FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013 BAMRUNG AMNATCHAROENRIT THE SHARE
Swiss tourists usually take the 11-hour flight to Thailand to explore its cultural sites and enjoy the white-sand beaches, but from next year, many could also be flying in to make use of the long-stay facilities in Chiang Mai for Alzheimer’s patients.
the local people are friendly, there is easy access to medical services, the living costs are affordable and it is rich in natural and cultural beauty.
Rutz is one of the three major shareholders of Vivo Bene Thailand, which is wholly owned by Swiss operators. With an investment of Bt250 million, construction of the resort began last November and is scheduled to open its doors officially in February.
Located in Doi Saket, the 12-rai (2-hectare) complex will have six units with 12 rooms to house about 90 patients. Inside, facilities range from restaurant and spa with massage to a hairdressing and beauty salon. Four hotel villas with two rooms each will serve as accommodation for visiting family members and friends.
Its location, just 20 minutes from downtown Chiang Mai, ensures easy access to urgent medical care. Rutz said he expected occupancy of 60-70 per cent after opening, and if his projections are correct and the resort proves to be a success, it will be expanded to increase the number of patients to 200. Vivo Bene already has three patients in hand.
The company is fully foreign-owned because the investment was made under the Board of Investment. Rutz said he had already had a bitter experience in Bali, where he set up a two-star hotel using a local nominee to deal with the investment regulations and ended up being cheated out of the business.
Though the resort has been built in Lanna style, all its facilities and services follow Swiss standards. The patients will be taken care of by experienced German- and French-speaking medical staff, who will also occasionally take them out of the complex for exploration trips.
Accommodation for one person will cost 5,800 Swiss francs (Bt199,000) per month and will cover daily necessities including food, non-alcoholic drinks and personal care. He said this was far cheaper than in Switzerland, where patients were charged based on their condition.
For instance, a patient in a bad condition may end up having to pay 13,000 francs per month, while a medium-level patient could end up paying about 12,700 francs per month.
He explained that there was a rising demand for housing, as the population in many European countries was ageing.
In Switzerland, the retirement age for men is 65 and 64 for women. During their working years, they contribute 25 per cent of their income to social-security and pension schemes, and earn about Bt200,000 on average after retirement.
Plus, the country’s statistics show that the number of Alzheimer’s patients is on the rise, and will increase from 125,000 in 2010, to 160,000 in 2020, 218,000 in 2030 and 263,000 in 2040. When compared to the total population of 8 million, this group makes up 1.9 per cent of the total in 2020, 2.5 per cent in 2030, and 2.95 per cent in 2040.
Also, the number of people aged over 65 is projected to about 1.68 million in 2020, 2.11 million in 2030, and 2.39 million in 2040. For those aged over 80, its number will increase to 561,000 in 2020, 735,000 in 2030, and 1.09 million in 2040. And those aged over 90 will grow to 104,000 in 2020, 150,000 in 2030, and 231,000 in 2040, thanks to medical advancement.
In 2010, the number of people aged over 65, 80, and 90 was about 1.53 million, 444,000, and 66,000 respectively.
However, Rutz acknowledged that though the opportunity was big, it would still be difficult to persuade them to stay at Vivo Bene, adding that many had expressed concerns about the medical care available. Also, Alzheimer’s patients find it difficult to make changes.
Hence, he said, the company has decided to stand up to the challenge and is planning to bring all parties involved to tour the site.