Portrait of Crown Prince of Thailand

After the death of the King of Thailand, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the legal successor, but the people of this country are worried because of his somewhat unusual personality.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. Photo: Reuters

On the afternoon of October 13, the Royal Palace of Thailand announced that King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at the age of 88.

Thailand's parliament ended a special session on the evening of October 13 without declaring the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, as king, according to Reuters. Section 23 of the 2007 Thai constitution stipulates that when the throne becomes vacant and the king has appointed an heir to the throne under the 1924 Royal Succession Law, the cabinet must notify the speaker of parliament to convene a meeting to record the succession. The speaker will then invite the heir, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, to ascend the throne and formally proclaim him king.

Speaking to reporters on the same evening, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the appointment of a successor would be announced later. "Let's wait for an appropriate time," he said. He added that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn had asked for time to mourn the King along with the people of the country.

Born in 1952, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the second child and only son of four children of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, King Adulyadej granted Vajiralongkorn the title of Crown Prince, establishing his position as heir to the throne.

Military career

After completing primary school in Thailand, Vajiralongkorn was sent to private schools in England and Australia. He then attended the Royal Australian Military College in Canberra from 1972 to 1976. He continued his studies at the Royal Thai Army Command and Staff College, graduating in 1978.

He also received a bachelor's degree in law from Sukhothai Thammatirat University in Bangkok in 1987. In 1990, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn also attended many military training courses in Australia and the United States, including flight training, parachuting, special operations, the use of small arms and other weapons in modern warfare.

Since 1975, he has been a professional officer in the Royal Thai Army as a staff officer at the Thai Military Intelligence Service. In 1978, he became the head of the King's Bodyguard Battalion.

He is also a military aircraft and helicopter pilot. Although military careers are a common path for crown princes around the world, Vajiralongkorn is unusual among current crown princes in that he is very active in military affairs. However, in recent years, his role in the military has been largely ceremonial. He holds the rank of general in the Royal Thai Army, admiral in the Royal Navy, and admiral in the Royal Air Force.

Three times divorced

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Princess Srirasmi Suwadee in 2006 before their divorce. Photo: Reuters

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has had three wives, all of whom have since divorced. According to royalcentral.co.uk, in 1977, Vajiralongkorn married Soamsawali Kitiyakara, a cousin on his mother's side. They had a daughter together, Princess Bajrakitiyabha. In the late 1970s, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn lived with actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth, despite not having divorced his first wife.

In 1993, the couple divorced. A year later, Vajiralongkorn married Polpraserth. By then, Vajiralongkorn and Polpraserth had five children, four boys and one girl. In 1996, Vajiralongkorn accused Polpraserth of adultery when she and the children fled to England and then to the United States. They divorced in 1996. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn brought one of his daughters with Polpraserth back to Thailand and gave her the title of princess. All four of the remaining children were stripped of their royal titles.

In 2001, Vajiralongkorn married for the third time, to Srirasmi Suwadee, a commoner who had been his maid since 1992. The marriage was kept secret until 2005, when Suwadee gave birth to a son and was granted the title of princess. However, in 2014, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn asked the Ministry of Interior to strip his wife's family of the royal surname Akharaphongpreecha, after some of her relatives were accused of corruption.

Also that year, Princess Suwadee had her royal title and surname revoked, and divorced Vajiralongkorn.

Fear

From left: King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Sirikit in 1999. Photo: AFP

International Business Times commentator Juliana Rose Pignataro commented that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is not as popular as his father. People are worried that his unconventional and unpredictable style will harm the country.

In 2007, a video emerged online showing Vajiralongkorn’s third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee, topless as she and her husband dined. Images published by the German newspaper Bild in July showed a man, believed to be Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, wearing low-rise jeans and a white crop top with fake tattoos covering his back, holding a dog, at a German airport. Thai police said the photos had been doctored.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn’s unusual personal preferences are not the only reason why Thais lack confidence in him. His close relationship with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has long been closely watched by Thai public opinion.

Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecommunications billionaire who was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 coup, is accused of providing large sums of money to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. He now lives in exile in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but has maintained contact with the prince, something many Thais do not approve of.

Although the military is the most powerful force in Thai politics, Thais have good reason to be concerned about the future of the throne. King Bhumibol Adulyadej maintains his power and legitimacy by supporting frequent military coups. During his 70-year reign, King Bhumibol Adulyadej has overseen 17 coups. Thais worry that handing the throne to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn could cause major upheaval in a political system that already lacks stability./.

According to VNE