BANGKOK — Thailand has performed its first remote robotic surgery, with doctors in Bangkok controlling a surgical robot to operate on a prostate cancer patient at a hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima, about 250 kilometers away.
The procedure was conducted Monday between Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital in Bangkok and Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, marking what the Ministry of Public Health described as a milestone for Thailand’s medical sector.
Health Minister Phatthana Phromphat said the Ministry of Public Health is promoting medical technology and innovation to strengthen healthcare services and develop specialized medical centers to international standards.
He said the remote surgery demonstrated Thailand’s readiness to use advanced medical technology and could serve as a model for expanding remote surgical networks across the country.
The operation involved a team of specialists at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, including Dr Niphon Suparattanachantiphan and Dr Thanathon Termkraisi, working with Dr Peeradon Saphoemsub, who controlled the robotic system remotely from Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital in Bangkok.
Dr Somruek, a senior public health official, said the technology would also allow medical personnel in regional hospitals to gain experience with advanced surgical systems.
The ministry plans to expand the technology to regional referral hospitals in different health zones, with the aim of reducing disparities in access to advanced medical treatment.
Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital began offering robotic surgery in December 2025 and has since performed 52 procedures across three major specialties: gynecology, including uterine and ovarian cancers; general surgery, including pancreatic, stomach and colorectal cancers; and urology, including prostate and kidney cancers.
The hospital reported that all 52 procedures were successful.
The hospital has also tested remote robotic surgery across international borders with West China Hospital in China, around 3,000 kilometers away.
On 21 April, doctors performed remote robotic surgery for gallstones, followed by a remote robotic prostate cancer operation on 25 June.
The latest procedure between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima marks another step toward expanding advanced medical technology beyond major hospitals in the capital and into Thailand’s regional healthcare network.
