When we got the news about the Fukuoka Prize, I was in a taxi in the Bangkok traffic. Chris read the email at home, and rang me up. He was so excited he wasn’t talking very clearly. The line was not so good. The traffic was very noisy. I had to ask him, Please say that again. On the third attempt, I heard him but I didn’t believe it! How could we win the Fukuoka Prize! When I finally understood, it was one of the best moments of my life.

We hope that the Fukuoka Prize can continue just as it is. The prize is unique. It celebrates culture. It rewards intellectual expertise. It makes a statement about the bonds that link the countries and peoples of Asia together. We are very proud to be among the laureates. We would like again to thank the citizens of Fukuoka for honoring us with this award.

It is a pity the ceremony cannot be held this year. The Covid-19 pandemic is a terrible reminder of our common humanity. Nobody can escape this clever virus. It has forced us to put up barriers between people — masks, visors, PPE, social distancing, travel restrictions, quarantine.

These barriers remind us how much we value our interactions with other people, and how much we miss them. Simple things like meeting friends, visiting relatives, sharing a meal, hugging a loved one.

The pandemic also shows how we need to work together, how important it is to have strong public institutions. Thailand has weathered the crisis rather well so far. And that is because it has a strong public health system, good medics, and wonderful health volunteers. We owe them a lot.

Let’s hope that this terrible time is over soon, and let’s hope we remember its lessons.

Thanks you again!