Medical personnel and the public health system are very important, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, because these personnel are at the forefront of hard work, while the increasing number of patients from various diseases has caused an increasing shortage of medical personnel, too.
It was found that there were some clinics and private hospitals that brought doctors from abroad to give advice or perform surgery in Thailand. However, according to relevant Thai laws, doctors from abroad are able to practice medicine in Thailand with prior permission from the Medical Council of Thailand and to be a consultant or educate doctors in Thailand, but they are still not permitted to provide services to the public, except with special permission and only in government hospitals
According to the Thai Medical Commission, foreign doctors may engage in medical professions in Thailand if they provide knowledge or lectures to Thai doctors. However, if their task is a consultation or treatment of patients, it is necessary to obtain permission and comply with relevant laws. At present, this project can be implemented only under government projects, such as medical teams, the Ministry of Public Health, the Thai Red Cross, and other government agencies that take care of patients, as well as those that transfer knowledge, perform academic studies, work with new technology, or fulfill other government responsibilities.
Foreign doctors who come to practice medicine must pass qualification examinations and be certified by the government. In order to enter the country, a work visa is required (not a tourist visa) certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; also, tax payments with the Revenue Department should be in order, and in some cases, damage insurance is also required.
However, the Medical Council will grant a temporary license for foreign doctors only; it can be renewed for 1 year, and the doctor has to be requested by a government agency, working in government hospitals, not allowed to perform duties in private hospitals.
If foreign doctors wish to work in Thailand in the long term, they must first become Thai citizens. Then, they must take a full Thai medical license examination at the Medical Council, which is the same criterion that every country has for the protection of standards and people's safety in each country and in accordance with the requirements of the laws of that country.
Foreign doctors who come to provide services in private clinics or hospitals without permission and without a valid medical license will be committing an offense under the Hospital Act of the Department of Health Service Support and will be prosecuted according to the law.
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