History and Perspectives of Nuclear Medicine in Thailand

In 1955, the first nuclear medicine division was established in Thailand by Professor Romsai Suwannik in the Department of Radiology, Siriraj Hospil, Mahidol University in Bangkok. In 1959 four years later, the second nuclear medicine division was established in the Department of Radiology, Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok. The third nuclear medicine division was started in Rajvithi Hospital in Bangkok in 1961. The fourth nuclear medicine division was installed in Chiang Mai University which is the first University located outside of Bangkok in 1965 by Professor Dusadee Prabhasavat and Professor Sanan Simarak, ten years after the first nuclear medicine division in Siriraj Hospital. At the present in Thailand, there are twenty-five organizations providing clinical nuclear medicine services. Five medical faculties provide three years nuclear medicine residency training. There are eight companies which supply radiopharmaceuticals and/or nuclear medicine instruments one of these belongs to governmental office of atomic for peace (OAP of Thailand). In conclusion: Nuclear medicine researches and clinical practices in Thailand had been progressed from the past to the present time and will more progress in the near future, which certainly is the part of Asian countries and ARCCNM.