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Hospitals in Thailand are operated by both the public and private sector, to provide medical services for prevention, cure and rehabilitation of patients with medical and health-related conditions. The majority are operated by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Private hospitals are regulated by the Medical Registration Division under the MOPH's Department of Health Service Support following the Sanatorium Act, B.E. 2541. Other government units and public organisations also operate hospitals, including the military, universities, local governments and the Red Cross. The full listing of hospitals can be accessed at List of hospitals in Thailand.
Most public (i.e., state-owned) hospitals fall under the authority of the Ministry of Public Health. The majority of these are provincial hospitals under the aegis of the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the MOPH. Others are operated by the Department of Medical Services, Department of Mental Health, Department of Health, and Department of Disease Control. Certain non-MOPH state agencies also operate hospitals.
As of March 2022, there are a total of 901 hospitals under the Office of the Permanent Secretary are classified as follows: [1] [2]
Regional hospitals (Thai : โรงพยาบาลศูนย์) are found in provincial centres, have a capacity of at least 500 beds and have a comprehensive set of specialists on staff. These hospitals are capable of tertiary care and are under the category A (advanced) service level in the MOPH's service plan. [3] As of 2018, there are a total of 34 regional hospitals in Thailand. [1]
General hospitals (Thai : โรงพยาบาลทั่วไป) are located in province capitals or major districts and have a capacity of 200 to 500 beds. These hospitals are capable of secondary care and are under the category S and M1 service level. [3] As of 2022, there are total of 92 general hospitals in Thailand. [1]
Community hospitals (Thai : โรงพยาบาลชุมชน) are located in the district level and are usually limited to providing primary care treatment and are under the category M2, F1, F2 and F3 service level. [3] These will refer patients in need of more advanced or specialised care to general or regional hospitals. As of 2022, there are a total of 775 community hospitals in Thailand. [1] Some community hospitals are capable of secondary care. They are further classified by size listed below:
Crown Prince hospitals (Thai : โรงพยาบาลสมเด็จพระยุพราช) are community hospitals (except Sa Kaeo, Sawang Daen Din and Det Udom which are general hospitals) with a capacity of 30 to 200 beds, all with capabilities of primary care and some providing secondary care. These hospitals are operated by the Crown Prince Hospital Foundation. Construction of 20 Crown Prince hospitals was initiated in 1977, during the prime ministership of Thanin Kraivichien, to provide medical services at distant locations throughout the country and as a present for King Vajiralongkorn's (then Crown Prince) royal marriage on 3 January 1977. There are 21 Crown Prince hospitals in Thailand.
Sub-district Health Promoting Hospitals (Thai : โรงพยาบาลส่งเสริมสุขภาพตำบล) are hospitals that are operated by either the MOPH or Department of Local Administration and were initially called "health stations" (Thai : สถานีอนามัย). These hospitals only have primary care capabilities and often serve villages within districts. Almost all of these hospitals do not accept inpatients and usually have no doctor on duty for the entire time. Such hospitals therefore will have medical staff entering irregularly from the community hospital within that district. In 2009, Abhisit Vejjajiva's cabinet approved a policy to improve the quality of healthcare services provided at health stations throughout Thailand and funding was allocated into the Thai Khem Khaeng programme to upgrade existing health stations to sub-district health promoting hospitals and improve quality of care.
The idea of creating public organisations to improve the efficiency of the relatively backward governmental department management system emerged after the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. [4] After the enactment of the 8thNational Social and Economic Development Plan devised by prime minister Chavalit Yongchayudh's cabinet, the MOPH reached out to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help revolutionize the operations of hospitals in the country and it was suggested that hospitals should be converted into public organisations to allow greater freedom of management as opposed to the traditional top-down approach. [5] [6] Ban Phaeo General Hospital in Samut Sakhon province is the first and only hospital in Thailand to have been converted into a public organisation. [7]
The Department of Medical Services (DMS) operates several public central hospitals in Bangkok, including Rajavithi Hospital and Lerdsin Hospital. [8] It is also responsible for all specialised hospitals, both inside and outside Bangkok, such as the National Cancer Institute, the Neurological Institute of Thailand, the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. This is with some exceptions of public specialised hospitals in the field of psychiatry where all hospitals are under the responsibility of the Department of Mental Health (DMH), such as the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry and Srithanya Hospital. Some hospitals are also managed by the Department of Disease Control (DDC), the main hospital being the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. [9]
Other organisations also operate public hospitals in Thailand and citizens of Thailand can use their medical services under the Universal Coverage Scheme at no additional cost. These organisations include:
This type of hospital is affiliated with faculties of medicine at universities and colleges in Thailand. Most of these hospitals are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and provide medical services at the "super tertiary care" level. These hospitals are equipped with the best resources in Thailand considering they are medical schools for teaching and research. However, in the table below, some hospitals are under the authority of the affiliated university, but are not used for medical student training, but rather only for research purposes or to provide specialised treatment; and some although used for teaching, are not operated by the affiliated university.
