DETERMINANTS OF INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS’ SATISFACTION WITH DENTAL TOURISM IN BANGKOK

Abstract

Medical tourism is a developing market in the tourism business as there is a rise in number of people looking overseas for health care. Among the medical tourism services, dental tourism is one of the major subgroups and interest in this subject is still on the rise. While Asian countries are the popular destinations for dental tourists with the availability of affordable dental care and high quality services, Thailand also has a strong growth potential in dental tourism market. The objectives of this study is to analyze the level of international patients’ satisfaction with dental tourism in Bangkok and to identify the determinants influencing international patients’ satisfaction with dental tourism in Bangkok. For the purpose of this research, the scope includes international tourists visiting private dental clinics or hospitals located in Bangkok. Quantitative research design was used in this study. The data was collected using paper-based and electronic-based questionnaires with random sampling method, distributed to dental tourists through customer service staffs in private dental clinics and hospitals in Bangkok. A total of 106 questionnaires were responded and all samples were eligible for analysis. Mean and multiple regressions were applied to analyze the data. The research revealed that international patients are highly satisfied with dental tourism in Bangkok. Besides, the findings from the multiple linear regressions analysis showed that treatment quality, accessibility to clinic by transportation and destination appeal had significant and positive influence on patients’ satisfaction. This study has contributed to the body of knowledge to dental clinics’ managers by providing the detail understanding of the determinants and relationships that drive the dental tourists’ satisfaction in Bangkok