Abstract
In 2006, ASEAN Member States signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for Nursing
Services and in 2009 signed the MRAs for Medical Practitioners and Dental Services. In view of the
operationalization of the MRAs, review of the impacts in the European Union context was conducted to anticipate potential positive and negative impacts of the movement of health professionals within ASEAN
under these MRAs. We found that MRAs in the EU were complex and took 30 years (1975-2005) for the
detailed requirements in each directive to be completed. Unlike ASEAN, members of the EU have similar
levels of economic development, administrative system and culture. Movement of the health professionals
flowed from member countries with lower level of development to countries with higher level of
development. Each EU country has different responding measure to the health professional movements;
countries in need of health professionals accepted foreign professionals immediately, while those not in
need of health professionals delayed their acceptance. The movement created both positive and negative
impacts. Positive impacts are job opportunities and knowledge exchange. Negative impacts are quality of
services caused by language limitation, different levels of education and culture and insufficient number
of health professionals in countries of origin. As an ASEAN member state, Thailand may be affected by
the MRAs. Over the short term, health professionals should take a leading role in developing their country
positions with regard to the movement of health professionals. Longer-term preparation involves an
analysis of probable scenarios for further improvement of the said positions.
