Thai Princess Announces Renunciation of Royal Title

This is the first time the Thai Royal Family has made an official announcement about this incident after a series of rumors since November.

News from the Thai Royal Family announced on the evening of December 12 that the third wife of the Crown Prince of this country has given up her royal title because many of the Princess' relatives were involved in a corruption scandal.

AFP quoted the Royal Thai Government as saying: “His Majesty the King has given permission to announce that Princess Srirasmi, wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has requested to renounce her royal title.” The Royal Thai Government Gazette did not disclose the reason for the renunciation but said that King Bhumibol Adulyadej had accepted and approved it.

Ms. Srirasmi (standing in the middle) in a photo taken in 2007 (photo: AP)

Princess Srirasmi is the third wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who is expected to become Queen of Thailand when the Crown Prince ascends the throne to succeed King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Ms. Srirasmi married Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn in 2001, and the couple have a 9-year-old son. The boy is expected to become the future king of Thailand, succeeding his father Vajiralongkorn.

Last month, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn requested that the royal family bestow the “Akkharapongpricha” surname on Princess Srirasmi’s family be stripped.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has made an announcement to the Royal Family and asked the government to clarify the corruption allegations of some members of his wife's family. Previously, the Thai police agency provided evidence of illegal acts from bribery, extortion, and using the royal title for personal gain by many members of Ms. Srirasmi's family.

The news comes at a time when the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 87, is very poor. He was hospitalized in October and had to undergo surgery to remove his gallbladder. On December 5, Thailand celebrated King Bhumibol's birthday, but due to health reasons, he could not appear before the people./.

According to VOV