The Thai king, the crop top, and a poodle. The reporting on this story was done in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Marriages and issue Neither can be as strong as it is without the other.”, “He’s not the kind of person to voluntarily relinquish any of his power,” Pavin said. In the largest of them, in 2010, the Red Shirts occupied the commercial center of Bangkok for nearly three months before they were crushed by the army, with some 80 Red Shirts killed and more than 2,000 injured. They have elections, some independent newspapers that even do good critical reporting, and while they do not hesitate to get rid of opponents, they also keep disappearances at low levels so as not to arouse public animosity or international sanction. Naked pictures emerge of Thai king who was filmed in tiny yellow crop top. In Thailand King Vajiralongkorn is most often seen parading in his royal regalia, complete with a colourful array of medals. In perhaps his most remarkable display of unrestricted power, after a new constitution was adopted in a referendum, Vajiralongkorn simply rewrote the clauses having to do with the power of the king. An image taken from a video widely shared on Facebook in recent weeks appears to show King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand walking through a shopping mall in a yellow crop top. There is no such regent anymore in Thailand. “Yes,” he replied. BANGKOK — The new king of Thailand is into his fashion, but unfortunately the Thai government doesn’t want its citizens to know that. “He wants everybody to see, whether it’s taking back the land that the zoo is on or assuming direct control of military regiments. Soldiers patrol the sidewalks alongside. “They supported the Yellow Shirts,” he said, “because they were afraid of Thaksin coming back.” We were sitting in a covered yard alongside one of his ponds, where he grows plankton for sale to nearby fish and shrimp farmers. The man once infamous for his mistresses, crop tops, and presumably fake tattoos now looks out sternly from portraits placed all over Thailand, … The bizarre clip of King Maha Vajiralongkorn waltzing around a shopping centre alongside a woman has gone viral, The Sun reports. Crop-tops, mistresses and flying poodles: Meet the next King of Thailand Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkor will take the throne following the death … Plaques that once memorialized the 1932 coup that abolished the absolute monarchy have, according to some Bangkok residents, simply disappeared. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The king of Thailand faces new embarrassment after 1400 photos of his official consort were sent to critical journalists. The king’s crop tops. Foo Foo and its owner hit the headlines in 2014 when opponents of the Crown Prince leaked a video showing his third wife, Princess Srirasm, lying on the floor feeding the dog cake while wearing nothing but a G-string. The incident that has attracted the most attention in the new king’s reign so far involved the woman walking next to Vajiralongkorn in that shopping mall video, a former nurse named Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi. If there were people hoping somehow that, being a Western-educated, cosmopolitan person living mostly in the West, he would encourage a move back in the direction of liberal values and practices, they have by now been disappointed. It would be hard to overstate the extent of what seems to be an almost medieval reverence for the king in Thailand. He’s gotten changes in the constitution giving him emergency powers and allowing him to exercise his authority even when he is out of the country — which is most of the time. Born in 1952 in Bangkok’s Royal Palace, Prince Maha was educated in the UK at King’s Mead School and Millfield School before attending Australia’s Royal Military College. Unusually for a Thai king, however, Vajiralongkorn spends most of his time in Bavaria, where he has been snapped wearing skimpy crop tops, sometimes with elaborate temporary tattoos splayed across his back and arms. The reverence for the king has long been enforced by the country’s lèse-majesté laws, which outlaw “defaming, insulting, or threatening” of a member of the royal family — including, for example, “Liking” that mall video on Facebook. People of Thailand, meet your new king. Bild. Vajiralongkorn’s assertion of his power comes at a time when Thailand has been moving in an authoritarian direction, the government largely controlled by the military, which, after years of sometimes violent political turmoil, took power in a coup in 2014. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. I hired a car to look at the royal compound, though it’s not easy to get glimpses inside. