His and Her Excellencies

This week I am attending the 5th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum at the United Nations in Bangkok.  Yesterday, at the opening of the conference, two of the most distinguished people in Thailand presided over the opening session.  First was Prime Minister Abhisit, the politician who was the target of calls to step down last year during the peak of the red-shirt protests.  With national elections a little more than a week away (which I hope to blog about soon), polls show that Abhisit should probably be thought of as a lame duck at this point, so it was a nice treat to be present for what was probably one of his last public speeches as prime minister.  The content of his speech wasn’t particularly ground-breaking, mainly a list of talking points about the importance of sustainable urbanization, etc., etc.  What is striking about hearing Abhisit speak is his impeccable English, a rarity for even high-ranking Thais.  In Abhisit’s case his language skills are a product of his upbringing in England where he was born and completed most of his schooling at prestigious boarding schools and universities.

During Abhisit’s speech, the podium he spoke from was oriented sideways to the audience because he was required to address his speech in the direction of Her Royal Highness, Princess Chulabhorn, who was was seated on the stage, awaiting her turn to give the keynote address for the conference.  The Princess spoke at length about the public health consequences of growing carbon emissions levels in Asian cities.  With a background in the sciences, including a PhD from Mahidol University, the Princess offered research findings from her own biomedical and chemistry research institute.

The ceremony was incredibly formal, with every speech beginning with a litany of titles, my favorite being “His and Her Excellencies.”   Upon her entrance and exit from the UNESCAP Hall, everyone in the room stood and a song, which I’m assuming was the royal song of the Princess, was played.  I can’t say I learned much from the my first day at the conference, but the event was enjoyable mainly for the novelty of it all, the exacting protocols of formality.  I feel like I can now place another important slice of Thai society into my memory bank, a most excellent one at that.