MORE than 150 medical tourism players from across the globe will head to Thailand in September to meet and network with local health and wellness service providers, during a five-day fam trip aimed at promoting the country’s medical tourism scene.

Organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Medical & Wellness Tourism Trade Familiarization will run from September 10 to 15, and kicks off with a one-day trade event at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok.

Fam trip participants will visit various Thai health and wellness facilities, meet the experts who run them, and try out services available on the local medical tourism market.

"Thailand has established itself as a global leader in medical tourism. People from all over the world put their trust in Thailand’s health and wellness providers, thanks to their internationally accredited medical facilities, advanced technologies, excellent service and affordability," said TAT governor, Suraphon Svetasreni.

"This fam trip will help to increase momentum for the Kingdom’s medical tourism sector, reinforcing Thailand’s position as the world’s preferred destination for health and wellness holidays."

Thai health authorities report that some 2.24 million foreigners visited the Kingdom for medical purposes last year, and the number is expected to swell to 2.53 million in 2012.

Last year, medical tourists contributed 98.7 billion baht (US$3.14 billion) to the nation's coffers.