Thailand targets THB1.4tn health economy
Thailand is becoming an important market in the global wellness economy, with a total value of more than US$42.7 billion, or over 1.4 trillion baht. The sector is being driven mainly by wellness tourism, which is growing by 36.4%, and wellness real estate, which is expanding by 22.9%.
The figures show that consumers are no longer looking only for longer lives, but also for living environments that support better health and wellbeing.
The trend also aligns with the government’s push to position Thailand as a medical and wellness hub. The target is to raise the value of the health economy to more than 1.98 trillion baht, or over 11% of GDP, by building on Thailand’s strengths in healthcare services, tourism, Thai hospitality, Thai food and traditional Thai medicine.
For BDMS, wellness has also become an increasingly important business pillar. In 2025, BDMS recorded total revenue of 113.27 billion baht, with the wellness business contributing 12% of group revenue, or about 13.6 billion baht.
The group now serves clients of more than 150 nationalities worldwide.
BDMS invests THB29bn in WellEra
BDMS is now moving further into the wellness economy with WellEra, a wellness-integrated ecosystem worth more than 29 billion baht. The project will be located on Sarasin Road in Pathumwan district, in the heart of the Lumphini area, under the concept “The DNA of World Well-Living”.
Dr Poramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth, president of BDMS, noted that over the past five decades, BDMS has built its foundation around preventive medicine and personalised healthcare, from RoyalLife Wellness Clinic inside hospitals to BDMS Wellness Clinic and now WellEra.
“BDMS is moving ahead with WellEra under an investment budget of more than 29 billion baht to create a new model of wellness-integrated ecosystem that seamlessly combines healthcare knowledge, medicine, science, technology and lifestyle,” she explained.
Four pillars of a wellness-led urban ecosystem
The project is scheduled to fully open in 2030. It will cover more than 2 million square feet, or over 200,000 square metres. Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), the New York-based architecture firm behind Hudson Yards and Lotte World Tower in Seoul, as well as more than 300 landmark buildings in 40 countries, is involved in the design.
WellEra will comprise four main components: Branded Residence, BDMS Wellness Clinic, Urban Wellness Retreat and Lifestyle Retail.
Its key strength is the integration of “Healthcare Humanware Supported by BDMS” into residents’ daily lives. This includes 24-hour support from nurses and medical personnel, an Adaptive Lifetime Integration system that adjusts health support to each stage of life, and emergency response supported by ambulances and medical helicopters.
The project will also connect residents with nature through green spaces and a direct bridge to Lumphini Park, while using materials designed to be safer for health and more environmentally friendly.
“WellEra is intended to serve as a model wellness project that supports Thailand’s ambition to become a Wellness City and, ultimately, a Wellness Country, in line with the shared public-private vision of ‘Wellness Hub Thailand: The Land of Life’,” Tanupol concluded.
