IVD/MD Asian Working Group Emerging Market Research Report No.2
Country of Visit : Thailand
Time of Visit :November 2015

Visitor: one representative from JACRI
Two representatives from JAIMA
Visiting sites: Thai MOI( BSID), Japan Embassy in Thailand, JETRO Bangkok,
JICA Thailand, THAIMED, Japan Chamber of Commerce
Bangkok,
AHWP: Asian Harmonization Working Party(Day 4: Technical Committee Meeting & Day 5: AHWP Annual meeting)
Objective of this visit to Thailand:
To obtain information on the current Thailand situation of the ClinicalEngineering Technologist / Biomedical laboratory scientists to examine if thecurrent Japanese education and national license system on this qualified
technologists could be useful to contribute to Thailand to their new futuresystem establishment.
Information obtained:<Information on the current situation of Clinical Engineering Technologist in
Thailand>Currently there is no particular education and national licensing system on thisClinical Engineering Technologists in Thailand.
In addition to this, national education and licensing system of nurses andbiomedical laboratory scientists have also not been established yet in
Thailand.

Instead the current situation is that some medical colleges, medicaluniversities, some university hospitals and private hospitals have their own
education course/ program of nurses, biomedical laboratory scientists andclinical engineering technologists.

However there is no common

standardized education and national licensing system in Thailand.
It seemed that at the moment there is no private education school ofbiomedical laboratory scientists and clinical engineering technologists.
Currently there is a trial to establish clinical engineering technologists ofdialysis in Thailand by the cooperation of Japanese university but it has been
not progressed yet.
In order to establish the national education and licensing system of theseclinical engineering technologists and biomedical laboratory scientists, it
seemed that enlightenment is needed to have people recognized an
importance and significance of these professionals.
For this enlightenment, it seemed that to seek and develop market demands/needs of these professionals in the field is important.
It seemed that introduction of the Japanese education and licensing system ofthese professional jobs would be useful to have understanding of animportance and significance of them in Thailand.
<Information on the current situation of aging society in Thailand>
In Thailand, interest in long life has been increasing because Thailand is oneof the aging societies like Japan.
Because of this aging society, there seemed that the demands/ needs fornursing care service for elderly would be increasing in the same way ofJapanese current situation. Therefore it is said be better to have some special
education schools of nursing care service for elderly in Thailand.
<Information on the standardization and accuracy control system of clinicallaboratory testing in Thailand>
There is an Institute to standardize general testing in Thailand but it seemed
there is no national system to standardize clinical laboratory testing.
It seemed that at the moment there was no common accuracy control systemof measured value among all clinical laboratories in Thailand.
It seemed that introduction of the current Japanese system on thestandardization and accuracy control system of clinical laboratory testing
would be useful and could contribute to the development of the new system inThailand.
<Information from THAIMED >THAIMED has been communicating with other Medical devices industry
associations in ASEAN member countries such as Malaysia, Singapore,Indonesia, Philippines, and Myanmar has established ASEANMED.
ASEANMED member associations list:
1) Thai Medical Device Technology Industry Association (THAIMED)
2) Philippines Association of Medical Device Regulatory Affair Professionals(PAMDRAP)
3) Association of Malaysian Medical Industries (AMMI)
4) Malaysia Medical Device Association (MMDA)
5) Association of Medical Device Industry (Singapore) (AMDI)
6) Medical Technology Industry Group of Singapore Manufacturers’
Federation (MTIG of SMF)
7) The Association of Entrepreneurs for Laboratory and Health Equipment

(GAKESLAB)
8) The Myanmar Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Entrepreneurs'
Association (MPMEEA)
It was said that soon an association from Viet Nam would join thisASEANMED.
From Japan side, we have explained to THAIMED representatives about ouridea to build up communication network of IVD industry associations among
IVD/MD association group of in ASEAN countries.
THAIMED and we have agreed to periodically communicate with each other toexchange information on each activities and industry situation.