Medical Tourism in Thailand

Name:

Professor

Institution

Course:

Date:

Chapter III

Materials and Methods

Introduction

This chapter has vital information regarding how the research process will be conducted, and the methodology to be used. At the end of the third chapter, discussion concerning limitations will be present. In the study, literature review is the methodology used by the researcher. Furthermore, other data collection techniques used was from websites, book and journal article, literature review. The research was conducted by the researcher using electronic and print resources. The researcher obtained all the information regarding medical tourism from the Royal Thai Government as well as that from other countries.

Description of Methodology and Process

The United Nations World Tourism Organization affirms that, the researcher should choose to use literature review to explain the research. There are various stages, which have been used and they include;

Recognize and define the problem

As it had been mentioned in Chapter 1, which is the Statement of the Problem, medical tourism in Thailand has been viewed as being a problem area. The study concerning medical tourism in Thailand does not have a specific study. Also, a specific planning process for the study does not exist.

Specify data needs

The researcher has used resources, which are electronic, and print, also those that have been published. The study provides a lot of information regarding medical tourism in Thailand and in other countries. Moreover, the information is from research studies, also from credible sources. Literature review has provided information regarding definitions, history, issues, trends and Thailand’s tourism medical market.

Evaluate and choose secondary data

The World Wide Web provides many credible sources whereby, information on medical tourism can be found. Some of these websites include; Discover Medical Tourism, the Royal Thai Government and the United Nations World Tourism Organization, among others. The resources were thoroughly reviewed and thus, chosen for the study. Furthermore, the study made use of credible and peer reviewed hospitality and tourism books as well as academic journals.

Collect desired data

The study’s main data were collected from online and printed data. It is through using Google, a search engine, in the internet that the researcher typed in key words for the study. Examples of key words include; Medical Tourism, Thailand Medical Tourism, Service Management and Medical Travel, among others. A criterion had to be adhered to before choosing the websites to be used. Reliability and Credibility were the two main principle considerations. Euromoniter and Royal Thai Government official website were some of the websites used. Various internet databases were used, and they included; Emerald, EBSCOhost and ProQuest. The services of library periodicals were extremely helpful while conducting the study.

Process and analyze data

The electronic and print resources that were collected had to be reviewed before they could be analyzed any further. They were then matched and paired with their respective research objectives of the study.

Foremost, an over view regarding Thailand’s medical tourism was provided. In response to the study’s first objective, vital information regarding medical tourism in Thailand was given. Secondly, the study sorts to give a comparison between other countries and Thailand’s medical tourism. In order to obtain information regarding the second objective, critical analysis of medical tourism occurred. It focused upon data analysis obtained from other countries and Thailand’s medical tourism. Thirdly, the study sort to find out why Thailand is a destination to be considered for those seeking the benefits of medical tourism. In response, information was provided regarding Thailand’s tourism ranking, as well as other tourist attractions found in the country. The study’s fourth objective dealt with various issues, which currently exist in Thailand’s medical tourism. In turn, data was analyzed to provide effective ways and methods of improving Thailand’s medical tourism. Lastly, the study aimed at analyzing and presenting information regarding the tourism industry of Thailand, in terms of trends and statistics. The data obtained from electronic and print resources were used to improve the structure of medical tourism in Thailand. Moreover, it sorts to find suitable ways of attracting international and domestic tourists in pursuit of medical tourism in Thailand.

Interpret result, draw conclusions and formulate recommendations

In Chapter IV, there will be a discussion and presentation of findings. The last chapter of the study will have conclusions as well as recommendations.

Limitations

The research method in the study has a few limitations, and they include;

There is not enough research, which has been done, concerning medical tourism and in turn, the books and journals are few. When the researcher is collecting data, it becomes extremely difficult to obtain sufficient information about this topic. Some information is in languages such as German and Spanish, which cannot be understood by the researcher

There is a high risk that the literature used in the study might be misunderstood and misinterpreted. The study used data from electronic and print resources, which are viewed differently by people, depending on their culture.