Dig days: Princess of Thailand II By Zahi Hawas I had never before visited Thailand. About four years ago I flew in on EgyptAir and only stopped at the airport for a few hours. My recent visit to Thailand was truly an experience not only because of the beauty of the country but also because I met the princess. The Egyptian ambassador and I flew together non-stop to Bangkok on EgyptAir. I had seen Bangkok airport 10 years before on that layover on my way from Japan to Cairo. When I first saw it, I could not believe it. It is one of the nicest airports I had ever seen. When I arrived at my hotel, I had to prepare for my lecture that I was giving to the public. Ambassador Ashraf El-Kholi is the Egyptian ambassador in Thailand. I had met him before when he was a diplomat at our embassy in Holland, and I was there to give a lecture for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Ambassador El-Kholi told me that he was considered the luckiest ambassador in Thailand because the princess would visit his residence. He said that everyone adored her and regarded her with respect. My first engagement was at the I-Max Theatre in Bangkok, where EgyptAir and the Chulalongkorn University of Rama V had arranged a welcome reception. The president of the university gave a speech and presented me with the Medal of Honour, and announced that they were awarding me an honorary doctorate and indeed had already started the process. Then, more than 400 people entered the I- Max auditorium and I gave a lecture about the recent discoveries in Egypt, such as the work we were doing with the CT-Scan on the mummy of King Tut, the discovery of the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, the secret doors inside the Great Pyramid and the search for the tombs of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. After my lecture the audience watched the famous I-Max film Mysteries of Egypt, which was produced by Lisa Truitt from National Geographic. Omar Sharif narrated the film, and I participated in the making. In fact, I used to go to many cities in the United States and give an introduction to the film. This film has been seen by millions of people worldwide. No one can forget the film and the stories of the Pharaohs. When it was time for my special lecture, people were waiting on the street in the hope of catching a glimpse of the princess. She arrived at the residence of Ambassador El-Kholi, and then I gave the lecture for Princess Maha and about 20 other guests. The princess was sitting in the first row with a notebook similar to the one I remembered her carrying at Giza. I made a joke and told her that this was the same book that I saw her with before. She laughed and said it wasn't. We had dinner after my lecture and I had a nice talk with her, and she promised that if I discovered any tombs in the Valley of the Kings she would come to Egypt and witness the discovery. When she left us, I could see in the eyes of the cook and the maid how much they admired her and wished they could have a photograph taken with her. The visit was very impressive, and I was astounded by everything I saw in this remarkable city. I visited the palace with Ambassador El-Kholi and we took flowers because the princess's aunt had recently died. Everyone was in mourning and wearing black. I even wore a black shirt under my black suit. Later, we had a nice tour of the palace. I was also impressed that the government did not prevent people from using the sides of the streets to set up displays or park cars and sell their goods. However, these tradesmen always cleaned up after themselves. This has solved the unemployment problems because everyone has a chance to make a living. The wealthy people are happy and the poor people are happy. A rich person can buy a genuine gold Rolex for $20,000 and a poor person can buy an imitation gold Rolex for $20 -- they are all satisfied. The most amazing thing I noticed was that I never once saw a fly anywhere in Thailand, not in a café or when buying food in the street. It is a stunning country because everyone cares and works together to keep it beautiful. I am grateful to my friend the Thai Ambassador Noppadol Theppitak for giving me the opportunity to meet his beloved princess and share with her my discoveries and the mysteries of ancient Egypt.
