After several months of planning, on Friday 16^th August a meeting took place at the Office of His Majesty the King of Thailand at the Grand Palace between Mr Arsa Sarasin, the King’s Principal Private Secretary (previous Thai Ambassador), and several committee members of Thailand TESOL, Suchada Nimmannit, President, Naraporn Chan-Ocha, Immediate Past-President and IATEFL executive committee member, Chaleosri Pibulchol, First Vice President, Akara Asawanoppakun, Treasurer and Clyde Fowle, Macmillan’s Regional ELT Consultant/Trainer. The purpose of the meeting was to present a special leather bound edition of the Macmillan English Dictionary for the King of Thailand and additional copies for use by staff in the Office of His Majesty the King.

The idea of presenting copies of the dictionary had been suggested by the ThaiTESOL president at the launch of MED in Bangkok in January and the meeting was arranged by members of the Thailand TESOL committee. On the day of the meeting, the group from ThaiTESOL and Macmillan met Mr Arsa Sarasin in his office where the key features of the dictionary were outlined and there was a general discussion about the importance of English for future development in Thailand. He assured the group that he would present the dictionary to the King in his audience with him that afternoon and said that the King would surely appreciate the dictionary.