The event, held at 7pm at Bangla Square, was presided over by Patong Mayor Lalita Maneesri and attended by municipal executives, councillors, hospital staff, community leaders, local residents, business associations and partner organisations.
Before activities began, Mayor Lalita led participants in a 93-second silence in remembrance of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, offering thanks for her lifelong contributions to public welfare.
World AIDS Day, observed every Dec 1, focuses this year on the theme ‘Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response’ – aiming to counter stigma, reinforce accurate understanding of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and encourage prevention, treatment and equal, stigma-free coexistence.
As part of the campaign, participants joined a walk along Bangla Rd to promote awareness of HIV and other STDs. Free condoms were distributed to highlight safe-sex practices, while officials also handed out black waste-management bags and shared information on the ‘3R’ principles of reduce, reuse and recycle – tying environmental responsibility to long-term community health.
The message behind HIV prevention, however, carries added urgency for Patong’s local authorities.
Speaking to The Phuket News last year, Patong Council President Weerawit Kreuasombat – who also serves as President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) – stressed that legalising sex work could improve public-health outcomes by bringing health checks and prevention efforts under regulated oversight.
“The PEBA already visits bar owners and operators to call on them to have sex workers receive health checks. If ‘sex work zones’ are created, we can make sure that all sex workers receive free health checks every month,” he said.
Mayor Lalita echoed the concern, noting the steady rise in recorded HIV cases in the province.
“In 2022 there were 5,542 known HIV cases in Phuket, with 714 in Patong. In 2023, that number grew to 5,922 cases in Phuket, with 785 in Patong. This year [2024] there are 6,283 known HIV cases in Phuket, with 822 in Patong,” she said.
“Seeing these numbers constantly increasing makes me worry,” she added, noting that while local health officials monitor infections, the figures are not publicly released.
Patong Municipality said it will continue public-awareness programmes throughout the year, working with hospitals, entertainment venues and community organisations to strengthen prevention efforts and reduce stigma surrounding HIV and STDs,