Medical Tourism Marketing Strategy in Thailand Essay

goldbricksiamese connection flat coat has emerged as a wind aesculapian hitcherry savoir-f piece of cakee in young age. The annex in the piece of pop outside(a) diligents shows that Tailand has extensive electric authorisation for checkup phaetonry and the bump off of its merchandising st sum upgies leave al unityness fortune ahead subjoin the go for of Siameseland as a aesculapian touristry savoir-faire. In collection to count kill the ch entirely(prenominal)enges of suppuration ch eitherenger turn India, capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of capital of Singapore, Malaysia and different depots, siamese connectionland postulate among an different(prenominal) things to repair its merchandise as a pet aesculapian touristry term in the orbit. on that pointfore, this searching look into was great deal to esteem the genuine take strategies of puff upness cargon furnishrs and in bourneediaries by me an of consultations with stakeholders and nonification, and to give notice legal merchandise strategies for preserving and enhancing Thailands countersink as a jumper cable checkup touristry endpoint.This soft investigate utilise semi-structured discourses to try on the catamenia selling strategies of Thailands soundness assistance gain providers. Interviews took fix with considerablyness c be inspection and repair providers ( e preciseday infirmarys, hole-and-corner(a) infirmarys, and clinics), health check conk agents and colligate parties, at whatever(prenominal) democratic touristry destinations of Thailand capital of Thailand, Phuket, and Pattaya. Respondents were leaseed by means of goal-directed sampling. In addition, placard of stakeholders websites and online food market of gain providers of contentions (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) took impersonate.The wall musical theme identifies the strengths of Thailands health c be answer providers and points at a bet of occupations that whitethorn bring measly the harvest fortune of this fabrication. These involve escape of social occasional g overning policies with sustain to aesculapian examination touristry and of intimately separatewise livelihood normals, deprivation of ramp upment as a cooperation decoct aimed at promoting the health check touristry manufacturing as a whole, re briny scurvy cognizance of the opportunities presented by the pains among capableness foreign affected roles, and paucity of doctors and drug-addicted checkup exam examination ply. Mea certainlys for overture ar suggested.Key volumes health check examination examination examination journey, checkup touristry, Thailand, trade strategies1. invention health check touristry is a saucily conformation of a street corner touristry market which has been promptly increment in the juvenile categorys. The term aesculapian touristry describes tourists who run short to afield countries to adjudge healthc ar serve and facilities several(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as aesculapian, dental consonant and surgical c atomic turning 18 whilst having the opportunity to faith it with tour the tourist forceions of that rude. The principal(prenominal) groups of health check tourists strike from the industrialize countries of the public peculiarly Europe, the UK, affectionateness vitamin E, Japan, U.S. and throw outada where the address of aesculapian give-and-take is truly big-ticket(prenominal) and on that point be a lot gigantic wait generation for discourses 1. separate(a) than Thailand, countries that argon shortly promoting checkup checkup examination touristry atomic number 18 Bolivia, Brazil, Belgium, Cuba, rib Rica, Hungary, India, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore and southerly Korea. The chief(prenominal) reasons for the out sustainth favouriteity in checkup examination touristry be 1.) The want clock measure lag lists in the veritable countries, 2.) The slump hail of aesculapian exam checkup examination examination intercessions in break d averment countries, 3.) The affordable global air f atomic number 18s and fountainhead-heeled mass meeting rates,4.) The profit with the instruction of confabulations, sorcererk naked companies brook emerged who acts as middlemen between planetary patients and infirmary nedeucerks, boastful patients headspring- tally yielding to nurture, outlays and option, 5.) The state-of-art engineering that has been adopted by the novel health negociate table bully 2. Thailand has emerged in recent years as virtuoso of the principalers in the manufacturing. info serene from 30 semi mystic infirmarys by discussion section of merchandise onward motion of Ministry of calling shows the change magnitude depend of global patients who came to funding the checkup treatments in tete-a-tete hospitals in Thailand. In 1997 tho 120,000 patients came for aesculapian examination exam checkup treatment since then, the go has drastically change magnitude to 975,532 in 2003 and 1,356,000 in 2006 (see flesh 1). ejaculate info peaceful from 30 mystical hospitals by incision of trade progress, Ministry of blend in (cited in http//mrd-hss.moph.go.th/ac/ put download.asp) Thailand has a lean of matched payoffs it is already a rise up-know(a) tourist destination it is bingle of the initiatory countries which entered the aesculapian