Thailand's billionaire King Vajiralongkorn & his colourful life

Pro-democracy activists say Thailand is backtracking on the constitutional monarchy established when absolute royal rule ended in 1932.

Thailand's King has a rather colourful life. Last year, King Maha Vajiralongkorn announced married his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn, and named her Queen Suthida.

The announcement, carried in the Royal Gazette, came just before the official coronation of the king, 66, on May 4-6. Vajiralongkorn, also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016, after 70 years on the throne.

In 2014, Vajiralongkorn had appointed Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant for Thai Airways, as a deputy commander of his bodyguard unit. The king made Suthida a full general in December 2016, and the deputy commander of the king's personal guard in 2017. He also made her a Thanpuying, a royal title meaning Lady.

However, just months later King Maha Vajiralongkorn stripped his newly named royal consort of her titles and military ranks for being "disloyal" and conducting rivalry with Queen Suthida

Sineenat, 34, had breached a code of conduct for courtiers and was disloyal, a two-page palace statement said. Before last July's Sineenat's elevation, the title of royal noble consort was not used since before the end of Thailand's absolute monarchy in 1932.

The following month, the palace released a set of unusually candid pictures of Sineenat, along with her official biography on its website.

Some of the pictures were in the usual royal tradition, with Sineenat wearing Thai dress and sitting at the king's feet.

She was also pictured in the cockpit of a fighter jet and wearing a gray camouflage pattern crop-top at the controls of a light aircraft. Public criticism of the king or his family is illegal under Thailand's strict lese majeste laws, with insults to the monarchy punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

King Vajiralongkorn, 67, was previously married three times when he was the Crown Prince before ascending the throne.

In 2014, the King had divorced his third wife, former lady-in-waiting Srirasmi Suwadee, after the arrest of several of her relatives in an investigation into people making false claims of having links to the monarchy for financial gain.

Her uncle, parents and three brothers were later convicted of lese majeste and remain in prison. Srirasmi, who was never charged herself, lives outside Bangkok and has rarely been seen in public since the divorce.

King Vajiralongkorn - his name means "adorned with jewels or thunderbolts" - was born on 28 July 1952, the first son and second child of Queen Sirikit and King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had succeeded to the throne unexpectedly six years previously.

Though he was officially named Crown Prince in 1972, aged 15, he actually spent much of his childhood outside Thailand. He was sent to school in England from ages 13 to 17, before enrolling at military college in Australia until 1976.

A few years ago he had been photographed cycling in a crop top in Switzerland and Germany. When a photo of the king was posted on Facebook he threatened to sue the company , saying the images were insulting.

The king has taken personal control of the palace's fortune, worth an estimated $60 billion, and also moved two army units under his direct command.

Pro-democracy activists say Thailand is backtracking on the constitutional monarchy established when absolute royal rule ended in 1932. They say the monarchy is too close to the army and argue that this has undermined democracy.

Thailand's monarchy is protected by one of the world's toughest defamation laws, making any criticism of the powerful King Maha Vajiralongkorn very risky inside the country.

Under section 112 of Thailand's penal code, anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening the king, queen, heir or regent faces between three and 15 years in prison on each count.

But the law is routinely interpreted to include criticism of any aspect of the monarchy -- including content posted or shared on social media.

 

In the harshest punishment so far, a man was sentenced to 35 years in jail in 2017 for a series of Facebook posts and comments about the royal family.

Lese majeste crimes have been on the books for over a century, but last strengthened in 1976. Anyone can make an accusation under the law and authorities are duty bound to investigate.

There is no transparent disclosure of the official number of lese majeste complaints, arrests, charges or sentences -- only an inconsistent trickle of information from authorities.

The use of section 112 has risen dramatically since a 2014 coup by the arch-royalist military.

Self-appointed ultra-royalist civilian groups also monitor the web and report alleged violations.

Thailand's pro-democracy movement has gathered momentum in recent months, with rallies bringing thousands out on the streets.

Prominent activists have included the abolition of section 112 in their list of demands, calling for an open discussion of the royal family's role in Thailand.

Events came to a head a few weeks ago when protesters disrupted a drive-by of the royal motorcade ferrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti -- an unprecedented challenge and the royal family's first close encounter with the protesters.

The king was not in the same limousine.