A Thai prince-turned-king is living the type of luxurious life most of us could only dream of.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, became head of the monarchy in Thailand following his father's death in 2016.

Vajiralongkorn has amassed around a staggering £24billion fortune and lives most of his privileged life in Bavaria, Germany.

But the 68-year-old's antics have attracted a fair share of controversy over the years.

A few years before he became king a video went viral on Facebook, reported Vox, showing the then 64-year-old meandering around a Munich shopping centre accompanied by his mistress and not his wife.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn poses with royal noble consort Sineenat Bilaskalayani (
Image:
THAILAND'S ROYAL OFFICE/AFP via)
A younger Vajiralongkorn as prince crown with his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (
Image:
Reginald Davis/REX/Shutterstock)

He was seen donning a jeans and crop top that seemed to show temporary tattoos on his midriff.

Vajiralongkorn was clearly displaying less-than-royal behaviour in Munich and there were concerns over him becoming king.

In Thailand the monarchy is revered and plays a central role - where it a crime to even insult the king thanks to its lèse-majesté laws.

However, since being the oldest monarch to ascend to the country's throne and spending little time with the people his is ruling, Vajiralongkorn has already excommunicated some of those close to him.

In October 2019, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, was stripped of her official titles and military rank when the 35-year-old became the first royal consort in a century.

The former nurse, pilot and bodyguard sat alongside king's wife as his official companion after her relationship with him began when he was the crown prince.

But a curt statement from the Thai palace said she was trying to "gain the same status as the queen" and called her "ungrateful".

As punishment, she was stripped of her titles but was reinstated with them only a few months later.

King Vajiralongkorn pours wedding water to General Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, who is now appointed as Queen Suthida as his fourth wife (
Image:
ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX)

Vajiralongkorn was reported to have moved his hareem of 20 mistresses into a luxury hotel in Bavaria, the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl, after receiving "special permission" from authorities during lockdown - a time when all hotels were meant to have temporarily closed down due to the pandemic.

The king is not the only royal, though, who has fallen victim to a leaked video.

In 2009 a home video allegedly showed his third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee, dressed in only a G-string at the birthday bash of Vajiralongkorn's pet poodle.

In the same year an Australian was banged up for three years after he published a book containing a seemingly offensive sentence towards the prince.

He was later pardoned by the king, Rama IV, at the time.

It is a criminal offence to defame the king in Thailand, which could lead to a jail sentence (
Image:
THAI NEWS PIX/AFP via Getty Imag)

In 2011 Vajiralongkorn agreed to pay a German firm £18million as part of a £27million debt owned - an act the Thai government reportedly covered up.

He had a daughter, Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara, in 1977 with his first wife but went on to father five more children with an actress he had an affair with, Yuvadhida Polpraserth.

After divorcing his wife he then married Yuvadhida before they broke up two years later and she and all the children moved to Britain.

Fuming, the prince abducted his daughter and took her back to Thai - but not before hanging up posters around the palace accusing his former wife of adultery.

His daughter was given the title of princess but his wife and sons were all stripped of their titles.

By 2005 his third wife Srirasmi gave birth to a boy and he declared that his wild days where finally behind him.

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