Is Thailand's IVF Boom Fading? How Can China's Assisted Reproductive Services Attract International Patients?

At an assisted reproduction clinic on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, once touting “fast appointments and guaranteed success,” Saudi businessman Ali Hassan frowned at the quote he'd just received on his phone. The “third-generation IVF plus gender selection” package, originally priced at $28,000, had now jumped to $36,000, with a clear note stating “surrogacy services are currently suspended.” He finally closed the medical file, turned to his booking platform, and changed his next destination to Shanghai. “A friend recommended a hospital in Shanghai, saying it has higher success rates and simpler procedures.”

Ali's experience is far from unique. Over the past decade, Thailand has emerged as a global star in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) market. Its appeal stemmed from relaxed policies (permitting foreign patients to use donor eggs and sperm), relatively low costs (roughly one-third of U.S. prices), English-speaking medical teams, and a mature medical tourism industry chain. This attracted a flood of patients from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and even Europe and the Americas. Data shows Thailand's ART market surpassed $400 million in 2018, with international patients accounting for over 35% of the total. Bangkok was once dubbed “Asia's IVF capital.”

But now, this boom is quietly fading. A report released by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health in the first half of 2025 revealed a 22% year-on-year decline in international patients, with some clinics heavily reliant on foreign clientele even facing closure risks. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, assisted reproductive institutions in Chinese cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen are experiencing a surge in international patients. In Q2 2025, international patients accounted for 18% of a leading Shanghai fertility center's clientele (up from just 5% in 2020), with Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian patients increasing by 47% year-on-year. Patients from Europe and America are also beginning to “test the waters.”

I. Thailand's Retreat: A Chain Reaction of Policy Tightening and Trust Crises

The cooling of Thailand's ART boom fundamentally stems from the simultaneous eruption of three intertwined contradictions: policy, market dynamics, and trust.

First, policy red lines have tightened. Starting in 2023, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health amended the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, explicitly prohibiting foreign patients from using IVF for “non-medical gender selection” (previously a core demand for many Middle Eastern families) and strictly limiting surrogacy services (only allowing Thai citizens to act as surrogates for infertile couples, while banning commercial surrogacy). This policy directly served two major “essential demands” in Thailand's assisted reproduction market: Middle Eastern families' preference for male offspring and some single women's desire for “independent childbearing.”

Second, market chaos eroded trust. In recent years, Thailand's assisted reproduction industry faced widespread criticism for “overpromising,” “hidden fees,” and “frequent medical incidents.” For instance, some clinics conceal the impact of a patient's actual age on ovarian function to inflate success rates, then demand additional fees after multiple failed transfers. Worse still, the use of inadequately screened egg or sperm donations has led to disputes over genetic disorders. A 2024 survey by the Thai Assisted Reproductive Technology Association (TART) revealed that 38% of international patients reported “encountering issues with information transparency”—a figure that doubled since 2019.

Finally, regional competition is intensifying. As countries like Vietnam and Malaysia enter the assisted reproductive market—Vietnam promoting “IVF + tourism packages” and Malaysia emphasizing “English-speaking medical environments”—Thailand's “value-for-money advantage” is diminishing. More critically, rapid advancements in China's assisted reproductive technologies are prompting some patients to reassess their options.

II. China's Rise: A Comprehensive Breakthrough in Technology, Policy, and Services

The rise of China's assisted reproductive industry is not a coincidental “filling of gaps,” but rather the inevitable outcome of technological accumulation, policy liberalization, and service optimization.

Technological Level: From “Catching Up” to “Keeping Pace,” Achieving “Leadership” in Certain Fields

Over the past decade, China has achieved “leapfrog” technological breakthroughs in assisted reproduction: In 2017, China's first “third-generation IVF baby” (PGT, preimplantation genetic testing) was born in Shanghai, capable of screening over 200 single-gene hereditary diseases; In 2022, a team from Peking Union Medical College Hospital completed the world's first “mitochondrial replacement” IVF baby, offering a new solution for families with hereditary mitochondrial diseases; By 2025, a Shenzhen fertility center achieved a clinical pregnancy rate of 68% for third-generation IVF (compared to the global average of approximately 55%). Success rates for complex cases—such as patients with diminished ovarian reserve due to advanced age—surpassed 50%, approaching world-leading standards (around 60% in the U.S.).

