Key View
- Thailand’s public and private health expenditure will grow over our five-year forecast period, driven by the adoption of digital health technologies, medical tourism and an ageing population.
- Thailand will continue to integrate digital health solutions into its healthcare system to strengthen preventative care and manage its growing chronic disease burden.
- Thailand’s medical tourism industry will remain a key driver of private healthcare growth, driving demand for healthcare products and services.
Thailand’s public and private health expenditure will grow over our five-year forecast period, driven by the adoption of digital health technologies, medical tourism and an ageing population. We forecast that Thailand’s health expenditure will grow by a 2023-2028 compound annual growth rate of 7.1% with private sector expenditure growing by 9.4% and public expenditure growing by 6.4% over the period. The integration of digital health technologies in both private and public settings in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy alongside concerted efforts to enhance the medical tourism industry will be key drivers of expenditure growth. Thailand’s three public health insurance schemes – the Universal Coverage Scheme, Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme and Social Health Insurance, collectively cover the majority of the population, which will ensure public health spending continues to account for the majority of expenditure. Additionally, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health announced an expansion to public health insurance in January 2024 to allow for non-Thai individuals lacking identification documents to register for medical treatment. Thailand’s growing elderly population will ensure a sustained demand for healthcare services over the medium to long term, further driving public spending growth. A key challenge will be healthcare personnel shortages amid rising demand, with Thailand currently facing shortages of doctor’s and nurses, which will pose risks to system access.