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Vajiralongkorn is clearly a product of Thai culture, but his evident authoritarianism also seems to fit a larger regional and even global pattern, the disillusionment with traditional liberal elites and the turn to strongman rule. “It can only be successful if there are no popular protests against it, and the easiest way to achieve this is to deal with strongmen in each country.”, Another Thai, a young political activist in the country’s Democratic Party who ran unsuccessfully for a seat in parliament in the elections last March, told me, “The fact that there’s a new superpower that’s less keen on human rights in other countries reduces the American influence. Thailand is a country where there can be lively conversations about all sorts of topics, where some new political parties have formed to vigorously contest the national elections held in March last year. Updated on May 16th, 2017. Of course, not forgetting his white poodle in hand. Crop tops, tattoos and marrying his bodyguard - new Thai king's coronation sets the seal on years of eccentricity “It’s all a way of making his power formal, visible,” one person whispered to me. He rushed home from Germany – where he spends much of his time, reportedly with a former Thai Airways air hostess who he is planning to marry – when his father’s health deteriorated and has since requested to delay taking to the throne so, he says, he has more time to mourn. A glimpse into the old race track revealed a bunch of construction sheds. Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Reddit 0. Indeed, the old politics was breeding such extreme conflict that Thailand was in danger of civil war. And so, following the election, the former army chief who led the 2014 coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha, became the country’s prime minister. In one of them, for example, he eliminated a requirement that when the king is out of the country, which Vajiralongkorn is most of the time, his authority would revert to a regent. Amid the turmoil, prominent members of Thailand’s ruling class have reportedly been killed in a sign of what could become a more widespread conflict. The crop top is a reference to pictures showing the king dressed in one which have appeared in European tabloids in recent years. Vox’s work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources. The universally held belief in Bangkok is that she was thrown into the Bangkok women’s prison; on exactly what legal authority other than the king’s demand, nobody is saying. sions among the country’s elite as to who should succeed King Bhumibol. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkor will take the throne following the death of his father – but who is he and why are some people so unhappy about it? Thailand’s playboy king isn’t playing around. The man once infamous for his mistresses, crop tops, and presumably fake tattoos now looks out sternly from portraits placed all over Thailand, dressed in kingly gold-brocaded robes or a trim white jacket with epaulets, a yellow sash, and a sword. Maha Vajiralongkorn (left) wears a white crop top at an airport earlier this year. “Take the Belt and Road project,” he said, referring to Beijing’s plan for a network of ports, railroads, energy corridors, and shipping lanes aimed at making China the center of a vast Eurasian economic network. The footage prompted a national scandal in Thailand and attracted news coverage across the world. X × Social media is one of the most important, strangest, and most unpredictable inventions of the 21st Century all at the same time. And whether he really did that or not, he cultivated an image of Buddhist kindness and compassion, sponsoring programs in the countryside, going to villages and meeting with ordinary people. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. He was eating ice cream while wearing very un-monarchical jeans and a crop top, his bare midriff displaying what seemed to be elaborate temporary tattoos. The man once infamous for his mistresses, crop tops, and presumably fake tattoos now looks out sternly from portraits placed all over Thailand, dressed in kingly gold-brocaded robes or a … Unusually for a Thai king, however, Vajiralongkorn spends most of his time in Bavaria, where he has been snapped wearing skimpy crop tops, sometimes with elaborate temporary tattoos splayed across his back and arms. Fears of a potentially powerful partnership between Mr Shinawatra and the future king were reported to have been the motivation in part for military coups in 2006 and 2014. She holds the rank of general in the Thai military and is believed to be the head of the King's official bodyguard unit. 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. They wrote: “We were ordered by our father not to return home to Thailand ... We were afraid to risk even demonstrating the slightest inference of disrespect toward the Royal Family.”. While the king is back in Thailand for now, he normally lives in Germany. BANGKOK — A few years ago, a Facebook video went viral and revealed to the world why many people in Thailand were anxious over the prospect of Maha Vajiralongkorn, then the country’s crown prince, becoming king. A portrait of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej seen at Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre in Bangkok on October 15, 2016. Meet Thailand’s poodle-obsessed, crop-top wearing ‘playboy prince’ who will now lead the country following his revered dad’s death Among the photos of Major-General Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, the Thai King’s consort, are images of her wearing a camouflage-printed sports bra. When the dog died last year, it was given a four-day funeral complete with Buddhist rites before being cremated in an extravagant ceremony. The world knows Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn as a playboy who has churned through four wives, lives among lots of women in a German hotel and relishes skimpy crop tops … Thailand activists stage crop-top protest against lèse-majesté law. In 2011 four of the children she had with the Crown Prince published a letter claiming they had been abandoned by their father and banned from returning to Thailand. That’s the way they make people give up.”