200 per cent increase in Thailand's medical tourism attributed to Middle East visitors

The chief guests of the occasion were HE Obaid Humaid Al Tayer - President of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and HE Mr. Somsakdi Suriyawongse, Thai Ambassador to the UAE. The event was marked by Thai cultural programmes, and was attended by several dignitaries, including government officials and ambassadors of various countries. The exhibition will be on in Hall 5A until September 12, and is open from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm for trade, and from 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm for public and trade.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Sutisak Laohachewin, executive director of the Thai Trade Centre, said that the growing popularity of Thai culture and increasing usage of Thai products and services in the UAE would be clearly reflected at the exhibition. 'This exhibition marks the continuously increasing trade between the two countries, and offers an interactive forum for suppliers and buyers. There are many ways of sourcing a product and obtaining product or service information, but this event will allow visitors to comprehensively test a product, meet and question their creators, and compare and contrast their performance,' he stated.

An important feature of the exhibition is Thailand's wellness, hospital services and medical products.

'The Thai government would like to use this platform to promote its health tourism in the region. The number of international patients visiting Thailand for medical treatment has registered a rise of 200 per cent in the last few years, and a very large number of patients are from the Middle East region, particularly from the UAE, Kuwait and Oman.,' said Mr. Laohachewin. 'Thailand has over 600 hospitals and 400 medical facilities offering world-class treatment for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cosmetic surgery. Besides, our age-old herbal and medical massages, spas and holistic treatments are now globally popular, with an increasing number of returning customers,' he explained. The Thailand Exhibition offers free medical consultation services, as well as foot messages and beauty and skin care demonstrations.

Featuring over 110 participants, the Thailand Exhibition showcases the best of Thai products and services, including but not limited to - jewellery, furniture, electronics, giftware, toys, cosmetics, health and beauty products, leather, food and beverages, garments and textiles, household and kitchen ware and automobile parts. Chief attractions for visitors include the presence of several Thai experts and authorities, free food samplings and product demonstrations, a large measure of Thai culture, and subsidised sales of products on the last day of the exhibition

'We are confident that the acceptance, usage and popularity of various Thai products and services will gain a great boost at this event,' Mr. Laohachewin said, adding that its popularity would lead to bigger Thai exhibitions and many more of them in the UAE, in the near future.