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| Healthcare |
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| Thai Health System |
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The Health Development Plan under the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan
(1997-2001) |
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 Under the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997-2001), human health development was at the focal point of the theme.
Instead of viewing people as resources of production, the concept of development in Thailand installed a new philosophy to declare that
People = Goal of Development
In order to ensure Thai population’s good health and to support the country to assume a leading role in the region, the 8th Plan set out the following objectives:society in a knowledge-based economy. |
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- To ensure that people are knowledgeable, having right attitude towards good health and having suitable health behaviors, both individually and collectively within a family.
- To decrease morbidity and mortality due to diseases caused by high-risk behaviors and preventable diseases.
- To ensure that people are entitled to health insurance and have access to holistic health services which are efficient, of good standard, and equitable, particularly for the underprivileged and the disabled.
- To protect customers with standard and safety of health-related products while enabling them to be knowledgeable about selecting and using suitable products.
- To enable the people to live and work in a pleasant and safe environment.
- To support community organizations to take care of the health of their members seriously and efficiently.
- To enable families to be healthy—pregnant women and children, in particular, are provided with quality care.
- To support the elderly to be healthy and living a valuable life.
- To enable all Thais to be capable of making use of health-related wisdom at all levels and to become leaders in health development at the regional level.
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| Strategies for Health Development |
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- Reform the health management systems.
- Develop the efficiency and ability to access health services.
- Develop health behaviors for disease prevention control and health promotion.
- Develop a system for customer protection in the areas of medical services and health-related products.
- Produce and develop human resources for health in a systemic and continuous manner in all areas.
- Promote and encourage effective behavioral changes for health.
- Promote studies, research and development of health-related products and health technologies.
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Public health measures
Thailand has traditionally focused on preventive public health measures, such as sanitation, clean water supplies and vaccinations, as the most cost-effective means of improving the general health status of the population. These public initiatives have led to considerable improvements over the lat decade. The government has launched a massive public education exercise in the mid-1990s to raise public’s understanding of the risk of HIV/AIDS and the rate of infection appears to have stabilized. |
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Universal Healthcare
As a key part of Thai Rak Thai (TRT) election promises, universal healthcare was introduced on October 1st 2001 at only THB 30 (at the average 2003 exchange rate) per hospital visit. Already covered are state officials who receive free treatment under the Medical Welfare Scheme, and private employees paying into, and covered under, the Social Security Scheme. Expensive treatments, including kidney dialysis and anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS sufferers are currently not being offered. Other treatment under this universal healthcare includes dental care. |
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Private health services
In 2001, foreign patients receiving treatments in private hospitals in Thailand have enlarged to 385,000 people as standard of care have been high and these hospitals employ the latest medical technology while costs are much lower than in Western countries. |
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| Health indicators, 2001 (By WHO) |
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| Indicator |
Value |
| Life expectancy at birth (years) |
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| - Total population |
68.9 |
| - Males |
65.7 |
| - Females |
72.2 |
Child mortality (probability of dying under age 5 years) (%)
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| - Males |
3.8 |
| - Females |
3.1 |
Adult mortality (probability of dying between age 15 – 59) (%)
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| - Males |
27.2 |
| - Females |
14.8 |
Healthy life expectancy at birth (years)
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| - Total population |
58.6 |
| - Males |
56.4 |
| - Males |
60.8 |
Healthy life expectancy at age 60 (years)
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| - Males at age 60 |
12.0 |
| - Females at age 60 |
12.6 |
Expectation of lost healthy years at birth due to poor health (years)
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| - Males |
9.3 |
| - Females |
11.5 |
Percentage of total life expectancy lost due to poor health (%)
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| - Males |
14.1 |
| - Females |
15.9 | |
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| Selected national health account indicators (by WHO) |
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| Indicator |
Value |
Total health expenditure
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| - Total expenditure on health as % of GDP, 2000 |
3.7 |
| - Per capita total expenditure on health at average exchange rate (US$), 2000 |
71 |
Public health expenditure
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| - General government expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health, 2000 |
57.4 |
| - General government expenditure on health as % of total general government expenditure, 2000 |
11.4 |
| - Per capita government expenditure on health at average exchange rate (US$), 2000 |
41 |
Sources of public health expenditure
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| - Social security expenditure on health as % of general government expenditure on health, 2000 |
26.4 |
| - External resources for health as % of general government expenditure on health, 2000 |
0.9 |
| Private health expenditure |
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| - Private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health, 2000 |
42.6 |
Sources of private health expenditure
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| - Prepaid plans as % of private expenditure on health, 2000 |
9.6 |
| - Out-of-pocket expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health, 2000 |
36.2 | |
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| Health Resources (by WHO, 1999) |
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| Indicator |
Value |
Facilities
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| - Number of hospital beds |
135,303 |
| - Population per hospital bed |
455 |
| - Hospital beds per 10,000 population |
22.3 |
| - Number of health centers |
9,559 |
| Human resources |
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| - Number of physicians |
18,140 |
| - Population per physician |
3,341 |
| - Physicians per 10,000 population |
3 |
| - Nurses per 10,000 population: Professional nurses |
16.2 | | |
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The interpretations and conclusions given represent those of the authors. They
do not necessarily reflect the view of the Royal Thai Government, its
departments or other related institutions.
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