The ceremonies are held in Bangkok, with a member of the Thai royal family presiding. The award was conceived by the management of The Oriental hotel in Bangkok, which then sought further backing from Thai Airways International and other companies. The ceremonies have featured some notable guest speakers, including Iris Murdoch, Peter Ustinov, Jeffrey Archer, James A. Michener, Gore Vidal, William Golding, Rita Dove and Paul Theroux. The 2006 keynote speaker, Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka canceled his keynote speech in protest against the Thai military's coup against the government, and was replaced at the last moment by S. P. Somtow.