Overview
As of June 2025, the Joint Commission International accredited 64 Thai medical institutions offering diverse medical treatments, ranging from organ transplants to dental and cosmetic surgery. In 2023, Thailand’s medical travel market was valued at approximately $2.57 billion, driven primarily by medical travelers from neighboring countries, the Middle East, China, South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
With affordable, high-quality healthcare services, state-of-the-art facilities, expert doctors, international health insurance acceptance, and abundant tourist attractions, Thailand is a leading destination for medical travel. According to the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index by the International Healthcare Research Center (latest available data), Thailand ranked 5th out of 46 destinations for medical travel. Popular medical services accessed by medical travelers include cosmetic surgery, dental care, fertility services, orthopedic procedures, heart surgery, joint replacements, and health check-ups.
In 2024, Thailand’s medical device market was valued at approximately $8.2 billion. Thailand imported $2.75 billion in medical devices, of which devices from the United States accounted for 18 percent or $496.24 million. The United States remains the top supplier of higher technological devices such as cardiovascular, ultrasound, X-ray, and electro-diagnostic devices. Imports of medical devices from China and Germany accounted for 15.9 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Imports of medical devices in 2024 increased 5.3 percent over 2023.
In 2024, Thailand’s exports of medical devices were valued at approximately $3,785, an increase of 10.3 percent over 2023. Exports of medical devices to the United States accounted for one-fourth of total exports.
Table: Thailand’s Medical Devices Sector Market Size (US$ Millions)
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 estimated |
Total Local Production | 7,859 | 8,436 | 9,279.6 | 7,423 |
Total Exports | 3,379 | 3,432 | 3,785.55 | 3,000 |
Total Imports | 2,774 | 2,612 | 2,751.85 | 2,800 |
Imports from the US | 478 | 497.6 | 496.24 | 500 |
Total Market Size | 7,254 | 7,616 | 8,245.9 | 7,223 |
Exchange Rates (USD to THB) | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 |
(total market size = (total local production + imports) – exports)
Source: Medical Devices Intelligence Unit (MEDIU)
Leading Sub-sectors
• Cardiovascular devices
• Dental devices
• Dermatological devices
• Electro-diagnostic devices
• In-vitro diagnostic devices
• Neurological and surgical devices
• Ophthalmic and optical devices
• Orthopedic devices
• Rehabilitation equipment
• Therapeutic respiration devices
• Ultrasound and X-ray devices
• Health information technology
Opportunities
Thailand has the second oldest population in ASEAN after Singapore, with 20.36 percent or 13 million people over 60. By 2030, approximately one-third of the Thai population will be over 60. According to the Ministry of Public Health and Senior Health Service and Trade Association (SHSTA), five percent of aging individuals will become bedridden or require full-time support by 2030. An additional 25 percent of aging individuals will have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or depression and will face mobility issues. As a result, Thailand’s aging population is fueling demand for senior healthcare services. As of July 31, 2024, there were 743 registered elderly-care businesses, an increase of six percent from 2023. In addition, the number of foreigners applying for retirement visas to stay in Thailand continuously rises. The market for elder care, including businesses daycare, home care, senior residences, and healthcare products and services for the elderly, is growing. However, lack of skilled personnel and high operating costs remain challenges.
The Thai government announced the establishment of the Andaman Wellness Economic Corridor to promote and develop medical travel in six Andaman provinces, with Phuket being the leading destination. The cabinet approved $151 million to construct an international medical travel complex called “Medical Plaza.” The Medical Plaza project comprises a one-stop medical center and a 5,000-capacity multipurpose convention center. The center’s services include geriatric and palliative care, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and international healthcare.
In 2019, the Thai government launched the 20-year roadmap Genomics Thailand Project, with the first phase sequencing the genomes of 50,000 Thai individuals within five disease groups: cancer, rare diseases, non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and pharmacogenomics. Thailand aims to build infrastructure to harness genomic information and provide a bioinformatics platform for researchers and healthcare service personnel to access genome analysis tools.
Genomics Thailand Phase 2’s official announcement is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Thai government will expand into 200,000 samples from diseased people, healthy people, and newborns. Genomics Thailand Phase 2 will focus on applications of the first phase whole genome sequencing results in five areas of study: cancer, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, rare diseases, and pharmacogenomics. The budget for the second phase is valued at approximately $85 million. The Ministry of Public Health has approved a budget of $24 million for public hospitals’ procurement of next-generation sequencing systems for cancer screening.
To address the challenges of an aging society and increasing public healthcare costs, Thai hospitals have increasingly adopted digital health solutions such as 5G, AI, and robotics to improve patient care, operational efficiency, and safety. The Ministry of Public Health is developing a national healthcare data system using AI to analyze and prevent non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
Resources
Event: Medical Device Control Division, Food and Drug Administration
Date: Ministry of Public Health
Website: https://en.fda.moph.go.th/
E-mail: medicalcons63@gmail.com