. The threat of the US withdrawing its support is less serious.”, “China is not democratic,” he continued, “but it’s able to deliver fast economic growth, and people feel that if this can happen, what’s the need for democracy?”. In Thailand King Vajiralongkorn is most often seen parading in his royal regalia, complete with a colourful array of medals. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today, from as little as $3. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Mr Boyce allegedly recounted the event in a leaked cable, writing: “Foo Foo was present at the event, dressed in formal evening attire complete with paw mitts, and at one point during the band’s second number, he jumped up on to the head table and began lapping from the guests’ water glasses, including my own. Among at least 35 activists currently facing charges under the lese majeste law is 16-year-old Napasin Trirayapiwat, who wore a crop top and had anti-monarchy slogans written on his midriff at a protest. All of this would be far more difficult, maybe even impossible, if there were widespread public opposition. But human rights groups say that, instead, similar prosecutions are taking place under the country’s computer crime laws. While his day job required him to dress conservatively, King Vajiralongkorn … In fact he is known more for his eclectic dress sense, scandal-plagued past and failed marriages than any regal qualities. But when the subject turns to the king, most people lapse into an awkward silence or, if they do say something, look cautiously around them to make sure no unknown person is listening. Yet none of them are functioning as democracies. “For the Chinese, it’s easier to deal with strongmen than with democratic governments,” one Thai businessman told me in Bangkok. In what seemed to be a concession to modern sensibilities, Vajiralongkorn, according to newspaper reports, has ordered an end to prosecutions under the lèse-majesté laws. “He is basically running the country now, though he’s not doing that like his father did through moral authority. Since the military coup of 2014, at least 68 people have been arrested or imprisoned under these laws, according to Human Rights Watch. He’s also embarked on a massive building campaign in the central Dusit district of Bangkok, where the monarchy holds real estate of such dimensions as to make the British royal family’s compounds seem small. With the Southeast Asian … | Photo Credit: Reuters . The fears about his ascension to power go deeper than concerns about his romantic life and canine commitment. This crop-top sporting, tattooed bad boy rules over one of the major nations of Southeast Asia. In a country where polygamy has been banned for 100 years, the king seemed to be saying that a kind of polygamy would be a prerogative of the monarch (and nobody else). Around the same time, several palace aides were dismissed — two of them, identified as bedroom guards, for “inappropriate acts and adultery,” according to the official Palace Gazette. Some would prefer the Crown Prince’s younger sister, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to take the throne but Thai law forbids a female monarch. THAILAND could lose all access to Facebook today after footage of its heavily-tattooed king strolling around in a crop top went viral. Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that empowers you through understanding. The King of Thailand went on a shopping trip in a crop top, someone posted it to Facebook and the King was NOT happy. Prince Maha has been married three times. Just three months later, as if to show the dangers of incurring the king’s disfavor, Sineenat was accused of ingratitude and misbehavior and stripped of her rank and titles. Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy Sam, Grace, and Brett tell you why a picture of the king in a crop top is causing so much controversy. His son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ascended the throne in December. Thailand’s king has terrible fashion sense and likes wearing fake tattoos. The crop top is a reference to pictures showing the king dressed in one which have appeared in European tabloids in recent years. The Crown Prince has not inherited his father’s popularity among people in Thailand, Woman forced to kneel before portrait of Thai king after 'posting disrespectful comments online', Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (left) photographed at Munich airport in July 2016, Royal guards shade Queen Elizabeth II and Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej from the sun with traditional Thai parasols during the welcoming ceremony at Bangkok military airport, The Thai royal family, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn & Queen Sirikit, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej reviews royal guards at a ceremony marking his 69th birthday, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej takes pictures during the royal ploughing ceremony in Bangkok, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest serving monarch, and Queen Sirikit preside over a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the king's accession to the throne, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand rides with French President de Gaulle in French official Citroen convertible upon his arrival at Orly airport, south of Paris, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand rides down the Champs-Elysees with French President de