What further attracts international patients is the localized innovation in genetic testing technology. For common genetic disorders like thalassemia in Southeast Asia and sickle cell anemia in the Middle East, Chinese medical institutions have developed “regionalized disease-causing gene databases,” boosting screening accuracy from 85% to over 95%. “In Thailand, doctors only performed general screening. Now Chinese doctors can precisely locate our family's thalassemia mutation site, which gives me greater peace of mind,” said Nade Al Fayez from the UAE, who chose China due to her family's genetic history and successfully gave birth to healthy twins after embryo screening. Nada Al Fayez from the UAE chose China due to her family's genetic disease history. After completing embryo screening, she successfully gave birth to healthy twins.

Policy Level: “Orderly Opening” Unlocks Benefits, International Medical Accreditation Boosts Credibility.

China's management of assisted reproductive technologies was once known for its strictness. However, in recent years, under the principle of “meeting reasonable demand,” policies have gradually opened to international patients: In 2023, the National Health Commission issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Standardizing the Management of Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Human Sperm Banks,” explicitly permitting “legitimate international medical cooperation to provide standardized services for foreign patients meeting medical indications”; In 2024, pilot “international medical service zones for assisted reproduction” were launched in Shanghai, Guangdong, and other regions, streamlining visa and treatment processes for foreign patients (e.g., enabling direct medical visa applications with hospital invitation letters) and extending medical insurance coverage to international patients for select services (e.g., genetic testing).

Concurrently, China's leading assisted reproduction institutions are actively pursuing international accreditation. By 2025, 12 hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou achieved JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation, signifying their medical quality, patient safety, and service processes meet international standards. Mohammed Ali, head of a Middle Eastern medical tourism agency, noted: “Previously, when clients asked, ‘Do Chinese hospitals have JCI?’ we could only shake our heads. Now, they proactively request to see the certification documents—this is key to building trust.”

Service Level: “Cultural Adaptation” Transcends “Standardized Processes.”

Unlike Thailand's “assembly-line” approach, Chinese ART institutions prioritize ‘personalization’ and “cultural sensitivity.” For instance, a Shanghai hospital established a dedicated “halal dining area” for Muslim patients and offers Sharia-compliant “ethical counseling” before embryo transfer (e.g., explaining embryo screening's compatibility with religious doctrine). For Western patients, Shenzhen clinics offer “fully English-language medical apps” with real-time translation and electronic medical record sharing, even assigning “international patient coordinators” to handle visas, accommodations, and translation.

“I chose China not only for its high success rates, but because they take the time to understand my needs,” said Hanna Schmidt from Germany. Suffering from years of infertility due to endometriosis, she came to Shanghai on a friend's recommendation after two failed IVF attempts in Germany. Her attending physician not only thoroughly analyzed her medical history but also proactively contacted her German doctor to exchange treatment records. “This seamless professionalism made me feel, for the first time, that I wasn't just another case on an assembly line.”

III. The Future: From “Attracting Patients” to “Defining Standards”

The cooling of Thailand's assisted reproductive boom fundamentally reflects the market's inevitable transition from “unregulated growth” to “standardized development.” Meanwhile, China's rise represents the culmination of accumulated strength—a result of synergistic advancements in technology, policy, and service delivery.

For China's assisted reproductive industry, attracting international patients is merely the first step. Looking ahead, with further technological breakthroughs (such as AI-assisted embryo screening and stem cell therapy for premature ovarian failure) and deepened international cooperation (like establishing assisted reproductive alliances with Belt and Road countries), China stands poised to evolve from a “regional hub” into a “global standard-setter.”

For Thailand, regaining competitiveness requires more than just “price cuts” or “partial policy relaxations.” Striking a balance between technological compliance and service warmth may be the true key to breaking the deadlock.

Back in Bangkok, Ali's third-generation IVF treatment in Shanghai has entered the ovarian stimulation phase. “The doctor says the success rate is 70%—that's more realistic than the promises I got in Thailand,” he remarked. Flipping through videos of the hospital environment on his phone, he smiled and remarked, “Next time, I might bring more friends here.”

This “shift in focus” for assisted reproduction from Bangkok to Shanghai reflects not only patient choice but also the broader optimization of global medical resources. When technology, trust, and service become core competitive advantages, those who truly understand patient needs will stand at the forefront of this wave.

Document dated 2025-10-13 10:41 Modify