Director Sriwatana Asadamongkol said demand for cosmetic surgery showed strong growth of 10-20 per cent annually despite Thailand's recent economic slow-down.

"Our business has not suffered any negative effects from the economy's slow growth, because the number of patients who want surgery to make their faces and bodies beautiful is growing strongly, especially those who want surgery to repair their noses, stretch out their faces or enhance their breasts," she said.

Spending for cosmetic surgery averages Bt20,000 to Bt200,000 per head per time. Normal patients spend an average of only Bt500 to Bt1,000 per head per time.

Bangmod Hospital has two branches on Bangkok's Rama II Road. Together they have a total of 450 beds.

The company attends to as many as 1,000 patients a day, 30 per cent of whom are cosmetic-surgery patients.

Sriwatana said about 30 per cent of the hospital's beauty-surgery patients were foreigners from Japan, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and the US. The other 70 per cent are locals.

She declined to disclose the company's turnover last year but said it was up 20 per cent from 2005. The same growth rate is expected this year.

Market demand has led the company to invest in the beauty-surgery medical centre, which will be completed in 2009.

The company has also spent Bt10 million a year on medical equipment to support new surgical technologies.

When the beauty-surgery medical centre is operating, the company expects revenues from cosmetic-surgery patients to rise from 30 per cent of total turnover to 50 per cent, Sriwatana said.

"We hope to be the largest beauty-surgery medical centre in Southeast Asia within three to five years," she said.

Somluck Srimalee

The Nation