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The 15th International AIDS Conference has come and gone in Bangkok, with lots of promises made, lots of grabbing the limelight and political grandstanding, but with so many people in town it certainly made for a busy time in the scene in Bangkok - and that looks like continuing into a promising August!

The conference was held at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, 11 - 16 July, and included an advocacy parade in Silom Rd on 14 July starting at 6:00 PM with groups including sex workers, women, youth, and local GLBT groups co-ordinated by Rainbow Sky. The parade effectively bought the issues of the conference to a "downtown" office-worker audience, and with Durex once again adding lots of colour and sound while handing out free condoms, the safe sex message was pushed as well.

Bangkok venues got onto the swing of the conference as well - Balcony's Cabaret Night on Monday 12 July was very popular and between acts the staff took around Bangkok Pride donation boxes and collected almost 7,000 Baht from the crowd, which the Balcony management made up to a final donation of 10,000 baht to Bangkok Pride. On the Thursday Sphinx did a fundraising dinner to support Rainbow Sky with 20% of the proceedes for the evening being donated - 18,600 Baht which Sphinx management made up to a 20,000 Baht donation. Elsewhere around Bangkok that week, Dick's Cafe was turned into a wild west saloon for their 5th Birthday, with the staff dressed as Indians and the customers as the cowboys. Telephone celebrated Bastille Day on the Wednesday and the next week held their 3rd annual Miss Diva / Mr. Macho night - pictures from these events are in the gallery here and on the Dick's Cafe and Telephone web sites.

Down Pattaya way, the Pattaya Gay festival dinner at Amor last Sunday raisd 90,000 baht, while Boyz Boyz Boyz bought "Christmas in July" to Boyztown and Throb took everyone back to the 70's. Throb's next fundraiser event is on 5 August with their Rear of the Year competition. Boyz Boyz Boyz is continuing their "Saturday Spectaculars" with special shows each Saturday night and on 22 August they have their "Search for a Star Talent Contest". And Cafe Royale has a special final show by Miss Ronnie Summers. Full details are in the calendar here and on the PGF web site, and pictures from recent events in Pattaya are on the boxer website.

If you have a teddy bear that needs a new home, or would care to buy and donate one to a good cause, Throb/Splash is doing their Teddy Bear's Picnic during August in conjunction with Balcony in Bangkok. Both bars will be donating a teddy bear a day and are accepting donations from cuatomers with a prize for the bear which has travelled the longest distance. At the end of the month all the teddy bears will be donated to the Rayong Children's Orphanage.

For all the latest venue changes and events as they happen see the calendar here and the directory listings.