Bangkok has established itself as a regional and global centre for aesthetic plastic surgery, supported by both a substantial domestic patient base and a significant volume of international travelers seeking treatment. Recent data indicate that Thailand’s proportion of international patients is notably higher than the global average, reflecting its dual role as a provider of common facial procedures for Thai residents and as a destination for body-contouring, breast augmentation, and gender-affirming surgeries among foreign patients.
Concentrated provider networks in the capital, rising tourism volumes, and policy initiatives aimed at positioning Thailand as a medical tourism hub further underscore the city’s pivotal role in shaping the dynamics of aesthetic practice in 2024.
National volume & international share
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) Global Survey 2023 lists Thailand with ~500 plastic surgeons and reports that international patients comprise a median 15% and average 25.4% of caseloads in Thai practices.1 This is markedly higher than the global median of 10%.
Globally, aesthetic procedures have continued to grow, with 34.9 million total procedures in 2023 (surgical and non-surgical), a 3.4% increase year-on-year.2
Bangkok’s concentration of providers
According to the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA), Thailand has approximately 7,000 aesthetic clinics, of which ~2,000 are located in Bangkok.3 This reinforces the capital’s role as the centre of aesthetic practice in Thailand.
Thai residents: common procedures
Research shows that facial procedures dominate among Thai patients.
- A 2024 Thai survey (n=1,452) found that 35.7% of respondents had undergone or were planning rhinoplasty.4
- Anatomical studies of Thai eyelid and orbit structure explain the longstanding popularity of upper-lid blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery).5
Other common procedures for Thai residents include breast augmentation and liposuction, consistent with ISAPS’ reporting of leading global and regional procedures.2
International travelers: common procedures
For international patients visiting Bangkok:
- Breast augmentation, liposuction, and abdominoplasty are among the most frequently sought procedures.6
- Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a distinctive field in which Bangkok has developed global renown.7
These findings align with international studies of plastic surgery tourism and the distribution of complications reported in returning patients.6
2024 context: tourism and policy
Thailand welcomed 9.4 million foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2024, underscoring the continued strength of inbound medical tourism.8
Policy briefs highlight Thailand’s long-term strategy to position itself as a global medical tourism hub, with Bangkok at the centre and gender-affirming procedures as a key differentiator.7
Practical implications
- For Thai patients: Facial procedures such as rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery remain the most popular.
- For international patients: Demand centres on breast augmentation, body-contouring procedures, and gender-affirming surgery.
- Clinics in Bangkok should invest in multilingual counselling, robust aftercare planning, and post-operative complication management, given the high proportion of international patients.
Limitations
- No official 2024 Bangkok-specific statistics are yet available that split caseload by Thai vs. international patients.
- ISAPS publishes detailed reports with a one-year lag; thus, the 2024 dataset will only be released in 2025/26.
- Current insights are therefore based on audited 2023 data, peer-reviewed research, and 2024 tourism figures.
Looking ahead, Bangkok’s role in aesthetic plastic surgery is likely to strengthen further, shaped by both regional patient demand and international medical tourism. As official ISAPS data for 2024 and beyond become available, it is expected that the share of international patients will continue to outpace global averages, supported by Thailand’s competitive pricing, concentration of skilled providers, and established reputation in gender-affirming surgery.
For Thai residents, facial procedures such as rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty are anticipated to remain dominant, though growing awareness of minimally invasive technologies may expand demand for non-surgical interventions. Among international travelers, body-contouring and gender-affirming surgeries are poised to see continued growth, particularly as tourism recovers and policy frameworks reinforce Thailand’s positioning as a medical tourism hub. Together, these dynamics suggest that Bangkok will not only maintain but also expand its influence as a leading global destination for aesthetic plastic surgery in the mid-2020s.
References
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2023 [PDF]. Available at: https://www.isaps.org/media/rxnfqibn/isaps-global-survey_2023.pdf ↩︎
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). ISAPS Global Statistics 2024 Press Release. Available at: https://www.isaps.org/discover/about-isaps/global-statistics/global-survey-2024-full-report-and-press-releases/ ↩︎
- International Trade Administration (ITA). Thailand Aesthetics Medicine Market Intelligence. Available at: https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/thailand-aesthetics-medicine ↩︎
- Kaewsomnuk, C., Luechai, S., and Tangthongkum, P. (2024). Exploring ideal nasal aesthetics in Thailand: a survey-based study. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. [PubMed] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38934411/ ↩︎
- Preechawai, P., Amrith, S., Yip, C.C., and Wong, H.B. (2011). Anthropometry of eyelid and orbit in southern Thailand. Orbit, 30(2), 53–57. [PubMed] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21469939/ ↩︎
- Hery, D., Chokotho, L., and Nel, J. (2023). Plastic Surgery Tourism: Complications, Costs, and Utilization of Health Care Resources at a University Trauma Center. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 43(7), 752–760. [PubMed] Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37495013/ ↩︎
- Harvard Kennedy School, Ash Center. (2024). Public-Private Partnerships in Thailand’s Medical Tourism Industry. Available at: https://ash.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/331231_hvd_ash_thailand_medical_v2.pdf ↩︎
- Reuters. (2024). Thailand records 9.4 million foreign tourists in Q1 2024. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-records-94-mln-foreign-tourists-q1-2024-04-02/ ↩︎