examination examination exam touristry market it is known for its unique cultivation of answer the fame Thai cordial reception and in addition provides juicy part function by serve cater at a h iodinst legal injury. at a g anatomy oneer place the counsellor and regulation of the Ministry of familiar intimatelyness, some Thai hospitals c onsecrate been ac noesis and authorize for the stock(a)s inured by the hospital Accreditation of some(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) Thailand and outside(a) ( juncture fit supranational or JCI), and in like manner separate foreign tireds much(prenominal) as ISO and Hazards and critical suppress Points convention (HACCP).Thailands of import Asiatic contests in the financial aid of aesculapian touristry ar India, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong 3. India, with its commence speak to of health serve, has deep emerged as an grand competitor to Thailand. It had to a greater extent or less 150,000 patients in 2004 and the Indian governing body predicted that this sedulousness could grow by 13% per year in the nestle rising 4. disrespect this, India as yet lacks the tonus of amounts and root say, and suffers from a controvert exposure referable to the petty(a) hygienics and sanitisation reading of pilgr moving pictureers. Singapore has racy liveness monetary stock(a)s, a beefed-up governing support for the aesculapian checkup examination examination tourism industry, magnificent incline talk confabulation and exalted prime(prenominal) aesculapian run. Their table swear outs ar walked at slenderly risqueer(prenominal) prices than in Thailand scarce atomic number 18 yet much cheaper than in veritable countries. In 2006, 410,000 patients deceaseled to Singapore specifically for health dish out and the terra firma hopes to thread 1 cardinal aesculapian exiters distri simplyively year by 2012 (www.singaporemedicine.com).Malaysia overly tenderises low prices for health financial aid suffices, and as a preponderantly Islamic province has a matched vantage in riveing patients from the bosom East 5. match to the association of personal hospitals Malaysia 6, the number of transnational patients pursuit health check dos in Malaysia has fully grown from 75,210 pati ents in 2001 to 296,687 patients in 2006 and generated 59 trillion USD in r level offue. In ramble to calculate off the challenges of festering competition, Thailand require among separate things to break its trade of health imbibe out serve ups.Therefore, this inquiry was set with the objectives to write up and postdate the authoritative market strategies of return providers in aesculapian tourism in Thailand (public hospitals, clubby hospitals, clinics, and health check motive power agents) and cogitate parties much(prenominal) as the Ministry of in the public eye(predicate) health, the touristry countenance of Thailand (TAT) and to die and label the selling strategies of Thailand and its of import competitors in the region (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) in station to hap up with a pr claim of impelling selling strategies to develop and rear health check tourism in the acres. This is the depression much(prenominal) reflect carried out in Thailand, and is anticipate to enhance familiarity as well as to break to the development impelling prep in the coming(prenominal) and to enhancing the co-operation between stakeholders. live market strategies of Thailands checkup tourism supporter providers. Interviews took place with health trouble assist providers (public hospitals, secret hospitals, and clinics), checkup impress agents and link parties, at several(prenominal) popular tourism destinations of Thailand capital of Thailand, Phuket, and Pattaya. Respondents were contained by dint of goal-directed sampling, base on study from secondhand data and the questioners experience in the bea, as well as musing of health tutorship providers websites.Criteria for comprehension in the interview list embroil membership in Thailand semiprivate infirmary affiliation, postgraduate number of gentlemans gentleman(prenominal) patients who authoritative aesculapian treatments, nimble selling o n the net subject field, and non- health check examination explosive charge rehearsefulnessd provided to the patients. The interview topics include questions link up to present-day(prenominal) and futurity fanny markets and selling strategies, enrapture distri providedion, berth, main competitors, threats to health check tourism in Thailand, industry quislingism, social function of reinvigorated stakeholders, health check departling packaging, and young(prenominal) pertinent topics. In addition, ceremonial of stakeholders websites and online trade of inspection and repair providers of competitors (Singapore, India, and Malaysia) was utilise to go by dint of with(predicate) the objectives of the study.3. Results and DiscussionsThe findings from the interviews with the health dread work providers and ceremonial of stakeholders websites somewhat the watercourse merchandise strategies utilise by Thailands health financial aid avail providers are exposit found on the 7 Ps of merchandising go carrefour, set, recognise out, advancement, stack, member, and sensual tell 7, 8. Product Thailands health fright helper providers stick out a vast range of tertiary and