Thais go condom crazy over biggest ever AIDS meet

Bangkok - Waiters wearing condoms on their heads greet diners at the 'Cabbages and Condoms' restaurant in Bangkok and volunteers hand out condoms of all shapes, colors and sizes at cash machines, metro stations and the airport.

Visitors might be forgiven for thinking that Bangkok, infamous as the flesh-pot of southeast Asia, has gone condom crazy in the run-up to the 15th International AIDS conference.

Thailand's capital was bracing Saturday for an influx of up to 15,000 delegates to the week-long conference that aims to highlight the scourge of the disease in Asia.

Besides armies of scientists, drug company bosses and victims of AIDS, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, former South African president Nelson Mandela, Indian ruling party leader Sonia Gandhi and Hollywood heart-throb Richard Gere are due to attend.

"This looks certain to be the largest AIDS conference in history," said Craig McClure, executive director of the International AIDS Society.

He said his main worry was whether delegates would be able to negotiate the notorious traffic jams of the sprawling metropolis. For weeks, bright red banners hanging from walkways, overpasses and trees across Bangkok have been announcing the biennial event, which was last held in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

Hotels are bursting at the seams, with guests coming in from 160 countries.

Police are taking no chances, even though the meeting, which opens Sunday evening, is not seen as a terrorist target.

Sniffer dogs made a last minute sweep of the conference venue in a northern suburb, and hundreds of police officers received a pep talk from Thai Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan.

But Thailand's human rights record under a 'war on drugs' is blamed by activists for driving injecting drug users, who are among the most at risk from AIDS, away from sources of help.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who may face protests when he speaks at the opening ceremony, said his government and the activists shared the same goals.

"I think both NGOs and the government have the same goal because we want AIDS patients and their families or children with HIV to get good care," he said in a weekly radio address Saturday.

Police, who will deploy a 5,000-strong force during the conference, say they will take a "softly, softly" approach to peace and security inside the venue, which has a history of vocal, but non-violent, confrontation.

"So far there are no threats or indications from outside, but inside the venue there might be small protests, which are all part of the color of AIDS conferences," police Lieutenant-General Pansiri Prapawat told reporters.

"We are prepared for this and it will be dealt with gently." -- Reuterss

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