Thai Airways International and Ministry of Public Health Bring Medical Volunteers to Bangladesh

Thai Airways International in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health will bring a team of medical volunteers and physicians to Chittagong, the People's Republic of Bangladesh to provide general health check ups for the people in Chittagong free of charge.

According to the airline's President, Kanok Abhiradee, each month a large number of people from Bangladesh travel to Bangkok for medical check ups and other health care services. Following the launch of THAI's flight operations between Bangkok and Chittagong via Chiang Mai, and in response to the government's policy to promote Chiang Mai as the northern hub, THAI and the Ministry of Public Health arranged for a team of medical  volunteers and physicians from both government and private hospitals in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, to visit Chittagong to provide general health check ups at no cost. The move was also to introduce medical services, including traditional Thai massage, available in Thailand.

With cooperation from the Ministry of Public Health, THAI will be setting up a booth between 12-13 December, manned by medical volunteers from Lerdsin Hospital, Nopparat Ratchathani Hospital, the National Institute for Children's Health (Maha Rajinee), Rajavidhi Hospital and the Department of Traditional Thai and Alternative Medicine, Office of the International Public Health, to introduce medical services and facilities available in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. This in turn will bring about economic development at regional and national level.

In addition, Thai Airways International plans to promote Chiang Mai as a center of international education, and focal point for the import/export trade  of both manufactured and agricultural products in order to develop Chiang Mai as the regional hub of air transportation and business.

 Starting from Dec 11, THAI now operates thrice weekly flights to Chittagong, every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Until 31 January 2003, THAI's Royal Orchid Plus members traveling on the routes Chiang Mai-Chittagong and Chittagong-Chiang Mai will receive double mileage points to celebrate the   launch of the new destination on THAI's network.