Private hospitals, herbal-product makers, and spa companies yesterday called for government assistance to help boost their competitiveness in international markets, particularly to help them compete with operators from countries such as Singapore and India.

The presidents of the Thai Private Hospitals Association, the Thai Herbal Association, and the Thai Spa Association, said that Thailand was very strong in all three industries, but operators faced difficulty penetrating international markets because of stringent restrictions. In addition, a lack of knowledge about marketing is a big obstacle to promoting the businesses overseas.

Phaisal Vejpongsa, president of the herbal association, said many Thai herbs have proven their high quality and gained long-standing international recognition. But manufacturers always have many problems doing business overseas, such as negotiating the regulations of the US Federal Drug Administration and different business regulations, which can quickly eradicate any hopes of success.

He suggested that the Thai Food and Drug Administration might be able to find solutions for promoting Thai herbs in overseas markets. At present, only two Thai herbs are able to penetrate international markets without problems because many countries recognise them and their properties.

Apichai Jaeradisak, president of the spa association, said spa operators were unable to offer an authentic Thai spa concept in many countries because of export limitations, despite the fact spas are widely accepted in those countries.

Currently, 3,000 people have passed massage tests and are registered to work legally in the Thai spa industry.

Another 30,000 are waiting for the test in order to register. He said Thailand had 970 spas, 50 per cent of which were located in Bangkok. Of the total, 319 spas have registered to be legally recognised.

Prapa Wongphaet, president of the Thai Private Hospitals Association, said that many Thai private hospitals had globally recognised medical technologies and services to serve international patients. Yet they have budget constraints prevent them from attending overseas trade fairs and they lack the know-how to create brand awareness.

The ability of staff to communicate in English is also another hurdle for some hospitals.

She wants the government to pay more attention to the private hospital industry because it attracts spending of Bt40 billion from 1.1 million foreign patients, including visitors who come in for routine medical check-up services.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation