The Potential Perspective of Thailand’s Medical Hub: A Case Study of Chiang Mai City
摘要
The COVID-19 outbreak has wreaked havoc on economies throughout the world. Thailand is one of many countries trying to recover from this. Thailand’s healthcare system and medical industry are some of the many economic sectors that have the potential to boost the country’s economy, including the revival of tourism, which is very important to the economy in Thailand. The impact of the lockdown has reduced Thailand’s GDP. The economy is slowing down. The promotion of tourism in Thailand can no longer be driven solely by tourism alone. Despite recovering from the COVID-19 infection, the symptoms that occurred during the time of the infection still exist, and the majority of them have respiratory issues that will not resolve quickly. Treatment or rehabilitation that requires living in the same place can be even more stressful. Traveling to relax and visit relatives is something people all over the world long for. Therefore, this research article attempts to provide an analysis of the readiness of Thailand to be an international medical hub, especially in Chiang Mai City. The analysis of the potential perspective for Thailand’s health centers consists of the following: (1) medical services, (2) wellness hub, (3) academic hub, and (4) medical product hub. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the potential for Thailand to become a worldwide medical hub, specifically in Chiang Mai City. The data gathering approach for data analysis was a survey of roughly 890 Thai people across Thailand from September to November 2021. The research findings indicated that Chiang Mai, a well-known Thai city, still has a good possibility to become a global medical and wellness hub. If possible, Thailand’s government and business sector should support policies that encourage the medical industry’s ecosystem to grow.