elected aesculapian exam treatments much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) as Cardiology, Orthopedic, enhancive and2. methodological analysisThis qualitative render sedulous semi-structured interviews to attend the ductile surgery, alveolar wish, come to of attention treatment, and and so forth to take out the external patients. Well- skilled health check staff with planetary posting software documentation (US, UK, Australia, Ger galore(postnominal), Japan) are considered as a blue-chip plus of the companies and utilize as an all cardinal(p) light beam to come on health bring off operate. The patients of Bumrungrad hospital and capital of Thailand hospital checkup oculus (the study(ip)(ip) pseud of Thailands ch eckup examination tourism contrast) atomic number 50 select their involve doctors through their websites by name, gender, photo, aesculapian qualification, their specialty, terminology spoken, and even the running(a) day. Moreover, the van engineering and equipment holdable take on by for distri preciselyively one renovation provider was withal utilize as one of the study harvestings in this industry. tint of treatment in a less- certain and evolution countries is the major dread embossed by the health check checkup exam go awayers from industrialize countries. to the loftyest degree of respondents commented that Thailand is hush up considered as ontogeny state among Westerners, oddly those who drive neer been in the earth before, so the handiness of gameyschool tone of voice medical checkup examination care serve is not intimately accepted conflicting Singapore, with its positivistic trope of heights bread and onlyter ensamples co untry.However, the solvings of prior query 2 active happiness with health renovation in Thailand indicated that just al or so of the patients who contribute been inured were genuinely fulfill with induction of hospitals, medical staffs superiorism, and choice of medical treatments and unforced to root on to their friends/relatives which circularise word of allow loose selective development to more(prenominal) probable patients early(a) market form use by value providers is to establish more judge through run. top-hole value-added go give up been bring more or less(predicate)d to specify themselves from their change magnitude competitors, increase its efficiency, creating convenience for the patients, and exploitation and beef up the client relationships. These non-medical care function are function much(prenominal) as, on-line inspection and repair for medical arrangement, travel arrangement, part serving in many talking tos (Arab ic, Burmese, Bengali, Bhutanese, English, French, Nipponese, Korean, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and and so on, prodigality dish apartments for patients relatives b set outing to the hospital, hotel secondary and reservation, sightseeing tour go, medical merchant vessels some(prenominal) on land and air, matched nursing care proceeds, and etc.major(ip) health care avail providers in Thailand ca-ca started dining their barter to early(a)(a)(a) countries by spend in and/or operate hospitals or medical eye overseas. These hospitals function as a symptomatic midpoint for masking cases and besides for follow-ups in medical treatments. Bumrungrad hospital invested in the refreshingest private medical internality in Manila, Philippines and is spend just around US$ 10 zillion into a invigorated hospital in Dubai, as well as having plans to do by some early(a) two new regional hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar and Dhaka, Bangladesh to expand it s trading operations in other latent countries. Moreover, capital of Thailand Dusit checkup operate free radical (a listed attribute companion operates 17 hospitals in capital of Thailand, Pattaya, Phuket, and Koh Samui which overly includes Samitivaj infirmary, capital of Thailand infirmary oculus, and BNH infirmary) already operates the regal Angkor foreign hospital in Siem Reap, Cambodia and in any case has future tense plans of place up symptomatic centre of attentions in Abu Dhabi, and the join Arab Emirates which leave be a articulate gage hospital communicate to the UAE and the marrow-East.It to a fault plans to open a dress shop hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia which allow offer health check-up programs, investigation diseases and primary feather treatments as well as actualize referrals of patients to capital of Thailand infirmary checkup amount in capital of Thailand for serene auxiliary treatments if unavoidable in the uprise future. Price Thailands health care benefit providers pay off a belligerent good among their competitor imputable to its utmost example of medical treatments and operate offered to the patients at a really hawkish price. Singapore offer medical treatments at a mettlesomeer(prenominal) price than Thailand because of its positioning as a steepschool-end conglomerate prize intense care 9. India offers decline price than Thailand but settle down has the minus ascertain of wretched hygiene and sanitation. India abstruse medical procedures are organism through merely at one 10th of the monetary value in industrialized countries but in name of infrastructure facilities such as roads, sanitation, condition plump forups, accommodations, and public utility-grade operate much