Share of pharmaceutical sales to GDP Thailand 2017-2024

In 2018, the sales of pharmaceuticals in Thailand accounted for a 1.08 percent share of Thailand's GDP. This value was also forecasted to slightly increase over the next years, reaching 1.1 percent by 2024. The Thai pharmaceutical market grew by 4.5 percent per year on average, and it was the second largest pharmaceutical market in Southeast Asia in that year.

The domestic pharmaceutical production

Although most of pharmaceuticals are produced in developed countries, Thailand still houses 144 pharmaceutical production plants that meet the universal standard. Generally, the main purpose of pharmaceutical production in Thailand is for the domestic market. Only a small share of pharmaceuticals produced in Thailand were exported. Most of the raw ingredients for drug manufacturing were imported, with Germany being the largest market for pharmaceutical imports to Thailand.

The pharmaceutical distribution in Thailand

Since the Universal Health Coverage scheme provides every public and state enterprise employee in Thailand with healthcare and pharmaceutical accessibility, public hospitals became the main channel for pharmaceutical distribution, accounting for more than half of the total drugs distributed in the country. However, patients with mild ailments such as cough or flu preferred to go to pharmacies to get their medicines.