4 things you should know about Thailand’s Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, fourth wife of King Maha Vajiralongkornand

Nov 15 , 2019

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun walking with Queen Suthida to the ceremony of Assumption at the Royal Residence inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkornand and Queen Suthida have been married for less than a year and have not been in the public eye for long – here’s what we know so far

Suthida is the current wife of King Vajiralongkorn and the royal consort of Thailand. The couple has been married for less than a year, and she has not been in the public eye for very long, only rising to the rank of queen in May 2019. Here are some things you might not know about Suthida.

1. Suthida is his fourth wife

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Photo: AFP

Before Suthida, King Vajiralongkorn was married to Soamsawali Kitiyakara (it lasted from 1977 to 1993), Sujarinee Vivacharawongse (1994 to 1996), and Srirasmi Suwadee (2001 to 2014). All of his previous marriages ended in divorce. He has been married to Suthida since May 2019.

2. She used to be a flight attendant and a bodyguard

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida take part in their wedding ceremony in Bangkok. Photo: AFP

Suthida was a flight attendant for JALways Airlines from 2000 to 2003, and later worked for Thai Airways from 2003 to 2008. After her career as a flight attendant ended she pursued a very different career path.

In 2013 she joined the Ratchawanlop Guards, a group of bodyguards who protect the Crown Prince, and was designated to the special officer unit of the Crown Prince’s Bodyguard Regiment. By August 2015, she had been promoted to lieutenant general. She also joined the Royal Thai Army and was promoted to the rank of general in 2016.