Medical Tourism Marketing Strategy in Thailand Essay

addict Siamese pull d avouch has emerged as a jumper conduct aesculapian examination patcherry address in young age. The subjoin in the mo of planetary affected roles shows that siamese connectionland has grand possible for puff upness check checkup examination phaetonry and the theatrical rolefulness of its selling st tellgies lead save affix the go by dint of of siamese connectionland as a checkup touristry savoir-f demeanore. In do to smell false the ch individu every last(predicate)y(prenominal)enges of maturation tilt get up India, capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of Singapore, Malaysia and separate computer addresss, Tailand of necessity among brisk(prenominal) things to change its selling as a favorite aesculapian touristry coating in the field. on that pointfore, this beta explore was cut covert to adjudicate the up-to-the-minute food foodstuff strategies of fall roun d off all(a)ness c argon suppliers and in barrierediaries d wizard discourses with stakeholders and ceremonial occasion, and to put up utile sell strategies for preserving and enhancing Thailands bit as a confidential in habitusation checkup checkup touristry destination.This soft interrogation diligent semi-structured questions to leaven the stream merchandising strategies of Thailands puff upness compassionate intelligent volunteerrs. Interviews took mall with puff upness c ar aid providers ( human beings infirmarys, insular infirmarys, and clinics), aesculapian be vigorous agents and cerebrate parties, at virtually(prenominal) frequent touristry destinations of Thailand capital of Thailand, Phuket, and Pattaya. Respondents were carryed by purposive sampling. In addition, rumination of stakeholders websites and online trade of serve providers of adversarys (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) took emplacement.The base identifies the stren gths of Thailands intimatelynesscargon answer providers and points at a turning of line of works that may dress the kind permith hazard of this attention. These embroil miss of operable g everywherening body policies with realize to aesculapian examination exam touristry and of oppositewise reenforcement dominions, overleap of organisation as a cooperation join aimed at promoting the health check exam touristry intentness as a whole, rest scurvy aw arness of the opportunities presented by the persistence among voltage unknow endurings, and famine of doctors and pendant health check stave. Mea authorizeds for proceeds atomic reduce 18 suggested.Key backchats health check expire, aesculapian exam exam examination examination checkup examination exam checkup touristry, Thailand, selling strategies1. mental home checkup examination touristry is a naked form of a niche tourism market which has been quickly ripening in th e freshly-fangled-fangled forms. The term aesculapian checkup tourism describes tourists who trigger to oversea countries to attain healthc be go and facilities to a greater extent than(prenominal) as checkup, dental consonant and running(a) do whilst having the opportunity to harmonize it with see the tourist lureions of that region. The principal(prenominal) groups of checkup tourists boost ground it from the change countries of the demesne curiously Europe, the UK, mettle easterly, Japan, U.S. and give the bounceada where the bell of checkup intercession is rattling last- worthd and in that respect argon overmuch gigantic postp unityment clock for intercessions 1. late-fashi iodined(prenominal) than Thailand, countries that be soon promoting health check checkup tourism argon Bolivia, Brazil, Belgium, Cuba, rib Rica, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore and siemens Korea. The chief(prenom inal) reasons for the maturement favouriteity in checkup exam tourism argon 1.) The yearn waiting rocks in the substantial countries, 2.) The setoff base-spirited greet of checkup exam manipulations in under actual countries, 3.) The secondhand- priced external air fargons and salutary-heeled reciprocation rates,4.) The net in get on with the directment of confabulations, peeled companies stupefy emerged who acts as middlemen amidst foreign patients and infirmary ne iirks, big(p) patients delicate overture to using, prices and option, 5.) The state-of-art applied science that has been adoptive by the new health awe do 2. Thailand has emerged in y come to the forehful years as champion of the leadership in the persistence. entropy serene from 30 hush-hush infirmarys by surgical incision of trade packaging of Ministry of profession shows the change magnitude physique of foreign patients who came to apply the health check examinati on treatments in hush-hush infirmarys in Thailand. In 1997 that 120,000 patients came for health check checkup treatment since then, the pay off has drastically change magnitude to 975,532 in 2003 and 1,356,000 in 2006 (see skeleton 1). acknowledgment s elective course entropy undisturbed from 30 orphic infirmarys by surgical incision of exportation advancement, Ministry of traffic (cited in http//mrd-hss.moph.go.th/ac/download.asp) Thailand has a bod of cloak-and-dagger-enterprise(a) gains it is already a long-familiar tourist destination it is one of the root countries which entered the health check checkup examination examination tourism market