AIDS CONFERENCE: Carriers separated from guests

Published on Jun 17, 2004

Hotel tells those with HIV to eat, sleep separately from others

While Thailand is getting set to welcome 20,000 delegates to the 15th
International HIV/Aids Conference next month a fourstar Bangkok hotel
is separating HIV/Aids positive guests from the rest of its clientele.

On Monday, Supatta Nakapew, director of the Centre for Aids Rights,
said HIV/Aids infected individuals attending a workshop at the Prince
Palace hotel were asked to stay in separate rooms and eat their meals
apart from other guests.

Ironically the workshop the individuals attended was organised by the
Disease Control Department and geared at increasing the number of
people who work with HIV/Aids infected people.

Supatta expressed frustration with the Larn Luang area hotel.

"Discrimination is not illegal [under Thai law], but it violates
fundamental human rights to prevent infected people from accessing
public services", she said.

A hotel employee, who asked not to be named, admitted she had
segregated the guests. "It was for hygiene reasons. If they stay in
separate rooms, it's easy for our maids to separate and wash their
bed sheets and everything," she said.

The employee admitted that she did not know much about the disease or
how to deal with infected individuals. But she contended that people
attending the workshop that were not HIV/Aids positive requested the
separate living arrangements.

"Even those who work with HIV/Aids infected people and know more
about the disease are still disgusted with them. How can I trust that
they [infected people] will not spread the virus to other guests? As
a hotel employee, we have to protect the other guests," she said.

Supatta is concerned the country might lose face during the
conference, schedule for July 1116, because some hotel operators and
staff discriminated against delegates, who will include doctors,
nurses and public health practitioners, as well as infected people.

The Prince Palace employee said no delegates would check in at her
hotel.

"Believe me, no hotel would really welcome those infected people,"
she said.

Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday she had yet
to look into details of the case but was quick to add that the
government might consider a penal measure against hotels that
discriminated against HIV/Aids infected people by banning government
agencies from renting their venues for conferences.

Pennapa Hongthong

The Nation
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