By Zahi Hawass When I wrote my previous articles about my visit to Thailand and its fascinating princess, no one could believe that a lady like this really existed -- she is a living legend. My dear friend Mark Linz, head of AUC Press, told me that he knows a woman from Thailand who is working in Egypt and he saw her reading my article with tears streaming down her cheeks. After witnessing this, Mark said he now understood the meaning of my article. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is a very modest lady with a kind and generous heart. Maybe it is what is inside her heart that makes the people of Thailand unique. Before I visited Bangkok, I saw another example of this compassionate heart in Ambassador Noppadol Theppitak, Thailand's representative in Egypt. He is a remarkable man. From the first moment you meet him you like him and feel as if he is your close friend. He came to see me when he read my article about Princess Maha, and he promised that he would hand- deliver the princess a copy of my article. I told him that this was not needed because I could tell that she was not the type of person who liked compliments, and I added that people like her did not exist anymore. Princess Maha is the type of person who comes directly from the sky, and she is untouched by arrogance. When I was in Bangkok, I could see goodness in the people of Thailand, an honesty and compassion for each other. Everyone seems to respect each other and their environment. The government permits people to sell their goods in the street without restrictions. The people never have to worry about policemen destroying their baskets or cars or stands. They just park their tiny cart on the side of the street to sell vegetables, fruit, clothing and other products. But even with the streets crowded with vendors they always leave space for pedestrians to walk past. When they finish for the day they clean up the area where they were working. It looks as if they were never there; not one piece of trash is left on the streets. This is how they keep their city clean and beautiful. Also, I didn't witness any sign of jealousy between people. The poor people didn't seem to resent the rich and the rich in turn seemed to respect the poor. Maybe it is because although wealthy people can buy a genuine gold Rolex for more than $20,000, poor people can have a copy of that same Rolex for about $20 and no one can tell the difference. I believe that the wonderful atmosphere in Thailand is a reflection of the love of Princess Maha. Princess Maha came to the dinner that I attended in Bangkok that was hosted by Ashraf El-Kholi, the Egyptian ambassador in Thailand. The ambassador and his wife felt honoured to have the princess in their home. The guests (from both Egypt and Thailand) in the residence of the ambassador that evening were in awe of the princess, and looked at her as if they were in the presence of a sacred being. This is the only time I have ever seen such complete love and devotion for a person. I asked myself how this could happen? Is it because of Princess Maha's personality and dedication to her people? Is it because of the love and affection she so generously gives? Or is it because she is a member of the royal family? One thing is for sure -- Princess Maha is special and has the ability to capture your heart. Recently I learnt that I was being given an honorary doctorate from a university in Thailand. I was very happy to hear this news, not only because of the honour but also because I would have the opportunity to see Princess Maha again. I cannot wait to see the love in her eyes and witness how everyone looks at her with undying love -- it is such a powerful experience. I have to admit that at first, when I accompanied her to the Giza Pyramids, I was not overly impressed with her because she was writing down everything I said in her notebook. But when she looked up at me with her kind eyes and said thank you, I knew I was in the presence of an extraordinary lady. When I sat next to her at the ambassador's dinner and we spoke, I realised that she is extremely cultured and educated and her knowledge is amazing. In all my travels and of all the people I have met, no one can compare to Princess Maha. I feel honoured to have met her. We should all strive to learn from her example of compassion and love.