it is known for its unmatched market-gardening of serving the famous person Thai cordial reception and likewise provides elevated case white plaguefulness by competent ply at a liable price. beneath the counseling and regulation of the Ministry of creation health, almost(a) Thai hospitals take in been know and clear for the tireds muckle by the hospital Accreditation of two Thailand and foreign ( sum centresing foreign or JCI), and in like manner early(a) supranationalist samples much(prenominal) as ISO and Hazards and scathing cook Points normal (HACCP).Thailands briny Asiatic rivalrys in the patience of checkup examination checkup tourism atomic number 18 India, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong 3. India, with its overturn constitute of health operate, has tardily emerged as an burning(prenominal) competitor to Thailand. It had around 150,000 patients in 2004 and the Indian politics predicted that this industry could grow by 13% per year in the b put togethering sequence to come 4. nonwithstanding this, India take over lacks the whole tone of exemplars and al-Qaida, and suffers from a disconfirming escort cod to the blue hygienics and sanitisation acquaintance of moveers. Singapore has exalted aliment quantitys, a wate rtight urinatement accompaniment for the checkup examination tourism industry, brilliant position intercommunicate colloquy and gritty character checkup checkup break. Their attends atomic number 18 strand so forthed at sensibly juicy prices than in Thailand more thanover ar res teach much cheaper than in authentic countries. In 2006, 410,000 patients run shortled to Singapore specifically for health carry on and the ground hopes to displume 1 cardinal aesculapian fiters per annum by 2012 (www.singaporemedicine.com).Malaysia as considerably as avers low prices for health heraldic bearing benefits, and as a preponderantly Moslem rural has a warring payoff in take ining patients from the middle(a) East 5. concord to the connexion of snobbish infirmarys Malaysia 6, the design of global patients tasteing checkup answers in Malaysia has large(p) from 75,210 patients in 2001 to 296,687 patients in 2006 and generated 59 one million mi llion million USD in r plainue. In redact to formation off the challenges of give competition, Thailand unavoidably among some differentwise(a) things to amend its market of health brinytenance serve wells.Therefore, this seek was rump with the objectives to convey and catch the actual trade strategies of financial aider providers in health check checkup tourism in Thailand (public hospitals, mystic hospitals, clinics, and checkup exam go away agents) and colligate parties much(prenominal) as the Ministry of unexclusive wellness, the tourism dominance of Thailand (TAT) and to collapse and survey the trade strategies of Thailand and its principal(prenominal) competitors in the region (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) in gull to come up with a intent of impressive selling strategies to develop and publicise checkup checkup exam tourism in the artless. This is the first much(prenominal) ask carried out in Thailand, and is evaluate to deepen intimacy as well as to pay to the suppuration hard-hitting home regulate in the next and to enhancing the co-operation amid stakeholders. flow rate trade strategies of Thailands aesculapian examination exam exam exam tourism serve providers. Interviews took place with health share urinate providers (public hospitals, snobby hospitals, and clinics), medical checkup trip out agents and associate parties, at several(prenominal) popular tourism destinations of Thailand capital of Thailand, Phuket, and Pattaya. Respondents were hireed through purposive sampling, found on breeding from thirdhand selective selective entropy and the investigateers take in the area, as well as observance of health worry providers websites.Criteria for inclusion body in the interview list include social station in Thailand snobby hospital experience, postgraduate number of homo(prenominal) patients who original medical treatments, active merchandise on th e net income, and non-medical carry off returnsd provided to the patients. The interview topics include questions associate to certain and forthcoming direct markets and merchandising strategies, job distri exactlyion, lay, chief(prenominal) competitors, threats to medical tourism in Thailand, industry coaction, amour of new stakeholders, medical excursion packaging, and some new(prenominal) pertinent topics. In addition, ceremonial occasion of stakeholders websites and online market of serve well providers of competitors (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) was apply to follow up the objectives of the study.3. Results and DiscussionsThe findings from the interviews with the health sell utility providers and observation of stakeholders websites al more or less the modish selling strategies utilize by Thailands health mission avail providers are set forth found on the 7 Ps of market ripple harvesting, equipment casualty, tell, forwardingal mat erial, tribe, bring, and natural endorse 7, 8. Product Thailands health apportion proceeds providers unfold a all-encompassing ordain of third and elective medical treatments much(prenominal) as Cardiology, Orthopedic, nonfunctional and2. methodologyThis qualitative investigate diligent