Thai patient seeks HIV prevention after alleged syringe attack in Bangkok mall

A Thai doctor shared that one of her patients sought post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), for possible exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), after she was stabbed with a syringe when walking in a shopping mall in Bangkok.

The doctor posted the story of her patient on her Twitter account, @VorachatMD, on February 3.

“#Warning! A patient requested PEP (a medicine to prevent HIV) from me today after getting stabbed by a syringe when walking in the shopping mall in Bangkok. The attacker immediately escaped, and the patient could not follow the person in time. A similar incident happened in Thailand a few years ago, and it is coming back! Very scary!”

The post gained attention on social media, sparking a debate about the authenticity of the patient’s account. Many users encouraged the victim to report the incident to the police and suggested checking CCTV footage within the shopping mall to identify the attacker.

Some speculated that the patient might have been exposed to HIV in different ways but made up the story due to embarrassment or other reasons.

In a later update, the doctor disclosed that she received a call from a police officer. The caller sought the patient’s contact details, which the doctor declined to provide in adherence to medical ethics. Additionally, the doctor affirmed her commitment to preserving patient confidentiality and stated that she would not divulge any information without the patient’s explicit consent.

The doctor further clarified that the information shared on Twitter had been authorised by the patient, and she would refrain from disclosing any further details.

Police investigation

The superintendent of the Pathum Wan Police Station, Arkom Chumparat, reported to Channel 3 that he was the officer who made a call to the doctor. The doctor said she could not reveal the information of the patient due to the doctor’s ethics but promised to contact officers if the patient wanted to provide information.

Arkom stated that he had not heard from the patient or the doctor since and received no complaint related to the matter. Police also investigated the shopping mall and talked to the security team but did not find anything suspicious on the mentioned date.

This incident echoed a similar story shared on Thai social media in November of the previous year, where a Thai woman with HIV apologised on Facebook for engaging in one-night stands with multiple men she met at entertainment venues in Isaan. The story also triggered a debate about its authenticity.