Olympic Hostage Crisis gives lesson to the University Games

The 10-day student games will see more than 8,000 police providing security for more than 10,000 athletes and officials from 151 countries.

Border Patrol Police commander Lt-General Niphon Siriwong said three companies of officers with sniffer dogs and bomb-detection devices were patrolling the athletes' village at the Thammasat University Rangsit campus.

A hostage-rescue force is on hand, too. Taskforce Naresuan 261 was involved in the Ratchaburi General Hospital crisis of 2000 where all but one of 300 hostages was rescued and all 10-hostage-takers killed.

One woman died of a heart attack during the rescue.

Motorists have been asked to avoid using roads near Rajamangala Stadium in Hua Mark tomorrow around noon during the game's opening ceremony.

Coaches transporting athletes will use Phaholyothin Road frequently.

General Issaraphan Sanidwong na Ayutthaya, a deputy police chief responsible for the games, said Interpol was assisting police to "screen out blacklisted people" from entering Thailand before and during the event.

He was concerned about crowd control and clashes between supporters.