Several local AIDS organizations accused a Bangkok hotel of discrimination yesterday after they were refused space to hold a conference.
Representatives of AIDS Access Foundation, Path2health Foundation and Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS said that despite having met at the meeting for years, the Town in Town Hotel refused to book their conference due to a new policy and health concerns.
Because having a conference to talk about AIDS, which might draw some HIV-positive participants, is a totally legitimate cause for alarm ‒ at least by some very ignorant thinking. AIDS victims still suffer terrible stigmatization in Thailand.
Nimit Tianudom, director of AIDS Access Foundation, told the National Human Rights Commission they were refused three times this month.
The hotel, located in the capital’s sub-fashionable Wang Thonglang district, rejected the accusation and said it was just booked solid on those days.
National Human Rights Commission commissioner Taejing Siripanich said the organization will invite the hotel executives to discuss the matter and investigate further, Bangkok Post reported.
