities in the Gulf, including 66 from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain. Among the major carriers flying the route are Thai Airways International, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air and Cathay Pacific. With direct flights ranging from seven to nine hours only, travel is not as tiring for most young children or senior members of the family. Entry to the Kingdom is also less onerous, compared to most Western destinations. Middle Eastern guests are also sensitive to the changing attitudes towards them in the US and Europe which contrast with the warm hospitality of the Thai people.
The majority of Middle Eastern guests are from the United Arab Emirates, accounting for 60 per cent of the total. They often travel with the extended family, enjoying the shopping, dining and cultural pleasures of Thailand. With their high purchasing power, residents of Arab Gulf countries find the prices of goods and services in Thailand reasonable, including that of high quality medical services. Bangkok boasts of International standard hospitals that cater to over half a million foreign patients annually, Majority of doctors in these Bangkok hospitals are not only world-class and internationally trained, but are also able to speak other languages, such as Arabic, in addition to Thai and English.
International hospitals in Thailand are eager to accommodate patients from the Arab Gulf region and in recognition of their needs, have put in place special facilities and services for Muslim patients and visitors, often hard to find outside the Middle East. It is now common to find directions and information on public signage in Arabic, as well as Thai and English. Halal food and prayer rooms are available for patients and also for visitors. The hospitals are one-stop centres as well with visa extension desks, and multilingual officers who will help patients and their families find accommodation or book transportation.
With all these developments, it is no wonder Thailand has evolved into a mecca for medical tourism.
About the Author
MARIEL EDUARTE is a Business and Editorial Advisor at MEDIHCARE.com. She is an organisational communications specialist and has written for several publications in Asia.
To learn more about Thailand travel and health tourism please visit http://www.MEDIHCARE.com or email contact@medihcare.com.
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