Abu Dhabi: As floodwaters advance in Thailand, the UAE embassy and health officials are working round the clock to ensure the safety of Emirati patients currently seeking treatment in Bangkok.
While patients receiving treatments sponsored by government entities such as the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) are being relocated or transferred, the UAE embassy in Thailand is also coordinating with patients and their families to ensure their safe return to the UAE.
A Thai government official reportedly informed the UAE embassy in Thailand that adverse weather conditions are expected to persist till the middle of November, Gulf News has learnt from an official source at the embassy.
The source added that 110,000 Emiratis visited Thailand until September this year and about 75 per cent of them are in the country seeking medical treatment.
Somchai Charanasomboon, the Thai Ambassador to the UAE, told Gulf News that the number of Emiratis visiting Thailand increased to 130,000 last year [2010] from 111,000 in 2009.
Under treatment
Asked about the number of Emiratis visiting the country for medical treatment, Charanasomboon said the embassy did not have the exact number. In general, about 20 per cent of the visitors to Thailand from across the world are medical tourists, he said.
He added the number of Emiratis visiting Thailand increases every year. "The number of Emirati visitors was less than 100,000 earlier, but since 2009 the number has steadily increasing to more than 100,000."
The ambassador also said that Emiratis do not require a visa to visit Thailand. "They get a 30-day visa on arrival in Thailand. The Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi issues tourist visas to other UAE residents who are visiting Thailand," he said.
In the light of the recent floods, the UAE Foreign Ministry yesterday issued a statement urging citizens not to travel to Thailand.
Private hospital
Sa Thita, a customer service officer at Bumrungrad International, a renowned private hospital located at the centre of Bangkok, also told Gulf News that more than 10,000 Emiratis visit the hospital each year for general treatment and testing. "We are seeing nearly 100 Emirati patients per day at present, despite the floods," Sa Thita claimed.
She added that doctors were also changing appointments for those requesting a postponement.
At present, 60 patients and their companions are also in hospitals across Bangkok for medical treatment sponsored by the HAAD.
"These patients are mainly receiving treatment for injury rehabilitation or cancer," said Jamal Al Ka'abi, director of customer services and corporate communication at the HAAD.
More information
Contact the Health Authority Abu Dhabi at 800 800 to find out about any patients or relatives in Thailand.
