Thailand: Phuket’s profile boost as medical travel destination

Phuket’s future as a global medical tourism destination will be enhanced by  the island being the host destination for the Specialised Expo 2027/28.

The Specialised Expo 2027/28 event is organised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos. BIE has 170 member countries.

Thailand beat four other countries, the USA, Spain, Serbia and Argentina, who submitted proposals to organise the international expo.

The proposed site for the event is Mai Khao Beach, in northern Phuket.  The area encompasses  beaches, forests, and wetlands.

It is part of a wider area reserved for the Phuket World Medical Tourism City project, which was initiated to transform Phuket into a centre for medical tourism and holistic healing.

The government wanted to host the expo in line with its 20-year national development strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Apart from promoting Phuket as a medical tourism destination, this expo will also prove that Phuket is ready to organise other big events.