31 October 2026 Published by Silicon Valley Innovation ไทย

Thai Health Business

Hospitals, clinics and wellness in Thailand

Medical tourism

Foreign patients: Myanmar and Qatar rise, Cambodia drops

Bumrungrad earned 67.1% of its fourth-quarter 2025 revenue from foreign patients, yet KResearch expects the whole sector's foreign patient count to grow only 0.4% in 2026.

By Thai Health Business Desk · · 3 min read

อ่านภาษาไทย

Tail fin of a white turboprop aircraft with a Thai flag marking, parked on the apron at Suvarnabhumi Airport
An aircraft at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Illustrative of arrivals; not a medical flight.Photo by Nopparuj Lamaikul on Unsplash

Foreign patients made up 67.1% of Bumrungrad International Hospital's revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 64.5% a year earlier, according to a DBS Research note. Thai patients, meanwhile, spent 6% less. At Bumrungrad, the patient mix is moving further from home.

The picture across the sector is less tidy. Which nationalities come, and which have stopped, now matters more than the headline patient count.

Who is growing

Myanmar is the steadiest riser. At Bumrungrad, Myanmar patient numbers grew 25.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, and Myanmar revenue grew 15.1% in the first quarter of 2026. At BDMS, Myanmar patients rose 31% in 2025 and 42% in the second quarter of 2026, per the group's filing.

Qatar and the other Gulf states are strong at Bumrungrad. DBS reports Qatar up 28.7% and the UAE up 24.9% in the first quarter of 2026, with total Middle East revenue up 21.3%, from its April 2026 note. Bangladesh grew 25%.

American patients are the other steady group at BDMS, up 19% in 2025 and 23% in the second quarter of 2026.

Who dropped

Cambodia fell off the map after the border conflict began in mid-2025. Bumrungrad's Cambodian revenue was down 78% in the first quarter of 2026. BDMS reported a 67% fall in the second quarter. Bangkok Chain Hospital listed border closures among the reasons its revenue stalled, while its first-quarter 2026 profit dropped 16.7%, The Nation reported.

The Gulf is the swing factor. At BDMS, Middle East revenue fell 24% in the second quarter of 2026 after the Middle East conflict that started in March, because patients postponed travel. At Bumrungrad it still grew 7.1% in the same quarter, according to an Investing.com summary of the company slides. The two carry very different exposure: DBS puts the Middle East at 22% of Bumrungrad's first-quarter 2026 revenue, while InnovestX put it at about 4% of BDMS revenue in January 2026.

Smaller groups show the same split. Praram 9 Hospital grew foreign patient revenue 9.5% in the first quarter of 2026, to 26% of hospital operations revenue, on demand from the Middle East and Myanmar.

The size of the market

The Tourism Authority of Thailand estimated that health tourism brought in about 125 billion baht in 2025 from about 580,000 medical tourists, The Nation reported in October 2025. A narrower measure, a 2024 survey cited by the Public Health Ministry, put private hospital revenue from foreign patients at about 50 billion baht, The Nation reported.

Growth is expected to be slow. KResearch said in November 2025 that foreign patient numbers would rise 0.4% in 2026 and revenue 3.7%, citing a shrinking core market and tougher competition.

Unpaid bills

Hospitals also carry a collection problem. A survey of 32 hospitals found they billed foreign patients 16.957 billion baht in 2024 and collected 9.935 billion baht, about 59 baht for every 100 billed. The Public Health Minister, Pattana Promphat, backs a proposed 450 baht fee on foreign tourists if part of it funds insurance, according to The Nation on 7 October 2026. The plan has not taken effect.

Two things to watch: Bumrungrad guides third-quarter 2026 revenue growth at plus or minus 3%, and the tourist fee decision is still open.

FAQ

Which foreign patients are growing fastest at Thai private hospitals?

Myanmar, Qatar and the UAE at Bumrungrad, and Myanmar and the United States at BDMS, in the first half of 2026.

Why did Cambodian patient revenue fall?

The Thai-Cambodian border conflict that began in mid-2025 made travel to Thai hospitals difficult. BDMS reported a 67% drop in the second quarter of 2026.

How many medical tourists does Thailand get?

Estimates differ by definition. The Tourism Authority of Thailand cites about 580,000 medical tourists in 2025, while a Krungthep Turakij forum reported by The Nation in October 2026 cited more than 3 million international patients in 2025.

Sources

medical tourismBumrungradforeign patientsMyanmarCambodiaMiddle East

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