Mr Kenneth Mays welcomed the delegation and informed the Committee that Bumrungrad International Hospital was a private hospital, which operated in a business framework. He stated that government did not force private hospitals to join universal coverage. He indicated that the hospital was opened by doctors who wanted to start a private hospital. The main hospital was opened in 1997. It was the largest private hospital in Southeast Asia. Mr Mays informed the Committee that there were 100 private hospitals and about 30 public hospitals in Bangkok.