HE's known as Thailand's 'Condom King', famous for using dramatic methods - such as spray-painting condom ads on the sides of cows to educate people about family planning and safe sex.

But Dr Mechai Viravaidya is also known for his initiatives to help reduce poverty and foster community spirit in Thailand.

Now the former Thai senator is giving Singapore students a chance to do the same.

Dr Mechai, 67, is the founder and chairman of a major non-governmental charitable organisation, the Population and Community Development Association of Thailand.

He was in Singapore on Friday to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The plan is to send eight students from the School of Humanities to Thailand as part of their internship.

FOSTERING COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Regular study trips will expose students to the association's work, which includes fostering community spirit in villages and generating income through small businesses.

The programme will be progressively opened up to all students in the polytechnic. The agreement is effective for an initial period of two years.

Mr Mun Kwok On, director of the Student Development and Alumni Relations Office at the polytechnic, said that in the face of rising globalisation, the programme would be a valuable experience for the students.

And even before the official signing, the polytechnic had started on the programme.

In March, 11 students visited the association's office and those of other organisations like Unicef and Unesco in Bangkok.

They also visited villages that the association had helped. The students were impressed by the efforts to alleviate poverty in Thailand.

EYE-OPENER

Nur Aniszah, 18, a second-year tourism and resort management student, called the experience an eye-opener.

She said: 'I realised that corporate social responsibility is not just a nice word, it is something very important to large organisations.

'I hope more organisations in Singapore can adopt this approach and not just focus on their company profits.'

The association launched the Thai Business Initiative in Rural Development in 1988.

The project inspired first-year business and social enterprises student Justine Lee, 17.

He said: 'It shows us how we can help on an international level, and also how a business can make profits but also show compassion at the same time.'

And true to his character, Dr Mechai handed out T-shirts and other items, emblazoned with his quirky messages on safe sex, to students who were present at the ceremony.

Justine said he got a T-shirt that Dr Mechai had also given to former US Vice-President and green activist Al Gore.

The message printed on the T-shirt was: 'Stop global warming, use a condom.'

By Kelvin Chan, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper on May 26, 2008.