Gaulle, Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit stand near Belgian King Baudouin I, during their official visit to Belgium, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand on a stopover at the Touquet airport on August 1948 during his journey to Great Britain, French President de Gaulle and his wife alongside King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and his wife attend a show at the Opera de Paris, Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was outed in a 2006 coup after public protests, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}. He has clearly taken charge, doing so in a way that implicitly affirms both obedience to authority and a kind of above-the-law monarchical privilege. Thailand is set to crown a new monarch this month after King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death ended his 70-year reign – but the former ruler’s only son and heir, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is not popular with everyone. It wasn’t lost on many Thais that the king himself had five children with a now-dismissed mistress while he was still married to his second wife (that mistress and four of the five children have since been disowned and are now living in the United States; the youngest child and only daughter lives in Thailand as a royal). “I thought that Vajiralongkorn would be so lacking in moral authority that he wouldn’t get the support of the various sectors of society that he needs. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Indeed, it’s difficult these days to think of a single country in Southeast Asia, with its 620 million people, that is becoming more democratic rather than more authoritarian. Meet Thailand’s poodle-obsessed, crop-top wearing ‘playboy prince’ who will now lead the country following his revered dad’s death THAILAND could lose all access to Facebook today after footage of its heavily-tattooed king strolling around in a crop top went viral. It’s clear that nobody wants to be heard saying anything negative or derogatory about Vajiralongkorn. And nobody can or dares to stop him.”. According to the report, the new King is domiciled in Bavaria where he owns two villas which makes him subject to local inheritance tax. King Maha was spotted with … Installing his mistress as a royal consort was certainly scandalous, but some of the measures Vajiralongkorn has taken to assert his power go well beyond nasty palace intrigue and into unprecedented territory for Thailand. Thailand is putting the squeeze on Facebook to remove dozens of pages that have video of King Maha Vajiralongkorn wearing a crop top. By Matthew Atteberry, Rush Hour Daily. Millions rely on Vox’s explainers to understand an increasingly chaotic world. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Thaksin put into place several programs, like low-cost universal health care, aimed at alleviating rural poverty and appealing to his base. The Crown Prince is known to be friends with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the businessman and former owner of Manchester City, who was ousted as the Thai premier in 2006. The gates to the old zoo are locked shut. Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej - Life in Pictures, Crop tops, mistresses and flying poodles: meet Thailand's next king, Read more King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand dies aged 88, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Family 10 Things To Know About Thailand’s Crop Top-Wearing Royal Consort. Here's the footage of … Thailand threatens to sue Facebook after videos emerge of king in crop top wandering in German shopping centre Richard Bernstein is a former foreign correspondent at Time magazine and the New York Times. How do people feel about him becoming king? Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Some of Thailand’s highest profile protest leaders dressed in crop tops and paraded at a Bangkok shopping mall on Sunday in a jibe against King Maha Vajiralongkorn to … “There’s a mutual interdependence between the military and the monarchy. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. A military coup, the first of two in eight years, removed Thaksin from power in 2006, and shortly after that, facing trial on charges of corruption, he fled the country and has not been back since. “Regarding Thaksin, it had to be either a coup or an assassination,” a former moderate Thai member of parliament told me in 2014, expressing the commonly held middle- and upper-class fear that even though Thaksin had been legally elected, he would turn out to be a dictator impossible to remove. Two years later, huge Yellow Shirt demonstrations took place. The King of Thailand held an odd ceremony Sunday where he named one of his top generals and longtime girlfriend as his official mistress, a … But in 2017, Thai authorities demanded that Facebook remove embarrassing footage of the king in a shopping centre, wearing a crop top and sporting fake tattoos. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. As different as day and night, New York Post has reported that the new King of Thailand was questioned for his strange behaviours and was pictured wearing a white crop top exposing his midriff and other parts of his upper body. Here’s a regal dilemma to consider: Is it right for a king with 70 million subjects and wealth in excess of 70 billion dollars to be seen frolicking around in a crop top rather than a crown? 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