The Robert H. Smith School of Business hosts
Thailand’s “Condom King” on Sept. 13

Students at the University of Maryland, College Park, are invited to attend the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) Symposium on International Programs at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The event takes place on Sept. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Frank Auditorium in Van Munching Hall, and is hosted by CIBER and the Smith Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA) as part of SUSA Business Week. The symposium features guest speaker Mechai Viravaidya, Thailand’s “Condom King.”

Viravaidya became known as the Condom King after he started the restaurant and resort Cabbages and Condoms in Thailand. The restaurant sells condom-related gifts and gives out condoms instead of after-dinner mints, playing on the Thai sense of humor to desensitize the issue of practicing safe sex. As the founder of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), Viravaidya works to promote safe sex in an attempt to lessen the risk of AIDS spreading through Thailand – a country with a “buoyant sex trade,” according to a Time Magazine article on Viravaidya. He will speak to students about the privatization of the eradication of poverty.

After the event, there will be a reception in Van Munching Hall’s Pownall Grand Atrium where students will have the opportunity to talk to other Smith Students who recently participated in international programs. The event is open to the public, but does require attendees to RSVP. For more information and to register, visit the CIBER website. For more information, contact Karen Watts, assistant director of CIBER.