The Bangkok Post, Friday 26th May 2006

"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will today present His Majesty the King with the United Nations development award which will be the highlight of his official visit to Thailand. Mr Annan, who arrived in Bangkok last night from Vietnam, will present the UNDP Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award to His Majesty at Klai Kangwon Palace in the resort town of Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The award is to recognise the King's dedication to improving the lives of the Thai people. It will be the first time that the award will be conferred on an individual, according to the United Nations Information Service. ''His Majesty the King has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the poor. This award honours his assiduous dedication to the well-being of the people of Thailand recognised the world over,'' said Joana Merlin-Scholtes, the resident representative of the UN Development Programme, in the statement.

Mr Annan will deliver an opening speech with Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda at a discussion on the King and human development at the Foreign Ministry today. UN reform, the candidacy of caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai for the UN secretary-general's post, a Thai proposal to be a regional disaster relief centre and the situation in Burma will likely top the agenda during talks today with caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinondh.

The talks will take place at Government House before his departure for Hua Hin for an audience with the King.

Mr Thaksin will also reiterate Thailand's interest in and readiness to become a regional disaster relief centre because of its facilities and experience in handling natural catastrophes such as the tsunami, the spokesman said. Over the past two years, the Thaksin administration has pushed for the country to become a regional centre for the tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia by allotting seed funds of US$10 million (380 million baht) as a trust fund to be managed by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The two leaders will also likely discuss other global issues, including Iran, the spread of avian flu and disaster management, Mr Kitti said. Thailand's role in the UN-led peacekeeping mission in East Timor and Thailand's engagement with Burma could be raised by the UN chief, sources said.

Thailand is Mr Annan's last stop on his trip to Australia, South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam"

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