From then until now

The history of Siam-Care

Sudden increase in HIV/AIDS

In the early 1990s, there was a sudden increase of HIV/Aids in Thailand. The disease was unknown, there was little or no medication, and so an infection was often a death sentence. The Dutch Adrienne Blomberg took the fate of the sick to heart, and together with her husband decided to commit herself to the sick. In 1991, the work of Siam-Care began.

1996:
Official registration Siam-Care

Gradually, the work became more well-known. In order to professionalize the organization, a foundation was officially registered in Thailand in 1996. Called the Siam-Care Foundation. ‘Siam’ is the old name of Thailand, ‘Care’ obviously means ‘care’ or ‘to care for’. Later that decade, foundations were set up in both the Netherlands and England. Which would raise funds locally, to support the work financially.

1999:
More information, fewer deaths

Around the turn of the millennium, medication slowly became available for infected people. This allowed them to lead a reasonably normal life, without their illness seriously weakening them. This also changed the work of Siam-Care. A shelter, where terminally ill people spent their last weeks, was closed, because such care was less necessary. After all, people no longer died if they took their medication daily. The focus shifted to supporting infected families and providing information in schools and communities.

2000:
Expansion to the east

Around the turn of the millennium, the work also expanded from Bangkok to the eastern province of Mukdahan. Many people who became ill in Bangkok turned out to be living in the city only for work, while their home was in eastern Thailand. After an infection, many moved back to the area around Mukdahan, where medical care was at a low ebb. No foundation was active in this region, while the need for help was great. And so Siam-Care opened an office in Mukdahan, a province on the Mekong River and on the border with Laos.

2005:
New office, in Southern Thailand

After the tsunami in December 2004, Siam-Care opened an office in the south of Thailand, in addition to its offices in Mukdahan and Bangkok. In the province of Phang Nga, to be precise. The office was initially opened in Khao Lak, in 2025 it is nowlocated in the nearby city Takuapa.

2013:
Founder leaves

In 2013, Adrienne handed over the work to Jan-Peter and Natasja Kelder, who are still in charge of the work. After their arrival, Siam-Care's work grew, especially in the prisons in and around Bangkok. Siam-Care went from 1 or 2 to over 10 prisons, where information was provided about the risks of (unsafe) sex.

2017:
Farewell Siam-Care UK

In 2017, Siam-Care and its English partner foundation parted ways due to a difference in vision. Financial support increasingly came from the Netherlands, with some loose partners from elsewhere in the world. In 2023, the name of the local financial party in the Netherlands changed from HAMIN to Stichting Siam-Care.

2023:
New office, in Nakhon Phanom

In 2023, the Bangkok office closed for practical reasons. Instead, a new office opened in Nakhon Phanom, a province next to Mukdahan, where a Siam-Care office has been located since 2000. This new province is one of the poorest and driest in Thailand, and unfortunately there are no other foundations active there. This makes the need for Siam-Care's work here great.