When Foo Foo passed away in 2015, Maha gave the dog a lavish four-day funeral. So Maha left for home — no doubt in his personalised Boeing 737 — and is now ensconced in one of the Thai royal family’s many palaces, as increasingly outspoken and violent demonstrations take place in the streets. According to the 2007 Constitution, the cabinet instructed the president of the National Assembly to invite Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to the throne. The king of Thailand announced this week that he was naming a 34-year-old woman (and military general) as his official consort — in addition to his wife By Elizabeth Yuko A video leaked in 2007 showing a birthday party for Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's third wife Srirasmi Maha Vajiralongkorn and Srirasmi with their son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, in 2007. The king of Thailand has married the deputy head of his personal security detail, and given her the title of queen, a royal statement has said. It was a shocking turnaround for a country where people are taught from birth to worship the monarch, plaster homes and public buildings with his image, celebrate Father’s Day on his birthday and leap to their feet for the national anthem. But never at home. Under the rule of Maha’s late father King Bhumibol, who reigned from 1946 until his death in 2016, this was easier to swallow. The pecking order at home was all too clear. BREAKING NEWS: Trump could lift travel ban on the UK and Europe on Tuesday just in time for Christmas. When Maha finally returned home last week, he was greeted by more than 10,000 protesters, who marched through Bangkok demanding a new constitution. King Bling’s ostentation is matched only by the aggression with which he pursues anyone who criticises him. There are many reasons why King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand may not inspire unwavering respect from his 70 million subjects. The designation of an official “royal noble consort” shocked Thailand. He became the first monarch to be born in Thailand since his great-uncle Prajadhipok. As the country mourned the loss of King Bhuminbol in the nation’s capital of Bangkok, the late king’s son marched proudly in the procession accompanied by his wife Suthida Tidjai. Alas, that didn’t work out either and when, two years later, she fled to the UK, he disowned four of their five children and stopped paying their school fees. Thailand’s king fires royal bedroom guards for 'adultery' Asia. To begin with, there is his penchant for wearing teeny-weeny crop tops, very low-slung jeans and enormous fake tattoos. No chance! Then there is his messy love life — the 68-year-old is on his fourth wife, whose company he shares with his official concubine, recently back in favour after a brief and brutal hiatus. To mark the occasion, Maha released a glossy photo of her flying a plane while wearing a camouflage-pattern sports bra. Will the shops be open to buy gifts? Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 1996 proclamation of divorce vividly highlighted the alleged crimes of his second wife – and former consort – Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. In recent years, the UN has called on Thailand to amend its draconian lèse-majesté laws, but to little effect. In a leaked document, Mr Boyce said: ‘Foo Foo was present at the event, dressed in formal evening attire complete with paw mitts. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Andrew MacGregor Marshall Because a groundswell of unrest is surging in Thailand, where the vital tourism industry has been hammered by Covid. It was with his third wife, Srirasmi Suwadee, a former waitress who had been in his service since 1992, that he bought Foo Foo, the white toy poodle that in 2007 — and by then elevated to Air Chief Marshal — was an official guest at a reception held by the U.S. After his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, died on 13 October 2016, Vajiralongkorn was expected to succeed to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne. At one point during the band’s second number, he jumped up onto the head table and began lapping from the guests’ water glasses, including my own.’. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Thai king sacks staff for 'evil actions' days after dismissing consort. PRO, A video leaked in 2007 showing a birthday party for Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's third wife Srirasmi. In 2009, leaked images of Foo Foo’s birthday celebrations showed Maha’s wife Suwadee crouched on the floor, in little more than a G-string, apparently eating dog food as the king looked on (she was later stripped of her titles and family members were imprisoned). Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida leave after paying their respect at the statue of King Rama V at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 2, 2019. King Maha Vajiralongkorn married Queen Suthida in May last year following three years of romance (Image: AFP via Getty Images) Read More Related Articles. Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi became Thailand’s first royal consort for nearly a century. Dozens hurled abuse at Maha’s white Rolls-Royce and a state of emergency was declared. Another royal couple has decided to split — Thailand’s Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, 62, and wife Princess Srirasmi Akrapongpreecha, 43, are getting a divorce after 13 years of marriage. Because while technically, Thailand (like Britain) is a constitutional monarchy, in practice ancient structures still exist. They also had to compete with his extensive harem, most of whom were recruited from military units and organised into their own regiment. Record and instantly share video messages from your browser. A pro-democracy protester wears chains and make-up during a demonstration at a road intersection in Bangkok on October 15. The King adored his dog so much, he crowned the canine as a senior ranking official in Thailand's Air Force and was given a four-day state funeral when the pooch died. Now, with crowds baying in the streets, King Maha might do well to step back and reconsider his golden furniture, lackeys and harem. In 2007, a shocking video emerged of Princess Srirasmi wearing nothing but a G-string at the