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Tourists to Thailand to be
greeted with a smile and a condom
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Tourists travelling to Thailand will be greeted with
an "international" size condom along with the
traditional smile in July to mark a global AIDS
forum in Bangkok, a Thai senator said.
Senator Mechai Viravaidya said larger condoms would
be handed out for free at the airport while a choice
of sizes would be on offer in some taxis, the main
train station and at freeway toll booths throughout
the July 11-16 International AIDS Conference.
"There will be two sizes. A larger international
condom and a smaller local one," Mechai told AFP,
adding "but if a local feels they need an
international condom then they will certainly be
given one." |
Thai Public Health
Minister Sudarat Kyuraphan distributing condoms
during an AIDS awareness campaign ahead of
Valentine's day in Bangkok. Tourists travelling to
Thailand will be greeted with an 'international'
size condom in July to mark a global AIDS forum. |
"It's just to let people
realize we do have a problem with AIDS in the world and
condoms are the major way of preventing it," said Mechai.
He said about 350,000 condoms would be handed out, but
that if stocks dwindled more would be supplied.
Mechai spearheaded Thailand's first condom awareness
campaign in the late 1980s which is credited with
dramatically reducing the kingdom's annual rate of new HIV
infections.
The 15-million-dollar AIDS conference, themed "Access for
All", will bring together up to 20,000 delegates including
world leaders, scientists, activists and people living
with HIV-AIDS. --AFP |
