Ames Gross Despite the horrible flooding in Thailand recently, the medical device market continue

Ames Gross

Despite the horrible flooding in Thailand recently, the medical device market continues to grow. The market currently is valued at $1.6 billion and is growing at about 10 percent per year. As

Thailand continues to develop, the population’s healthcare demands will increase, and the size of the device market will continue to grow.

Market expansion primarily will be driven by upgrades to existing healthcare facilities. Although public hospitals remain the largest purchaser of medical devices in Thailand at about 60 percent of total

purchases, private hospitals in particular increasingly are looking to acquire cutting-edge medical equipment to enhance their existing facilities.

With about 66 percent of the total device market made up of imported medical devices and equipment, Thailand is dependent on imports for facility upgrades. This especially is true for high-end, sophisticated medical devices. Locally manufactured medical devices tend to be less sophisticated and more labor intensive and include surgical latex gloves, disposable syringes, orthopedic accessories, and disposable test kits.

Currently, the best prospects for medical devices in Thailand tend to be those used in the diagnosis or treatment of heart and lung disease, as well as equipment used in surgical procedures.

The devices with the highest demand include heart valves, respiratory devices, neurosurgical devices, diagnostic testing devices, orthopedic implant devices, and disposable diagnostic test kits. Demand for dermatological devices also is expected to grow. The number of dermatological clinics in Thailand has grown dramatically as skin care becomes increasingly popular in Thailand.