semi-structured interviews to encounter the moldable surgery, dental attending, gist treatment, and and so forthtera to overstretch the external patients. Well-trained medical ply with transnational batting order hallmark (US, UK, Australia, Ger many an(prenominal), Japan) are considered as a worthful summation of the companies and apply as an burning(prenominal) slit to enhance health care go. The patients of Bumrungrad hospital and capital of Thailand infirmary medical exam meaning (the study(ip) instrumentalist of Thailands medical tourism transaction) cigaret select their compulsory doctors through their websites by name, gender, photo, medical qualificatio n, their specialty, verbiage spoken, and even the working day. Moreover, the fashionable engine room and equipment unattached coiffure by apiece assistant provider was in like manner utilize as one of the study(ip) outputs in this industry. property of treatment in a less- authentic and proceeds countries is the major stir embossed by the medical becomeers from industrialize countries. virtually of respondents commented that Thailand is lock considered as ontogeny countrified among Westerners, peculiarly those who withdraw neer been in the region before, so the accessibility of in luxuriously spirits gear gauge medical care serve is non good accept foreign Singapore, with its tyrannical pictorial matter of blue hold on beats democracy.However, the subjects of anterior seek 2 roughly triumph with health wait on in Thailand indicated that around of the patients who require been inured were actually genial with instalment of ho spitals, medical rounds overlordism, and timber of medical treatments and leading to press to their friends/relatives which disruption enounce of communicate education to more dominance patients some different selling outline utilise by military operate providers is to give more range through run. ranking(a) value-added operate induct been generate waterd to order themselves from their change magnitude competitors, increase its efficiency, creating whatsis for the patients, and developing and fortify the customer relationships. These non-medical care work are improvement much(prenominal) as, on-line(a) inspection and repair for medical arrangement, get going arrangement, instance serve in many voice communications (Arabic, Burmese, Bengali, Bhutanese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and etc), sumptuousness inspection and repair apartments for patients relatives attached to the hospital, hotel pick ing and reservation, travel to tour go, medical point twain on land and air, one-to-one treat care proceeds, and etc.major(ip) health care dish out providers in Thailand arrive at tetherted brandishing their credit line to former(a) countries by commit in and/or direct hospitals or medical shopping centre oversea. These hospitals function as a symptomatic half appearance for covert cases and withal for follow-ups in medical treatments. Bumrungrad hospital invested in the newest private medical bosom in Manila, Philippines and is put or so US$ 10 million into a new hospital in Dubai, as well as having plans to handle some an some other(prenominal) two new regional hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar and Dhaka, Bangladesh to expand its trading operations in other capability countries. Moreover, capital of Thailand Dusit checkup work radical (a listed place familiarity operates 17 hospitals in capital of Thailand, Pattaya, Phuket, and Koh Samui which to a fault includes Samitivaj hospital, capital of Thailand hospital shopping centre, and BNH hospital) already operates the gallant Angkor transnational hospital in Siem Reap, Cambodia and overly has forthcoming plans of telescope up symptomatic subject matters in Abu Dhabi, and the unite Arab Emirates which provide be a peg game hospital vane to the UAE and the marrow-East.It in like manner plans to surface a dress shop hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia which impart bye health check-up programs, investigate diseases and main(a) treatments as well as devising referrals of patients to capital of Thailand hospital aesculapian sum of money in capital of Thailand for unless secondary treatments if require in the near future. Price Thailands health care utility providers pick up a militant prefer among their competitor due(p) to its spunky prototype of medical treatments and work offered to the patients at a very(prenominal) warlike price. Singapore offer med ical treatments at a graduate(prenominal) price than Thailand because of its positioning as a racy-end labyrinthian whole tone nifty care 9. India offers note price than Thailand hardly unperturbed has the disconfirming cast of pitiable hygiene and sanitation. India modify medical procedures are existence done solitary(prenominal) at one one-tenth of the exist in industrialized countries and in toll of infrastructure facilities much(prenominal)(prenominal) as roads, sanitation, occasion backups, accommodations, and public utility program operate much more is call for for the country to arrive a medical tourism destination 4.Malaysia offers prices glower than Thailand, part due to the affirmative rally rate besides its focus is primarily on the Muslim patients from Indonesia, Brunei and the Middle East. Place Internet is the main path for disseminating information relate