“Cabinet” Approves Establishment of Faculty of Medicine, Nakhon Phanom University, with a Budget of 2,502 Million Baht

Today (28 April 2026), 2:00 PM at the Nareesamosorn Building, Government House, Ms. Lalida Periswiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced the results of the Cabinet meeting. She stated that the Cabinet approved the project to establish a Faculty of Medicine at Nakhon Phanom University, with a total budget of 2,502 million baht, over a 10-year period from fiscal year 2027 to 2036. The project aims to address the shortage of doctors in the upper Northeastern region and produce doctors from the area to return and care for the people in their hometowns. The first cohort of medical students will be admitted in the 2028 academic year, and by 2036, it is expected to produce at least 71 doctors for the region, with 216 currently enrolled medical students.

Ms. Lalida further stated that the key aspects of the project are the establishment of a Faculty of Medicine that meets the standards of the Medical Council of Thailand and the Institute for Medical Education Accreditation, the development of a Bachelor of Medicine curriculum, the development of academic and support staff, and the upgrading of Nakhon Phanom Hospital, Loei Hospital, and Yasothon Hospital to become clinical medical education centers. Currently, Thailand faces the problem of uneven distribution of doctors, especially in provincial areas and the upper Northeast, where many people still have to travel long distances to receive medical services. The establishment of this faculty of medicine is therefore a long-term investment to create a healthcare workforce that meets the real needs of the region.

“This project is not just about opening a new faculty, but about creating doctors to return to their hometowns to care for their families, reducing healthcare disparities, and making quality doctors and healthcare services more accessible to people in the upper Northeast,” Ms. Lalida concluded.