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Country Profiles 
Thailand
Thailand
The boundaries and names shown and the official designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations
Country Profile
In 1984, the first AIDS case was reported in Thailand. In 1984-1988, huge numbers of HIV infections and AIDS cases were reported, resulting from multiple transmission routes: injecting drug users (IDU), heterosexual, homosexual, and mother-to-child infection. Within one year (1987-1988), the HIV prevalence amongst IDUs in Bangkok jumped from 0 to 49%. There was also an “outbreak” of HIV amongst men having sex with men (MSM) [1]. However, the estimated number of people living with HIV had dropped from 660,000 in 2001 to 610,000 in 2007 and the HIV prevalence amongst adults aged 15-49 years, from 1.7% to 1.4% [2]. The prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) policy and the implementation with high coverage had reduced the infection in the children. In 2003, the percentage of vertical transmission was at 6.4% and then declined to 1.0% in 2006. Most of the HIV infections were associated with commercial sex. The trend of HIV prevalence in military conscripts and antenatal care (ANC) attendees had reached a peak at 3.4% and 2.29% in1995 and 1992, respectively, and reduced to plateau at 0.4% and 0.84% in 2007 and 2006, respectively. HIV prevalence has not declined in IDUs and MSM.
The HIV situation in Thailand has illustrated the complexity of, and the strong national response to the epidemic. Despite the many obstacles, Thailand is one of the first countries that had demonstrated success in the nineties in slowing down the spread of HIV epidemic, with its policy of 100% condom use in commercial sex industry. It has had one of the most effective national responses to the HIV epidemic in the world, particularly in the scale and scope of widespread impact.
Sources:
[1] Phoolcharoen W., Ungchusak K., Sittitral W., and Brown T. Thailand: Lessons from a Strong National Response to HIV/AIDS. AIDS Division, Communicable Disease Control Department. Ministry of Public Health , Thailand , June 1998
[2] WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF. Epidemiological fact sheet on HIV and AIDS: Thailand , July 2008
[3] UNGASS Progress report Thailand 2008