Estimated number of people living with HIV Thailand 2011-2023

In 2023, the estimated number of people living with HIV in Thailand was around 580,000 people. Before 2020, the number of people living with HIV had decreased throughout the decade before rising in the past several years. What is the history of HIV in Thailand and how does the health system tackle it?

HIV history in Thailand

The first HIV case reported in Thailand was in 1984. Thailand experienced one of the largest HIV infections in the world in the late 1980s. A decade later, the country launched a nationwide educational campaign alongside establishing HIV testing and treatment facilities to combat the epidemic. More awareness among the public and prevention measurements resulted in a decrease in the number of people and children with HIV infection in Thailand.

Does Thai health care cover people living with HIV?

In 2002, a significant number of Thai individuals living with HIV and other incommunicable diseases were granted access to vital health care through the implementation of the UCS, which offers health care to citizens for a voluntary fee of 30 Thai baht. Moreover, in 2021, the UCS started offering Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which is a medicine taken to prevent getting HIV. Thailand is also committed to the UNAIDS objectives, which aim to ensure that 95 percent of HIV patients are aware of their status and receive treatment. In 2023, nearly 1.6 million people in Thailand completed HIV testing.