Thailand: Plan for New Industrial Zone for Medical Device Producers

On April 19, 2013, a special committee, chaired by the Industry Ministry’s permanent secretary Mr. Vitoon Simachokdee, approved the plan for a medical industrial park in Thailand. The allotted zone will be divided into 500 rai (200 acre plots). It will include testing laboratories, a research and development center, and centers for production, distribution, and exhibition. The park is expected to be developed through the combined efforts of the developer, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and private enterprise.  Currently, Thailand’s exports of medical equipment account for less than 1 percent of the global market. However, Thailand’s Industry Ministry office hopes to grow this by 30 percent over the next two years.