It has been more than a decade since the AIDS epidemic struck Thailand. As the epidemic develops, children orphaned by AIDS are becoming an important problem in society. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to describe the situation of AIDS orphans, the attitude of people in the community toward orphans, the meanings of acceptance of AIDS orphans, the reasons for acceptance, the process of acceptance, the care of orphans, and the needs and problems of AIDS orphans, families and communities. The population of the study was AIDS orphans who had lost their mothers or fathers or both, all members of their families and the persons surrounding them. The area of this study was a community in the upper North of Thailand. The research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative research consisted of observations, informal interviews, in-depth interviews, general group interviews and focus group discussions. The study was conducted over a period of 10 months. The researcher spent the first six months in the communities and occasionally visited during the latter four months of the research. This long period of time spent in the communities provided the researcher with expanded opportunities to collect data. Quantitative research consisted of a survey of village households. A structured questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions was used in data collection. The questionnaire focused on the situation and acceptance of AIDS orphans. The sample size was 265. It was found that the number of AIDS orphans was three fourths of all orphans in the community. There were nine AIDS orphans from eight families and three other orphans from two families. Most people felt compassion for the orphans in their community, but there was a difference between non-AIDS orphans and AIDS orphans in the way they felt, particularly in the acceptance from the community. The extent of discrimination against AIDS orphans has been declining but remains in some situations. Discrimination is especially likely in situations of direct contact, such as eating, sleeping and play. The meaning of acceptance of AIDS orphans was constructed by the ways of thinking and the behavior of community members. The three dimensions of acceptance are; 1) no rejection / no discrimination and no refusal to join activities 2) the linkage between people and AIDS, and 3) caring/ help and not abandon. The factors that affected acceptance were child health status, appropriate behavior of orphans, causes or opportunities of infection, love and bonds, good model of behavior, social status and authority, and knowledge and understanding of AIDS. The process of acceptance of AIDS orphans is associated with increasing acceptance of patients with AIDS. The three aspects of family care to orphans are physical, psychological, social and educational. The degree to which care can be provided on these dimensions depends on the ability and resources of each family. The community provides little help to orphans and their families. AIDS orphans and their families may suffer from various problems such as economic problems, discrimination, emotional problems, and insufficiency of basic needs. Although they receive some help from governmental and non-governmental organizations, the help remains inadequate. What many need are educational scholarships, support for basic needs, equal opportunities, and no discrimination. The findings of this research may be used to establish strategies to address issues related to AIDS orphans. In particular, to encourage the family and community to help orphans. By these strategies, AIDS orphans will have a future.