A Nation Thailand report of 5 October 2026 says the government is advancing a ten-year strategy, covering 2025 to 2034, to make Thailand an international centre for medical and wellness industries, built on five hubs: medical service, wellness, products, academic work and health conventions. It is a policy plan with targets, not a new tourist product, and its implementation framework has not yet been published. This briefing, from a Thailand DMC for travel agents, sets out what the five hubs are, what the report does and does not say, and what to sell now.
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The five hubs
Medical service adds higher-value care for foreign patients, such as aesthetic medicine, IVF and dental care. Wellness builds on Thai massage and spas and extends across 11 sectors, including property, fitness, mental wellbeing and hot and mineral springs. Product covers pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and health products such as herbal extracts for export. Academic focuses on clinical trials and clinical research organisations and on becoming a regional health training centre for ASEAN; the report cites a target of 10 billion baht of added clinical research investment, with agreements worth about 4 billion baht already secured. Health convention aims to attract major international medical and wellness events.
What is announced and what is not
The strategy was set by the government, and the report says its implementation framework is to go within a month to the joint public and private sector consultative committee chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Agencies have been told to prepare hub-specific measures, and Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said he would propose longer medical visas and coordinate more foreign patients at ministry hospitals. Those are intentions: the report announces no new visa, no new package and no start date for any of it. It also lists coming milestones, including the Global Wellness Summit in Phuket in November 2026 and a WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in 2027.
How to sell it now
Sell the established product and treat the plan as a direction of travel. Wellness stays, spa programmes and medical-travel companion itineraries already exist and can be quoted today; longer medical visas and new hub services cannot, so do not promise them. Clinical decisions stay with the hospital and the patient's own doctor, so ask your Thailand DMC to keep clinical and leisure arrangements separate on every quote, with the hospital handling its own booking. Our medical tourism hospitals by city guide and wellness and spa retreats guide cover what is on sale today, our Global Wellness Summit briefing covers the November summit, our wellness tourism team builds programmes, and every other service is on our Thailand DMC services page. Send your plans through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the five health hubs plan?
A ten-year government strategy for 2025 to 2034 to make Thailand an international centre for medical and wellness industries through five hubs: medical service, wellness, products, academic work and health conventions.
Is there a new medical visa?
Not yet. The Public Health Minister said he would propose longer medical visas, but the report announces no change.
When will details be published?
The report says the implementation framework is to be submitted within a month, and hub proposals will go to the medical and wellness hub board.
Does this change what agents can sell?
Not today. Existing wellness and medical-travel products can be quoted as before; the plan sets direction and targets.
