Ministry of Public Health (Thailand)

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH; Thai: กระทรวงสาธารณสุข, RTGS: Krasuang Satharanasuk) is a Thai governmental body responsible for the oversight of public health in Thailand. It is commonly referred to in Thailand by its abbreviation so tho (สธ.).

Ministry of Public Health

กระทรวงสาธารณสุข
Seal of Caduceus by Prince Narisara Nuwattiwong
Ministry overview
Formed	1918; 107 years ago (1918)
Jurisdiction	Government of Thailand
Headquarters	88/20, 4th village, Tiwanon road, Talat Khwan county, Mueang district, Nonthaburi province, 11000 13.850014°N 100.528330°E / 13.850014; 100.528330
Employees	~400,000[1]
Annual budget	135,389 million baht (FY2019)
Minister responsible	Somsak Thepsuthin
Deputy Ministers responsible	Chaichana Dechdecho Anucha Sasomsub
Ministry executive	Opart Karnkawinpong, MD, Permanent Secretary
Website	www.moph.go.th

The headquarters of the ministry is located in Mueang Nonthaburi, Nonthaburi, and served by Ministry of Public Health MRT station on the MRT Purple Line.

History

In Thailand before 1888 there were no permanent, public hospitals to provide care to sick people. Temporary hospitals were set up to care for patients during epidemics, then disbanded when the epidemic subsided. Under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) a hospital was constructed and completed in 1888 and named "Siriraj Hospital" in commemoration of the king's young son, Prince Siriraj Kakudhabhand, who had died of dysentery.^[2] King Vajiravudh, King Chulalongkorn's successor, established Department of Health on 27 November 1918.^{[citation needed]}

During the reign of King Rama VIII, the Ministry of Public Health was established on 10 March 1942 as a result of the enactment of the Ministries and Departments Reorganization Act (Amendment No. 3) of B.E. 2485. Later in 1966, the date 27 November was chosen as the commemoration day of the Ministry of Public Health's foundation.^[2]

Budget

The MOPH was allocated 135,389 million baht in the FY2019 budget.^[3]

Departments

Organisation

• Office of the Minister
• Office of the Permanent Secretary
• Department of Mental Health
• Department of Disease Control
• Department of Health
• Department of Medical Services
• Department of Medical Sciences
• Department of Health Service Support (HSS)^[4]
• Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine
• Food and Drug Administration^[5]

State enterprise

• Government Pharmaceutical Organization

Public organisations

• Ban Phaeo General Hospital (Public Organisation)
• Healthcare Accreditation Institute (Public Organisation)
• National Vaccine Institute (Public Organization)
• Health Systems Research Institute
• National Health Security Office (NHSO): Manages Thailand's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) system.^[6][7]
• National Institute for Emergency Medicine

See also

• Government Pharmaceutical Organization (Thailand)
• Health in Thailand
• Hospitals in Thailand
• Royal Thai Army Medical Department
• Sukha
• Sukhaphiban
• Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program

Further reading

• Nam, Illan (2024). "The Uneven State: Center and Periphery in Shaping State Capacity in Thailand". World Politics. 76 (1): 38–87.