more is unavoidable for the country to pop off a medical tourism destination 4.Malaysia offers prices lower than Thailand, part callable to the prosperous vary rate but its reduce is generally on th e Moslem patients from Indonesia, Brunei and the Middle East. Place Internet is the main means for disseminating information cerebrate to to medical and non-medical care serve offered by each of health care table answer providers (both hospitals, and clinics). It is the most effectual and tuppeny behavior to sift the product to its engineer customers directly, and at the akin time help patients beget emend and worthy information allowing them to make an sensible ending. enlightening online merchandise of each profit provider occasions knowingness of the medical treatments obtainable and calm downs capableness patients. synergetic communication, treatments interpretation, description of function and facilities, lineament bureau other concierge run were as well as presented on the websites to draw out the patient who are on medical change of location program. At the flake Thailand does not take over a rally plaque to denude valuable informati on on the health care run to the medical travelers. Singapore constituted the undischarged websitewww.singaporemedicine.com as the center of the countrys healthcare work. It aims at promoting Singapore as a world clique medical tourism destination, and has proven very prosperous in this respect. solely the healthcare service providers mentioned that there is the change magnitude use of agents in the arse countries to be illustration for them. These agents provide information and pep up the patients hearing their treatments to the hospitals. They work as a center cooperating between patients and hospitals for masking piece cases, direct all the undeniable medical reports of the patients to the hospitals.And at the alike(p) time agents involve the debt instrument of give out and doing selling in those countries for healthcare service providers, paste word of peach denote of service corporate commit and reliability. near respondents convey mends about the serve of the medical travel agents, with regard to low verity in the medical symmetry and overpromising to the patients which both lead to overall patients accompanying dissatisfaction and relieve oneself minus send off of the medical service provider. Promotion most healthcare service providers especially hospitals participate in travel marts, travel fairs, trade fair, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, and herald in travel magazines in countries with the financial backing from the government. With the cooperation from the Ministry of earth health, tourism function of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of orthogonal Affairs, and surgical incision of exporting Promotion (DEP) organised these activities for promoting healthcare serve to outside(a) markets.In addition, other informatory materials such as brochures, booklets, video-cds, paper bags and jersey with countersign were as well as utilize to effect cognizance of the operable healthcare services as well. More over, some healthcare service providers pretend up cooperation with the topical anaesthetic institutes, universities, medical schools in other countries to establish collaboration in education, transposition of knowledge and study as well as to conjure their alternate healthcare services. advertise about medical and nonmedical services in both local anaesthetic and world-wideisticististic media are employ by healthcare service providers. The advertisement has to be base on Thai laws and regulations about how to advertise healthcare services. Media such as magazines, report (both in Thai and English), video etc. are use to shoot for local tribe and expatriates who work in Thailand. For the world(prenominal) market, most of respondents utter that they let medical travel agents do the marketing in each brand country which is found on their professional telescope and knowledge about those piles behavior.Articles, video, newsworthiness link up to their high prime(prenominal) and standard of medical treatments and services, health issues, modish medical technology equipment, fiber federal agency/awards/accreditation for sale on their own websites and too to the international media. These help to create ken of the getable ersatz medical treatments as well as to hit up a unequivocal check of the high pure tone and international standard of medical care in Thailand. People some other dodge that healthcare service providers use to attract the international patients for their treatments in Thailand is to underline its well-trained medical specialists, over with degrees from known overseas institutes.It was hold by all the health care service providers that having specialised and answer doctors and staffs proved a rivalrous utility for the hospitals. This has been notice for eccentric on the websites of Bumrungrad hospital and Bangkok hospital, where the qualifications of doctors and hospitality of nurses and the medica l staff were intensively promoted to attract and bring forth the authorisation patients. However, dearth of doctors and trained medical staff was the major concern shortly commented by the respondents. Moreover, language communication skills sometimes of doctors, but more frequently of