prime minister have not disrupted activities leading up to the Miss Universe contest which will air tonight and include Miss Bermuda, Colita Joseph.

Speaking from her room at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok, 20-year-old Miss Joseph told The Royal Gazette yesterday she was not even aware of the protests.

"I haven't seen or heard anything,'' said the Devonshire beauty queen who has spent most of the past two weeks in rehearsals for the contest which will be held on Saturday morning at the Queen's Circuit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.

But foreign news services yesterday reported that tens of thousands of protesters sat down in the streets outside the Thai parliament yesterday, defying military orders that they end their rally.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of General Suchinda Kraprayoon, the leader of a military coup last year who took over as prime minister after elections in March.

And while violence has not broken out, crowds have ignored the military's repeated warnings by army-run media telling them to disperse.

But for Miss Joseph and some 70 other contestants from around the world it has been business as usual.

"We have spent the last three days being interviewed by the judges,'' Miss Bermuda said, adding that a dress rehearsal between 6 and 8 p.m. Bangkok time today is the only event left on her hectic itinerary before the main event.

"Tomorrow we get a late start,'' she said. "Breakfast is between 9 and 10 a.m. Then we can relax from 1.30 p.m. until we leave for dress rehearsal.'' Miss Joseph, who admitted she was a "little homesick'' for Bermuda cooking and has packed her bags in preparation for her return on Monday, did not venture to guess who would be crowned Miss Universe 1992.

"They asked us to vote at a lunch two days ago to say who we thought stands a good chance of winning, just for the host to use as a line in the contest,'' Miss Bermuda said. "Everyone put a question mark. This competition is tough.

The contestants are beautiful and intelligent. Who wins is anybody's guess.'' The contest will be shown in Bermuda tonight, beginning at 10 p.m. on ZBM Channel 9.

Thailand protests - see Page 11.