Cosmetic surgery a multi-million dollar business in Thailand - Part 1

Cosmetic surgery a multi-million dollar business in Thailand - Part 1

Monday, Aug 20, 2012
The Nation/Asia News Network
By Pongphon Sarnsamak
THAILAND - A drastic change in the public's perception of cosmetic surgery over the past ten years has created a huge demand among Thai consumers, who contribute most of the Bt20 billion (S$795.8 million) in income that surgery clinics enjoy each year.
Ten years ago, both surgeons and customers sneaked into backrooms in hospitals and beauty clinics for the operations. Now, clinics have mushroomed in all parts of the country as consumers welcome the idea of how a tiny appearance change can lead to greater beauty.
A recent survey shows that market value of the cosmetic surgery business has increased from Bt15 billion in 2010 to Bt20 billion in 2011. And this year, the value of this industry is expected to increase by another 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting estimates that cosmetic surgery will be the most popular business among investors this year as more and more teenagers want to undergo the surgery.
Records from the Public Health Ministry's Health Service Support Department showed that the number of cosmetic surgery clinics registered with the department has increased from 317 clinics in 2004 to 350 this year.
" The world has changed," Dr Supot Sumritvanitcha, a director of Yanhee International Hospital, told The Nation in an exclusive interview.
"Every girl wants to be a super-star like Patchrapa Aum Chaichua who is being spotlighted everywhere," he added.
In the past, people would feel significantly bad and embarrassed if their friends or relatives had known they'd been to cosmetic surgery clinics. Thai society, at that time, had strong feelings against plastic or cosmetic surgery and stigmatised those people who'd had surgery as being unhappy with their genetic heritage.
"Sometimes, people would lie to their friends or relatives about travelling abroad for vacation for two weeks - but in fact, they went to Hong Kong or Japan to undergo cosmetic surgery. When they came home [they were] more beautiful," Supot said.
But now, appearance and personality have become more and more important for people to find opportunities and their dream job.
Some parents have taken their kids to undergo cosmetic surgery at the age of 15 to pave the way for their success or to enter the entertainment industry.