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CEO Mack Banner said yesterday: "We suffered from the airport closure in November as foreign tourists shied away. But now the number of foreigners coming for medical treatment is getting back to normal. So we still maintain our revenue growth projection for this year, increasing from Bt8 billion to Bt9 billion last year."

Banner said Bumrungrad this year would focus more attention on local patients, Thais and expatriates, not only foreigners.

He said the hospital had introduced a Healthy Living Club in July last year, targeting Thais and expats. For a membership fee of  Bt6,000, members are entitled to discounts on medical service treatments. Room rates are cut by 30 per cent in all categories. The programme expects up to 20,000 members by year end.

Fifty-five per cent of Bumrungrad's 1.2-million patients last year were Thai, and 42 per cent foreign. Next year will be similar.

Banner said Bumrungrad had not delayed its three-year investment plan. It saw the crisis as a good time to expand and upgrade services while preparing for foreigners after the economy recovers.

Under the plan, Bumrungrad will develop the remaining five floors of its international clinic building to serve outpatients. The building has 22 floors with 16 operating already. It will renovate all rooms in its hospital building - serving only inpatients - and increase the number of beds from 554 to 600. .

Kenneth Mays, hospital marketing director, said: "Foreign tourists who come to Thailand for medical tourism may come only twice  in their lives, but Thais will stay here forever. That's why we have to focus on  both Thai and expat patients."