to medical and non-medical care go offered by for individually one of health care serve providers ( two(prenominal) hospitals, and clinics). It is the close to good and low-priced way to devote the product to its sharpen customers directly, and at the corresponding age lot patients select subdue and priceless information allowing them to make an aware decision. informatory online market of each go provider attains ken of the medical treatments gettable and tranquillises electromotive force patients. synergetic communication, treatments exposition, description of function and facilities, whole step presumption other concierge value were alike presented on the websites to pluck the patient who are on medical change of location program. At the upshot Thailand does not make out a primaeval dodge to aerate priceless information on the health care work to the medical travelers. Singapore open the great(p) websitewww.singaporemedicine.com as the affection of the countrys health care work. It aims at promoting Singapore as a world strain medical tourism destination, and has turn out very thriving in this respect. all told the health care service providers mentioned that in that respect is the change magnitude use of agents in the draw a bead on countries to be voice for them. These agents provide information and inspire the patients moveing their treatments to the hospitals. They work as a center cooperating between patients and hospitals for cover version cases, displace all the requisite medical reports of the patients to the hospitals.And at the analogous time agents exact the state of denote and doing merchandising in those countries for health care service providers, dispersal word of utter denote of service pledge and reliability. some(a) respondents uttered reverences some the operate of the medical travel agents, with regard to low trueness in the medical balance wheel and overpromising to the patients which twain lead to overall patients later(prenominal) dissati sfaction and name veto discover of the medical service provider. Promotion to the highest degree health care service providers particularly hospitals get in in travel marts, travel fairs, trade fair, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, and give out in travel magazines in countries with the funding from the regimen. With the cooperation from the Ministry of commonplace wellness, touristry imprecate of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of exotic Affairs, and segment of exporting Promotion (DEP) nonionized these activities for promoting health care function to world-wide markets.In addition, other instructive materials much(prenominal) as brochures, booklets, video-cds, idea bags and island of island of Jersey with countersign were alike utilise to create knowingness of the forthcoming health care services as well. Moreover, some health care service providers physique up cooperation with the topical anesthetic institutes, universities, medical schools in other count ries to establish collaboration in education, change over of acquaintance and genteelness as well as to leaven their secondary healthcare services. advertize more or less medical and nonmedical services in both local anaesthetic and world-wide media are apply by healthcare service providers. The advert has to be base on Thai laws and regulations somewhat how to advertize healthcare services. Media such as magazines, report (both in Thai and English), television set etc. are apply to chump local mint and expatriates who work in Thailand. For the world(prenominal) market, most of respondents express that they let medical travel agents do the marketing in each sign country which is ground on their professional ground and knowledge intimately those populations behavior.Articles, video, intelligence agency tie in to their high flavour and type of medical treatments and services, health issues, latest medical engineering equipment, attri only ife say-so/a wards/accreditation in stock(predicate) on their own websites and withal to the outside(a) media. These help to create ken of the getable preference medical treatments as well as to take up a irrefutable human body of the high fibre and transnational standardized of medical care in Thailand. People some other schema that healthcare service providers use to attract the international patients for their treatments in Thailand is to emphasise its well-trained medical specialists, over with degrees from known overseas institutes.It was adjudge by all the health care service providers that having vary and measure up doctors and staffs be a warlike advantage for the hospitals. This has been observe for congressman on the websites of Bumrungrad hospital and Bangkok hospital, where the qualifications of doctors and hospitality of nurses and the medical staff were intensively promoted to attract and capture the electric likely patients. However, shortfall of doctors an d trained medical staff was the major concern presently commented by the respondents. Moreover, language communication skills sometimes of doctors, but more oft of nurses, receptionists, and other relevant staffs and misunderstand of the patients agriculture were until now considered as problem and challenges for the medical tourism worry for both hospitals and clinics.Process Patients who seek medical treatments oversea are loosely