MEDICAL tourism in Phuket is on the rise with an overwhelming majority of visitors coming to the resort island for aesthetic treatments, according to research by consultancy C9 Hotelworks.
Close to half of all medical offerings were cosmetic surgeries such as breast implants, liposuction and face contouring while more than a third of all medical tourists sought after anti-aging treatments. Over the past five years, more than 15,000 foreigners have arrived for breast augmentation procedures alone.
The average amount spent at hospitals or clinics for cosmetic surgery is nearly twice that of anti-aging patients, with median costs of 150,000 baht (US$4,200) and 80,000 baht respectively. The length of stay of cosmetic patients average around 12 days, roughly twice that of those who come for anti-aging treatments.
“Aesthetic procedures have increasingly grown to dominate the market, with cosmetic surgery being the most popular product led mostly by Australians, and anti-aging treatments being driven by travellers from Mainland China,” said Bill Barnett, managing director, C9 Hotelworks.
He added: “Existing medical demand reveals high investment potential which is drawing more domestic and international groups into commercial projects such as large-scale expansions and acquisitions. We expect the Phuket healthcare tourism sector to be a positive long-term proposition.”
