Some 500 farmers and anti-globalisation activists yesterday marched to the United States embassy in Bangkok to protest against the current World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.

The group said the talks would harm farmers, people with Aids and consumers in the developing world.

``We want the WTO to end its role in world agriculture,'' said Ubol Yuwah, of the Alternative Agriculture Network, one of six groups participating in the protest march.

He said small farmers in Thailand could not compete with low-cost products such as soybeans and corn that were allowed to flow freely into the local market.

This was the result of free trade on agricultural goods introduced by the WTO since 1995 which forced members to cut tariffs and reduce subsidies to farmers, according to the People's Network Against Globalisation.

Yesterday's march coincided with the start of the WTO's Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar.

The protesters accused the US of dominating the WTO and directing its policies which were detrimental to Third World farmers and consumers.

Wiboon Boonphatararaksa, a farmer from Roi Et, demanded the US end research to create new strains of jasmine rice to suit US conditions.

He said that if the research was successful, exports of Thai rice would be cut and farmers hurt.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn, of the Thai NGO Coalition on Aids, wanted the US government to support the right of developing countries to produce cheaper anti-HIV drugs.

Such a right was incorporated in the WTO's Trade-Related Intellectual Properties, she said, and could be invoked if there were urgent and compelling reasons.

Ms Chiranuch said around 50 developing countries, including Thailand, wanted the WTO to grant the right and US support would make it easier to invoke.

The groups submitted a letter addressed to US President George W. Bush which was accepted by Win Dayton, the US ambassador's assistant for economic affairs, who promised to forward it to Washington DC.

Mr Dayton said he sympathised with the concerns of the protesting groups.