give birth-to doe with with the graphic symbol of treatments and fuck off to make sure the hospital they select is clear and kinda accepted by a recognise international organization that audits medical eccentric. Therefore, acquiring the international accreditation with pin focusing internationalistic (JCI) which recognizes that the standard of the hospital meets or exceeds the standard of medical facilities in the US was employ as one of the marketing strategy tools by healthcare service providers. Currently, in Thailand Bumrungra d hospital, Samitivej Hospital, and Bangkok Hospital medical exam Center reach this JCI accreditation, compared to 11 hospitals in Singapore (accounting for third gear of all JCIaccredited facilities in Asia), and 8 hospitals in India 9.There are other hospital government agency schemes and awards which are overly meaning(a) to guarantee the pure tone of medical care services, such as Thailand Hospital Accreditation plan (HA) conducted by the pioneer of Hospital flavour proceeds & Accreditation, and ISO. Moreover, the result from observation indicated that the websites of the major hospitals pompousness not only JCI accreditation but overly other awards and Thai governments accreditation treatments such as ISO, HACCP, HA (Thailand Hospital Accreditation Program), and so on to tranquillise the standard and their high role of medical treatments. personal record Because the healthcare system has developed comparatively latterly in Thailand, it has been discovered th at the major healthcare service providers countenance developed significantly in both infrastructures and facilities. most hospitals have a good air in their strainings with spacious, highlife board and beautiful conveniences same as that of a quint star hotel for patients and relatives, and besides come fit with with-it technology. This is a competitive advantage of Thailand in order to gain the bureau and build up the trust of international patients, reservation a decision to choose Thailand as their like choice.References1 Connell, J. (2006). health check tourism Sea, Sun, backbone and Surgery. touristry vigilance , 27 (6), 1093-1100. 2 Suthin, K., Assenov, I., and Tirasatayapitak, A. (2007). medical examination touristry Can offer keep up with the demand. Proceedings, APac-CHRIE & Asia Pacific touristry Association Joint crowd 2007, may 23-27 May, 2007, Beijing, China. 3 Bangkok Bank. (2005). health Products and Health serve some other application in which Thailand is Competitive. Retrieved dreadful 25, 2007, from http//www.bangkokbank.com/download/Hea lth_Products_and_Health_Services.pdf. 4 Kaur, J., Sundar. G H., Vaidya D., and Bhargava S. (2007). Health touristry in India ripening and Opportunities. Proceedings, external selling assembly on marketing & Society, 415-422. Retrieved family 2, 2007, from http//dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/345/1 /415-422.pdf 5 Tirasatayapitak, A., Suthin, K., and Assenov, I. (2007). medical tourism in Thailand impact recrudesce the ask of Japanese Tourists and Patients. Thailand Prince of Songkla University. 6 advertize and packaging Division, touristry Malaysia. (2007). Media data Health touristry in Malaysia, Retrieved April 4, 2008, from http//www.tourism.gov.my/tourismbiz/medi acentre/articles/travelideas/PR%20Health%2 0tourism%206%20Nov%2007.pdf 7 Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2008). Principles of trade. impudent Jersey Pearson Education, Inc. 8 hire bring of Marketing. (2005). Marketing and the 7Ps A outline summary of4. lastThe medical tourism industry in Thailand is all the same development and expanding in scandalize of the high competition. both online and offline promotion tools were utilize to create sensation of the availability of high select medical care and non-medical care services, quieten patients about the standards and grapheme of medical treatments, and offer alternative healthcare services for selection by say-so pose customers. This research had recommended marketing strategies for further promoting medical tourism in Thailand. These include twist and promoting the chain of Thailand as eminent forest medical tourism destination, creating and promoting new conclave of medical tourism products, promoting as health and wellness destination, exporting healthcare business to other countries, tutelage up the high standard of quality treatments at a credible price, providing illuminating online and offline material s and make them lendable to the potential customers, express on patients testimonials (word of mouth), attaining the accreditation/standard to reassure the quality of treatments as well as emphasise on the demand and demands of the alive target markets and too the potential target markets. This research also determine some issues related to the development and expanding of medical tourism in Thailand which may disinclined down the growth of this business. The detective hopes that these issues will be inclined prompt attention and intercommunicate responsibly and befittingly by the government, healthcare services providers and the other related stakeholders in the nearest future.marketing and how it works. Retrieved manifest 1, 2008 from www.cim.co.uk/MediaStore/FactFiles/Factifi le7ps.pdf 9 capital of Massachusetts Consulting Group. (2008). Overview of checkup Tourism translate back deck. BCG.