Bangkok hospitals lure more (Arab) foreigners

[dArKeR]

Sayan was recruited by Bumrungrad Hospital in 2002, along with 14 other Arabic interpreters, as part of the hospital's aggressive marketing strategy to attract clients from the oil-rich Gulf States -- United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.

Bumrungrad, ranked as one of Thailand's top hospitals, started to draw clients from the Gulf States in 2000, especially in the summer months mid-May to mid-September, when many Arabs like to travel with their families abroad. Thailand has always been a favored destination, attracting more than 200,000 tourists from the Middle East annually.

"The 9/11 incident cemented the trend. Arabs can no longer freely travel to the US with all the visa restrictions, and Europe is also very expensive now because of the euro," said Ruben Toral, international marketing director of Bumrungrad.

This year, Arab patients are second only to Bangladeshis among international visitors who showed up for treatment at Bumrungrad and its closest competitor for the foreign market, Bangkok Hospital.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2004/09/07/2003202003