Kofi Annan is in town to give His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand the first ever United Nations Development Programme Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award.

I've just published the press release to the UNDP Thailand website (the landing page has a nice flash animation scrolling through several images of the king), as we pass the embargo date and time.

It's a great and well-deserved honour that Thailand's king is the first person to be presented this award. He's widely and deeply revered here, even among the expats. He is definitely an example and bright light who has calmed several situations over the last months.

UN Secretary General (SG) Kofi Annan will be visiting and presenting the award to His Majesty the King, but unfortunately, mere mortals cannot join and witness that event. However, he'll pay the staff a visit tomorrow, so it'll be a good time to hobnob with him (or perhaps act like a teenage girl seeing her favourite pop-star idol up close... gotta practice the lines to say to him... practice! practice! Do NOT scream with adulation!). I hope to have several good photos of him and hope the protocol for the staff visit is quite relaxed.

Anyhow, there goes my dress-down Friday.

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