Thailand tries again to tackle AIDS
Lenihan, F.
Bmj 305(6866): 1385
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0959-8138 PMID: 1486299 Document Number: 322634
Concerned about the potential economic impact of AIDS, the Thai government has increased the budget for HIV prevention, promised to tighten restrictions against the sex industry, and will attempt to eradicate child prostitution. 1753 AIDS patients have been reported in Thailand since the mid 1980s. Further, HIV prevalence among army recruits has increased from .5% in 1989 to 3.2% in 1992. An alarming 20% of new recruits tested positive for HIV in the northern province of Prayou. Approximately 5 million foreigners visit Thailand annually. a 1991 survey of tourists, however, found that 4% of respondents chose not to visit some parts of the country in response to the anti-AIDS campaign. A government minister has proposed establishing a task force against organized trade in child sex and the tourist sex industry. Should protective age limits for children in developing countries become comparable to those adopted for children in Germany, new legislation there may allow German authorities to begin prosecuting nationals who travel abroad seeking sex.