We conducted a prevalence survey of conventional risk factors of coronary artery disease in 3,615 Shinawatra employees and we planned to prospectively follow up this population to determine the impact of the risk factors in the development of coronary disease. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking were 7.4 per cent, 1.4 per cent, 21.1 per cent, 13.9 per cent, 76.3 per cent and 16.3 per cent respectively. The awareness of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia were 42.2 per cent, 78 per cent and 32.9 per cent respectively. The prevalence of the risk factors was more common in males and increased with increasing age. Dependent variables which were associated with hypertension included: excessive weight; male sex; increasing age; hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus. Variables which were associated with diabetes mellitus were hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, male sex, increasing age and excessive weight.. Variables which were associated with hypercholesterolemia were hypertriglyceridemia, high HDL-cholesterol, increasing age, excessive weight and hematocrit level while overweight, hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-cholesterol, smoking, hematocrit level, low income and increasing age were associated with hypertriglyceridemia. Excessive weight was associated with hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-Cholesterol, presence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, increasing age and low education.