Thailand eyes stronger healthcare, innovation partnership with UAE
Innovation collaboration on the horizon for Thailand and UAE
Dubai: Thailand is seeking to deepen its healthcare partnership with the UAE, shifting the focus from medical tourism to innovation, research, and startup collaboration, health officials said during a seminar on Wednesday at the World Health Expo 2026.
On the sidelines of the event, Thai leaders and industry experts told Gulf News that while thousands of UAE residents already travel to Thailand for treatment and wellness, the next phase of cooperation will center on life sciences, artificial intelligence (AI), and cross-border innovation.
“We would like to act on not only excellent healthcare services but in innovation. We see a lot of opportunity in the UAE,” said Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa, M.D., Chairman of the Board of the Technology and Innovation in Life Sciences National Agency (formerly Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences).
He also shared that the agency’s role has recently expanded under a royal decree.
“The name of the organisation changed, the mission changed as well. We will be the contact point for inbound and outbound collaboration,” said Watanapa. “You can use Thailand as a gateway to expand collaboration to Southeast Asia and also to other countries.”
Co-development and innovation
Thailand is also positioning its medical innovation ecosystem as a partner for the UAE’s fast-growing healthcare sector.
“We would love to bring our ecosystem to meet with the UAE,” said Dr. Krithpaka Boonfueng, executive director of the National Innovation Agency of Thailand.
Moreover, Boonfueng stressed the importance of collaboration over competition.
“We can co-develop. The concept of innovation is to have an open relation. We can help each other to bridge the gap between the regions, the Middle East and the Asia market.”
Understanding regulations
Regulatory alignment will be key to unlocking new opportunities, said Rungphech Rose Chitanuwat, regional portfolio director of ASEAN & country general manager of the Philippines.
“We need to understand the regulations of the Emirates and we are going to invite them to share the list of policies in collaborating,” said Chitanuwat. “We plan to bring them to Bangkok in July to see more producers in Thailand.”
International Healthcare Week is set to take place in Thailand from July 8 to 10, featuring three major exhibitions — CPHI Southeast Asia, WHX Bangkok (formerly Asia Health), and Medtec Southeast Asia, where discussions with the UAE on regulatory frameworks and potential partnerships are expected to continue.
Medical devices and AI expansion
Thailand’s medical device manufacturers are also looking into the UAE market.
“There are lot of people in the UAE who visit Thailand for healthcare services. We aim to be a hub for medical tourism,” said Phunyawee Ritshima, Vice Chairman of the Medical Device Manufacturers Industry Club of Thailand.
“We are not only manufacturers, many of us are innovators and we would like to know if there are any solutions that we could provide to the UAE market.”
AI is another area of interest. Supitchaya Phupisut, CEO and co-founder of Percepta Co. Ltd., said her company’s AI solution has already been integrated into Thailand’s public healthcare reimbursement system.
“It is becoming a crucial part of healthcare workflow and that would be a very good showcase that we could bring to the UAE.”
With both countries leveraging on AI, a future partnership can further discuss on how the two nations can serve people with better care.
Beyond tourism
The long-standing ties between Thailand and the UAE have evolved significantly, according to Nipa Nirannoot, consul-general of Thailand to Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
“I know that people in the UAE love going to Thailand once or twice a year for medical checkups, for beauty, apart from doing shopping and enjoying the scenery. I want them to also see the best that Thailand has to offer in this field rather than just tourism,” said Nirannoot. “It has become an organic relationship between two countries which is beyond tourism.”
Discussions at the World Health Expo 2026 marked a step towards strengthening existing ties and forming future-focused healthcare collaborations.