Hospital Name | Affiliated University | Province |
---|---|---|
Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital | Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University | Bangkok |
Golden Jubilee Medical Center | Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University | Nakhon Pathom |
Hospital for Tropical Diseases | Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University | Bangkok |
Queen Sirikit Heart Center of the Northeast | Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University | Khon Kaen |
In 1994, the cabinet approved of a cooperation between the MOPH and Thai universities to organise a program known as the 'Collaborative Project to Increase Production of Rural Doctors (CPIRD)' in order to increase the number of medical personnel in rural areas of Thailand. To reach these goals, the cabinet set up the CPIRD Office in 1997 to oversee the project's activities. In terms of education, the preclinic level of study (years 1–3) will take place at the student's university or college. At the clinical level of study (years 4–6), study will take place at hospitals all around the country under the guidance of the MOPH. 'Medical Education Centers' (Thai : ศูนย์แพทยศาสตรศึกษา ชั้นคลินิก) have been established for medical students in the CPIRD program at these hospitals. There are currently 45 CPIRD Medical Education Centers in Thailand. [10]
Some hospitals in Thailand are operated by the private sector by either a private limited company or a public limited company. Specialised private hospitals in the fields of ophthalmology and dentistry are common.
The term "general hospital", when referring to private hospitals, refer to hospitals which provide non-specialised care. Private hospitals with fewer than 30 beds are officially termed "health centres". Both accept patient admissions.
Hatyai Hospital is a hospital in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand. It is classified as a regional hospital under the Ministry of Public Health, and it is one of two main hospitals operated by the MOPH in the province, the other being Songkhla Hospital. It serves as a referral centre for nearby community hospitals mainly within Songkhla, but also in parts of Pattani and Satun Provinces. It nominally has a capacity of 640 beds, but as is often the case with most regional hospitals, it faces problems of overcrowding and is overcapacity most of the time.
Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital is the main hospital of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It is the largest regional hospital in Thailand under the responsibility of the ministry and has 1,478 beds. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which mainly trains medical students in the MOPH-Mahidol CPIRD Program of Mahidol University, as well as being an affiliated hospital to the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine.
Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital is the main hospital of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the MOPH-Mahidol CPIRD Program. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University.
Sawanpracharak Hospital is the main hospital of Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the MOPH-Mahidol CPIRD Program. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.
Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital is the main hospital of Phitsanulok Province, Thailand, and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors of the Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.
Chonburi Hospital is the main hospital of Chonburi Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of Phramongkutklao College of Medicine.
Buriram Hospital is the main hospital of Buriram Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Institute of Medicine of Suranaree University of Technology and is an affiliated hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University.
Khon Kaen Hospital is the main hospital of Khon Kaen Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Khon Kaen University.
Surat Thani Hospital is the main hospital of Surat Thani Province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Thammasat University. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University.
Uttaradit Hospital is the main hospital of Uttaradit province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Naresuan University. It is capable of tertiary care.
Udon Thani Hospital is the main hospital of Udon Thani Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Khon Kaen University.
Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital is the main hospital of Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand, and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors of the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University and the College of Medicine and Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University.
Prapokklao Hospital, sometimes stylised as King Prajadhipok Memorial Hospital, is the main hospital of Chanthaburi Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University.
Nakhon Pathom Hospital is the main public hospital of Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand and is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University and the Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University.
Sisaket Hospital is the main hospital of Sisaket Province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the College of Medicine and Public Health of Ubon Ratchathani University.
Roi Et Hospital is the main hospital of Roi Et Province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine of Mahasarakham University. It is an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University.
Yala Hospital is the main hospital of Yala Province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University. It is also an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, Princess of Naradhiwas University.
Chaiyaphum Hospital is the main hospital of Chaiyaphum province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a regional hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center which trains doctors for the Institute of Medicine of Suranaree University of Technology. It is also an affiliated hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University. It is capable of tertiary care.
Banphaeo General Hospital, is a hospital located in Ban Phaeo district, Samut Sakhon province, Thailand. It is operated as a public organisation under oversight of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and is the only hospital in Thailand be run in this manner. It is also an affiliated teaching hospital of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.