The Medical Council of Thailand, in collaboration with True Corporation, True Digital, Egg Digital, and True IDC, hosted the forum “Reimagine Healthcare: Connected Health, Empowered Lives” at Grand Hall, True Digital Park (West). The event brought together the Medical Council, participants from the 11th Intermediate Certificate Program in Medical Governance (CPMG 11), the 2nd Certificate Program in Medical Leadership (CPML 2) under the Medical Council of Thailand and the Mahitala Dhisbesra Institute, as well as medical professionals. The forum served as a platform to exchange insights on modern healthcare and explore how True and its affiliates’ integrated digital technologies can play a pivotal role in advancing Thailand’s healthcare and public health systems, ultimately improving quality of life sustainably.
Thai Healthcare: Not Just Keeping Pace, But Moving Ahead Into the Future Together
At the event, Air Chief Marshal Ittaporn Kanacharoen, MD., Secretary General of the Medical Council of Thailand and Director of the Mahitala Dhibesra Institute, presided and delivered remarks on “The Future of Thailand’s Healthcare System in the Digital Era”. He noted that the “great wave” of technology is “rewriting the definition” of medicine. Today, doctors must adapt, transforming their role from “healers” to “connectors” who link people, data, and technology to build a stronger healthcare system. He emphasized the importance of using the vast amounts of data wisely, embracing new technologies with an open mind, and ensuring that innovations are not concentrated but instead reach everyone, even through everyday digital devices. He described the forum as a “laboratory of future ideas,” where participants can exchange perspectives, share experiences, and co-create new solutions for the future of healthcare.
“The three Cs will be the driving force of healthcare moving forward: 1. Connect – Linking knowledge, technology, and compassion into system development; 2. Create – Innovating boldly, thinking anew, and acting anew for the well-being of patients and healthier lives; and 3. Collaborate – Fostering cooperation among doctors and across other professions. When people, doctors, and technology come together, Thailand will not only have a resilient healthcare system, but one that is modern, robust, and leaves no one behind.” Dr. Ittaporn concluded.
Norway’s Digital Health Model: Lessons and Opportunities for Thailand
Sigve Brekke, Group CEO of True Corporation Plc, shared insights from Norway under the theme “Norway’s Health Care Industry and Leadership Vision”. He highlighted Norway’s universal healthcare system, where every citizen has a personal doctor, most hospitals are publicly owned, and medical treatment is free, contributing to an average life expectancy of 82 years. However, rising costs pushed the government to embrace technology nearly 30 years ago, starting with a “digital ID” system that integrates health records, electronic prescriptions, and a centralized medical database. In the past five years, Norway has taken another leap forward by applying 5G and AI in healthcare: hospitals now connect medical devices in real time, enabling remote surgeries and instant ambulance-to-hospital data transfers. AI also supports cancer diagnostics, analyzes newborn movements to detect early disorders, and even powers “smart pills” that capture live images inside the body.
“Thailand now has a unique opportunity to accelerate ahead, leveraging 5G, AI, and strong collaboration between the public and private sectors. By establishing secure digital ID systems, unified electronic health records, and right policy frameworks and partnerships, Thailand can build a modern digital health ecosystem even faster than Norway did.”, Sigve emphasized.
True Showcases Integrated Digital Technologies for Thailand’s Healthcare
Ms. Sarinra Wongsuppaluk, Chief Human Resources Officer of True Corporation Plc., remarked that the forum “Reimagine Healthcare: Connected Health, Empowered Lives” brought together executives from True Corporation and the CP Group to share knowledge and reaffirm True’s vision as Thailand’s leading telecom-technology company. She emphasized True’s readiness to leverage its comprehensive digital capabilities and expertise to help drive the nation’s healthcare and public health systems forward, ensuring sustainable progress and better quality of life for all.
Mr. Natwut Amornvivat, Director of the Board, True Corporation Plc., and Chairman of the Board, True Digital Group Co., Ltd., presented healthcare use cases, highlighting True Corporation’s success story of the “Intelligent Robot” that supports radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid cancer treatment. He emphasized that “innovation” stems from a positive mindset, noting that it is not just about technology itself, but about integrating technology as a vital piece of a broader process. He shared the concept that new ideas are often born when two or more groups with diverse experiences come together. This was demonstrated in the development of the intelligent robot through close collaboration between engineers, doctors, nurses, and staff at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society. By listening to real challenges and observing patient care processes, the team created a robot equipped with user-focused functions to improve service efficiency in thyroid cancer treatment with radioactive iodine. Designed with friendly visuals, interactive screens, and voice features, the robot not only enhances patient experience but also significantly reduces radiation exposure to medical personnel by as much as 25 times, leaving only 4% of the direct exposure, thus lowering long-term health risks from accumulated radiation. This intelligent robot has brought satisfaction and comfort to patients, standing as a model for healthcare robotics that elevates Thailand’s medical services and delivers lasting value to Thai society.
On this occasion, Dr. Teeradet Dumrongbhalasitr, Chief Executive Officer of Egg Digital Co., Ltd., delivered a talk on “Patient Singularity: Precision Healthcare Through Data, AI & Robotics”. He pointed out that one of the key challenges of Thailand’s healthcare system is that vast amounts of health data remain underutilized. To address this, AI and robotics must be leveraged to integrate health information across all dimensions from genetics, behavior, and lifestyle to environmental factors, advancing care from symptom-based treatment to personalized healthcare that is more precise, safe, and efficient. He introduced the 5C framework: Connect, Create, Communicate, Convert, and Curate as a way to generate deep insights, enable targeted treatment, and communicate effectively with each patient. At the same time, AI- and data-driven healthcare solutions such as AI image recognition, patient flow analytics, wellness and prevention platforms, and AI translation should be adopted to enhance operational efficiency. Dr. Teeradej stressed that these approaches and tools will drive the future of healthcare into a new dimension, reducing doctors’ workloads, lowering medical costs, and sustainably improving patients’ quality of life.
Mr. Ekaraj Panjavinin, Chief Digital Officer of True Corporation Plc., and President of True Digital Group, delivered a keynote on “Advancing Healthcare Industry: From Technology to Outcomes”. He underscored the pivotal role of technology in elevating the healthcare industry, enhancing patient care, and creating better lives for all, especially amid the growing challenges faced by medical professionals. He outlined the importance of building solid digital foundations and infrastructures at every level to enable faster, more accurate, and more reliable healthcare services. These include intelligent networks, cloud and AI for secure data processing, solutions for hospital and resource management, as well as ready-to-use services that improve convenience for patients.
Mr. Ekaraj further emphasized that effective innovations must be highly flexible, seamlessly interoperable with diverse systems and devices, and designed with a deep understanding of real-world medical workflows.
Mr. Thanasorn Jaidee, President of True Internet Data Center, spoke on “New Era of Cloud and AI Computing Power”, highlighting the importance of selecting the right infrastructure whether cloud or data centers to enable successful AI adoption in the healthcare industry. He noted that each organization should begin by prioritizing one clear objective and then choosing an infrastructure platform aligned with that goal. Key factors to consider include system reliability, scalability, interoperability with existing systems, real-time processing, disaster recovery capability, and robust data protection compliant with PDPA standards. He added that organizations should look for cloud and data center services certified by international standards, with providers who have AI expertise and can offer flexible investment and cost structures. Importantly, once AI is in use, organizations must continuously monitor and evaluate performance and return on investment to maximize benefits and sustain long-term improvements.