Over the last few years there has been a large rise in what is know as medical or health tourism, which can be broadly defined as the provision of cost-effective private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry. The attractions of being able to have an operation or nose job, spa visit, holistic healing or yoga combined with a sunshine holiday, without having to wait in the National Health Service queue is proving a growth industry worth billions of dollars.

India and Thailand are popular destinations, with Singapore probably in third spot, but it is Thailand which is now making the running as the premier centre for health and medical tourism. Thailand sees the United Kingdom and America as important markets for tourism and medical holidays, and with its modern hospitals and well-qualified doctors, it believes it can make considerable inroads into this market.

Hospitals in places such as Thailand provide first-class care at costs lower than those in UK private hospitals and are often offer a higher quality and the after-care nursing services which can be offered at very low cost. These hospitals have no waiting lists and have high levels of cleanliness and highly professional and well trained staff, all of which speak English. And a holiday and recuperating in pleasant surroundings are all part of the package which more and more British and American people are looking for.

The reputations of hospitals in places like Thailand for their skills and services are at a high level and what the market offers and is able to provide will become more sophisticated and tailored to people’s needs. Any inhibitions there might have been in years gone by about medical treatment abroad have now disappeared with over 205,000 health and wellness holidays, including fitness, mental and physical relaxation, medical treatments, beauty treatments, spa visits, mineral and thermal baths, health farms and surgical recuperation, being taken last year. As more and more venture to Asian destinations for treatments the word spreads and more follow, leading to the massive growth statistics.