infamous birthday party Vajiralongkorn had thrown for his pooch, Foo Foo, years earlier. Boris Johnson urges the EU to drop demands on fishing after the latest bid to break... SIMON WALTERS: Holy mackerel... is fishing a reason to scupper a Brexit trade deal? While his day job required him to dress conservatively, King Vajiralongkorn … But only months later he elevated his favourite concubine, a former nurse, to the status of ‘royal noble consort’, the first woman to hold this title since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. In 1977, after attending military school in Australia, he wed his cousin, Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara, with whom he had a daughter. Bhumibol played a key role in 1992, in the transition of Thailand to a democratic system. Make social videos in an instant: use custom templates to tell the right story for your business. Thais are growing increasingly irritated, weary and embarrassed by King Maha. Until now. In 2017, a man was sentenced to 35 years in jail for posting critical comments online about the Thai royal family. King Maha Vajiralongkorn (center), also known as King Rama X, sits alongside his wife General Suthida Vajiralongkorn (right) as he names Major-General Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi (left) … REUTERS/Stringer King Vajiralongkorn returned the rank and titles of Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi on Wednesday, the Royal Gazette reported. His coronation took place at the Royal Palace in Bangkok on 5 May 1950, when he became the Crowned King of Thailand. The king, widely known as Rama X, planned an even bigger party — but 119 members of his entourage were forced to return to Thailand amid fears they … To begin with, there is his penchant for wearing teeny-weeny crop tops, very low-slung jeans and enormous fake tattoos. The COVID-19 VACCINE: Protecting YOU and the rest of the UK. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. Flood misery before Christmas: Homes are evacuated and stranded drivers are pulled to safety after four... Return of the star that guided three wise men to Bethlehem? On the night of 1 December 2016, the fiftieth day after the death of Bhumibol, Regent Prem Tinsulanonda Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has lived up to his ‘playboy’ persona by bringing both his wife and mistress to his late father’s cremation ceremony. NHS data shows trusts are STILL... 'We're getting on with our lives': Eamonn Holmes thanks fans for 'overwhelming' support after This Morning... Sea sense, Barnier! Oh, and he has disowned at least four of his children, refusing to pay their school fees, despite sitting on a £30 billion fortune. If there's any justice, it must be victory for Bill, the Old Bailey! They are worshipped and idolised: saying one word against the king, queen, heir apparent or regent — or even their pets — has traditionally led to 15 years in prison. Fernandes and Saka values rise but Coutinho plummets on 10-man list of biggest changes; Wife number three was Srirasmi Suwadee who then-Prince Vajiralongkorn wed in 2001, and divorced in 2014. All of which has made him an international laughing stock: Prince ‘Bling Bling’, the bully playboy. But none of that held him back with the ladies. BANGKOK (DPA, REUTERS, AFP) - King Maha Vajiralongkorn's new wife, Ms Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayutthaya, has been named Thailand's queen, … Even his mother likened him to Don Juan. Ambassador, Ralph Boyce. What with all that going on, and somehow finding time to indulge his passion for mountain-biking and driving fast cars, perhaps it’s little wonder that, when his father died, Maha asked for ‘time to mourn his loss with the people’ before finally taking up the reins in 2019 with a three-day, £23 million coronation involving a gold crown weighing over 15lb. The dog, a poodle named Foo … Thai pro-democracy activists hold fourth day of protests in... Water cannons 'filled with irritant chemicals' are used to... Christmas cancelled for 18m - a THIRD of England: PM plunges London and SE into brutal new Tier 4 after... Fury at Boris's last-minute Christmas U-turn as Britons say they'll IGNORE the new rules and complain it's... 'We're not going to be knocking on people doors on Christmas Day': Police officers say new Tier 4... Can I still see my mum on Boxing Day? Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn with Queen Suthida and Princess Bajrakitiyabha during a parade ceremony in Saraburi, Thailand, on January 18, 2020. Since he took the throne four years ago, Maha has steadily amassed power, taking personal control of crown property and all royal funds, assuming direct command of troops, meddling in the supposedly democratic process of government and even amending Thailand’s constitution to allow him to rule from abroad. The King married his third wife Princess Srirasmi Akrapongpreecha, a former waitress, in 2001, though the Thai public was only informed of their union in 2005. The cruellest separation of all: Families of disabled children were promised care home hugs but are... FDA grants approval for second COVID vaccine from Moderna a week after Pfizer's with 6M doses available by... A merry little Christmas? The king has been married four times (Image: RUNGROJ YONGRIT/EPA-EFE/REX) King Vajiralongkorn has long been a controversial figure in Thailand, where it is … Many others have disappeared. The images, which appeared to show Maha out for a … Just this summer, a young man who wore a T-shirt with an anti-royal message was sent to a secure psychiatric unit. But the marriage ended in divorce — perhaps in part because, besides being unfaithful, Maha fathered four sons and a daughter with his mistress, actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth, whom he married in 1994. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. In May, the king named longtime companion Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya his queen when they were married a few days before his formal coronation. Prince Andrew leaves Windsor Castle just hours after Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend is... 'Boyfriend' of woman whose body was found in a suitcase at a London hostel 'has gone missing' as tributes... Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend is CHARGED with 'rape of minors' after he was caught trying... Rupert Murdoch, 89, gets the Covid vaccine an the NHS at his local GP surgery... while Fox News hosts... Emmanuel Macron blames 'negligence' and 'bad luck' for catching coronavirus after he was criticised for... Italy orders Christmas lockdown with restaurants and bars forced to shut and travel restricted as... Oxford vaccine 'WILL be approved before New Year' and Pfizer insists the UK will not RUN OUT of its vaccine... Are hospitals REALLY creaking under the strain of Covid before Christmas? Get your team aligned with all the tools you need on one secure, reliable video platform. Wearing a tight, white crop top, his body adorned with temporary tattoos and holding a white fluffy poodle, this is the 64-year-old new king of Thailand. The King of Thailand has reinstated his royal wife in the post, nearly a year after being stripped of her titles in a dramatic fall from grace. And there is his bizarre obsession with his late poodle Foo Foo, whom he liked to dress in full Royal Thai Air Force regalia, including ‘paw mitts’, and seat at official dinners. Hundreds of Pfizer vaccine doses are 'RUINED' after fridge storing vials at -70C in GP surgery in... 'It makes me want to cry. Because in Thailand the laws of lèse-majesté (offending the dignity of a reigning monarch) ensure the royal family is held above criticism, let alone mockery. Or he could risk losing his crown altogether. The Yorkshire shepherdess will struggle to keep her festive bubble... Covid makes Britain's roads safer: Insurance pay outs drop by £4.4bn with 41% less accidents and 26% fewer... Rail staff shortages threaten Christmas getaway chaos and packed carriages as ANOTHER operator cancels... Is this the woman who will replace Kay Burley? Clashes break out between Thai riot officers and demonstrators in downtown Bangkok during a second day of protests on 15 October. from Maha, who had spent much of this year holed up in splendour with a vast entourage (including 20 ‘military-themed’ concubines) in a luxury hotel in Bavaria, Germany, found his European welcome cooling when the German government decided they could no longer continue to host him on their democratic soil. Disappeared from the public eye since 2014, the first images in six years of Srirasmi, the ex-wife of the king of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn, And are shocking the world.Srirasmi, 48, is under house arrest and has a shaved head, as can be seen in the photos released by a journalist. TM + © 2020 Vimeo, Inc. All rights reserved. He's fond of the crop top. At school — he was educated at King’s Mead School in East Sussex and later boarded at Millfield in Somerset — he was a tubby bully, reportedly not liked and so spoilt that at the age of 12, he still couldn’t tie his own shoelaces because courtiers always did it for him. A pro-democracy protester shout slogans against riot police during an anti-government demonstration in Bangkok, Thailand on October 16, 2020. In 2009, leaked images of Foo Foo’s birthday celebrations showed Maha’s wife Suwadee crouched on the floor, in little more than a G-string, apparently eating dog … Thailand’s elites have long loathed Maha’s violent mood swings, odd fetishes and the scandals in which he became mired. In the initial days of his tenure as the King of Thailand, he had no real political powers and was merely a ceremonial king. Bhumibol may have been the richest monarch in the world, with a lifestyle to match, but his people believed he was a good man and respected him all the more when, in 2005, he accepted that even he was not perfect. In a leaked video, the King can be seen with his third wife Srirasmi, who is topless and a in a G-string, to celebrate the birthday of her husband's beloved pet poodle, Fu Fu. His father, King Bhumibol, left, was well loved by the people of Thailand Credit: Rex Features. Both the 41 … And beaming like a Cheshire cat on the sidelines was the new ruler of Thailand: Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. Maha’s fourth wife, former air stewardess Suthida Tidjai, tied the knot with him in 2019. Srirasmi Suwadee (Thai: ศรีรัศมิ์ สุวะดี; RTGS: Sirat Suwadi; born 9 December 1971), formerly Princess Srirasmi, Royal Consort to the Crown Prince of Thailand, is a former member of the royal family of Thailand.She was the third consort of then-Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (now Rama X) from February 2001 to December 2014. A Royal Household Bureau handout photo shows Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun wearing a crown during the coronation ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, 04 May 2019, In this photo released by Bureau of the Royal Household, Thailand's King Bodindradebayavarangkun, right, presents a gift to Queen Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya at Ampornsan Throne Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 1, 2019, There are many reasons why King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand may not inspire unwavering respect from his 70 million subjects. Maha also regularly insists that courtiers crawl on their knees towards him, orders anyone out of his favour to have their head shaved, and once made a wife eat out of Foo Foo’s dog bowl while she was semi-naked. I know how unfair it is but this virus is unfair.' Even Facebook was forced to shut down a group with a million members that had been set up to discuss the monarchy — but the internet giant has since sued the Thai government, calling the move a contravention of international human rights law. ‘I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong ... the king can do wrong.’. Life can’t have been easy for any of Maha’s wives, especially given his desire to base himself increasingly in Bavaria, where he sent one of his sons to school. That has never been a sentiment embraced by his only son. Asia. Dissenters now risk being ‘disappeared’ altogether. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Published: 22:01 GMT, 21 October 2020 | Updated: 04:22 GMT, 22 October 2020. And instantly share video messages from your browser: Rex Features criticism concerns what I do wrong... king... None of that held him back with the ladies where the vital industry. 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