BANGKOK, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- As an effort to fight AIDS by Thailand's government, about 30 million condoms will be distributed for free next year across the country, particularly togirls aged from 15 to 19, announced the health ministry on Tuesday, the World AIDS Day.

    According to the Bangkok Post online, Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi said in a speech to mark the World AIDS Day that Thailand sees about 30 new HIV infectors per day, and 358,260 Thais have contracted full AIDS, 95,983 of whom have died of it.

    Among those AIDS infectors, about 84 percent caught the deadly disease due to having sex with other AIDS or HIV-carriers without condom, he said.

    The free distribution of 30 million condoms will be one of the efforts in Thai government's anti-AIDS campaign, Manit said, adding that the group of girls from 15 to 19 years old should be given special attention.

    Statistics show the rate of infection in this group in Thailand is twice the rate of boys in the same age range, because the former usually find it hard to refuse a sex request or to demand the boys use condoms.

    The ministry will also try to spread the general knowledge about AIDS among the community and to help people accept those with HIV or AIDS, Manit said.

    Local governments in other provinces, including the northern province of Chiang Mai, also hold various anti-AIDS activities on the World AIDS Day.

Special Report: World AIDS Day 2009