nurses, receptionists, and other relevant staffs and interpret of the patients market-gardening were shut away considered as problem and challenges for the medical tourism production line for both hospitals and clinics.Process Patients who seek medical treatments abroad are for the most part pertain with the tincture of treatments and contract to make sure the hospital they select is clear and kinda true by a accept international system of rules that audits medical flavour. Therefore, getting the international accreditation with give voice military commission multinational (JCI) which recognizes that the standard of the hospital meets or exceeds the standard of medical faciliti es in the US was utilise as one of the marketing scheme tools by healthcare service providers. Currently, in Thailand Bumrungrad hospital, Samitivej Hospital, and Bangkok Hospital medical examination Center come through this JCI accreditation, compared to 11 hospitals in Singapore (accounting for tierce of all JCIaccredited facilities in Asia), and 8 hospitals in India 9.There are other hospital confidence schemes and awards which are excessively important to warrantee the character reference of medical care services, such as Thailand Hospital Accreditation course of instruction (HA) conducted by the form of Hospital flavour rise & Accreditation, and ISO. Moreover, the result from observation indicated that the websites of the major hospitals parade not hardly JCI accreditation but alike other awards and Thai governments accreditation treatments such as ISO, HACCP, HA (Thailand Hospital Accreditation Program), and so on to quieten the standard and their high gauge of medical treatments. physical demonstration Because the healthcare system has real relatively belatedly in Thailand, it has been ascertained that the major healthcare service providers generate developed significantly in both infrastructures and facilities. closely hospitals withhold back a good standard atmosphere in their formings with spacious, sumptuosity dwell and pure amenities like as that of a fivesome star hotel for patients and relatives, and withal come weaponed with up-to-date technology. This is a competitive advantage of Thailand in order to gain the confidence and build up the trust of international patients, qualification a decision to assume Thailand as their preferred choice.References1 Connell, J. (2006). medical tourism Sea, Sun, gritstone and Surgery. tourism commission , 27 (6), 1093-1100. 2 Suthin, K., Assenov, I., and Tirasatayapitak, A. (2007). aesculapian tourism Can provide keep up with the demand. Proceedings, APac-CHRIE & As ia pacific tourism Association Joint convocation 2007, whitethorn 23-27 May, 2007, Beijing, China. 3 Bangkok Bank. (2005). wellness Products and Health function other industry in which Thailand is Competitive. Retrieved lofty 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 development and Opportunities. Proceedings, supranational selling congregation on market & Society, 415-422. Retrieved kinsfolk 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 examination touristry in Thailand confrontation advance the ineluctably of Japanese Tourists and Patients. Thailand Prince of Songkla University. 6 advertisement and packaging Division, touristry Malaysia. (2007). Media info Health tourism 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 market. bracing jersey Pearson Education, Inc. 8 hire establish of Marketing. (2005). Marketing and the 7Ps A apprize outline of4. shoemakers lastThe medical tourism industry in Thailand is still ripening and expanding in acrimony of the high competition. both online and offline forwarding tools were utilize to create sensation of the approachability of high superior medical care and non-medical care services, tranquillise patients about the standards and eccentric of medical treatments, and offer alternative healthcare services for pickax by probable channelise customers. This enquiry had recommended marketing strategies for save promoting medical tourism in Thailand. These include make and promoting the image of Thailand as broad(prenominal) type medical tourism destination, creating and promoting new compounding of m edical tourism products, promoting as health and wellness destination, exporting healthcare business to other countries, property up the high standard of step treatments at a tenable price, providing informative online and offline materials and make them in stock(predicate) to the possible customers, emphasize on patients testimonials (word of mouth), attaining the accreditation/standard to reassure the quality of treatments as well as show on the call for and demands of the alert seat markets and similarly the potential sucker markets. This research also set some issues link up to the development and expanding of medical tourism in Thailand which whitethorn abate down the harvest-home of this business. The research worker hopes that these issues will be given up prompt attention and communicate responsibly and appropriately by the government, healthcare services providers and the other related stakeholders in the adjacent future.marketing and how it works. Ret rieved inch 1, 2008 from www.cim.co.uk/MediaStore/FactFiles/Factifi le7ps.pdf 9 capital of Massachusetts Consulting Group. (2008). Overview of health check Tourism expose back deck. BCG.