Medical City Pattaya

Pattaya’s Shiny New Medical City

A “health care hub” right in our own backyard

When we hear the word “infrastructure”, visions of roads, bridges, railways, and airports come to mind. Those are “primary” infrastructure; things we need to get to the places we want to live. But, what about the “stuff” we need once we get there? Schools, hospitals, shopping centers, etc. While it is no less important, this is called “secondary infrastructure”.
In a sprawling city with an aging population, there is no greater consideration than health care facilities. Anywhere you find palm trees, sunset beaches, and a chilled lifestyle, you’ll find aging retirees.

 

Couple this with a growing “medical tourism” industry, and you’ve got a place offering a wide array of state-of-the-art health care facilities.  Pattaya already boasts an impressive collection of hospitals and clinics.  Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Pattaya International Hospital, and Pattaya Memorial Hospital to name a few.  What’s more, new branches and clinics are popping up on a regular basis, like the new Jomtien Hospital on Sukhumvit Road near Soi Khao Talo.

Here is some exciting news you may not have heard.  As part of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) initiative, a Special Economic Promotion Zone has been created known as EECmd.  The zone is in East Pattaya and can be entered from both Sukhumvit Road and Highway 36 with the Lake Maprachan area right in the middle.  It covers an area of over 223 acres or nearly a million square meters.

 

 

 

The zone was created in conjunction with Thammasat University Pattaya for the development of a Medical Hub and a myriad of downstream industries.  One of the main features of the hub will be Lakeside Premier Complex, a facility dedicated to the study and treatment of elderly patients and senior citizens.  This facility will include a seniors clinic, a residential area, an aging dental clinic, a physical rehabilitation clinic, an anti-aging clinic, and a nutritional education center.  The purpose of the Senior Center is to promote a better quality of life for an aging population.

EECmd will also be utilized as an academic center for medicine and medical science.  Chulabhorn International College of Medicine will take up 45 acres and a high-tech medical research institute will sit on 24 acres.  Students from all over the world will enjoy a state-of-the-art medical school experience.

The new Thammasat University Hospital Pattaya will reside on 40 acres.  Thammasat Hospital Pattaya Center Phase 1 will feature 300 beds and Phase 2 and additional 300 beds.  This facility will offer a fertility clinic, digital dentistry, an elderly health center, occupational health and environmental center, and specialty clinics to treat chronic diseases.  The purpose of this hospital is to provide a world-class health care facility to the surrounding communities and to support economic expansion, investment, and tourism.

EECmd will unfold as a full-blown medical city. According to an EEC spokesman, the reason this site was chosen is because of its strategic location and accessibility by two major airports, two deep-water ports are along projected lines of transportation like high-speed rail and is close to the bustling tourist center of Pattaya City.  
As we can see, when it comes to “secondary infrastructure”, our little city is “second-to-none”.