Advertisement
A show of love, or a royal insult? Haircut bearing Thai king’s portrait divides fans on monarch’s 67th birthday
- A man who got the king’s face shaved onto the back of his head has drawn praise from some for the show of love, but criticism from others, who view it as disrespectful
- Ultra-royalists in Thailand are known for extreme displays of devotion to the monarch, seen as a semidivine figure
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
On one side of his head, it reads “Long Live”, on the other “The King”. And on the back is a painstakingly snipped portrait of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Advertisement
Devoted monarchist Mitree Mike Chitinunda decided to mark the king’s 67th birthday on Sunday with a haircut that has drawn praise from some royalists but criticism from others, who view it as disrespectful.
“Some people think I do it to show off, but that’s not true. I just do it to show my love for the king,” said Mitree, 47.
Ultra-royalists in Thailand are known for extreme displays of devotion to the monarch, seen as a semidivine figure.
Advertisement
But in nearly three years on the throne, King Vajiralongkorn has not quite acquired the mass affection that his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, gained during seven decades of rule before his death in 2016.
Advertisement