Thailand’s Private Health Care before the 2000s: Is it the Impact of Neo-Liberalism on Health Disparities?

Abstract

This paper discusses private health care in Thailand before the 2000s whether it is a fruit of neo-liberalism impacting on the issue of health disparities. Promoted by advanced industrialised countries during the 1930s, it is believed that neo-liberalism could generate economic effciencies provided that the statist role in so- cial services is minimised. This would eventually create economic growth and well-being of people with the role of private sector. While the introduction of neo-liberalism to the Latin American health care sector created adverse effects, the increasing role of pri- vate health care in Thailand offered greater choices for the better-off. In regard of greater role of private health care, concerns about the hindrance of health disparities should be taken into account. Eased on historical investigation, it is suggested that careful management of private health care in order to mitigate the clue of growth in health disparities having been accentuated.