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King Maha Vajiralongkorn

Recap | Meghan and Harry to finally let King Charles visit grandchildren after Portugal move

King Charles could soon be visiting his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, Prince William reveals why Princess Diana might think him ‘mad’, a queen makes a surprise trip to Australia, and more royal news from around the world.

2 Nov 2024 - 3:38PM

New Thai PM Paetongtarn vows to stimulate the economy ‘right away’

7 Sep 2024 - 3:48PMvideocam

Thailand’s PM Paetongtarn gets new cabinet with some familiar faces

5 Sep 2024 - 9:12AMvideocam

New Thai prime minister scrutinising US$14 billion in cash handouts

Paetongtarn said Thailand’s economic stimulus, almost $14 billion in cash, will need further study to ensure compliance with existing laws.

18 Aug 2024 - 4:34PM

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was endorsed by the country’s king on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE

‘I will work with an open heart’: Thai king appoints Paetongtarn as new PM

Paetongtarn received the monarch’s official written command to form a government in a ceremony in Bangkok.

18 Aug 2024 - 2:58PMvideocam

Explainer | Thai PM next in firing line as country struggles to shrug off political chaos

All you need to know about two decades of political upheavals in the kingdom.

13 Aug 2024 - 7:08PMvideocam

Thai rights lawyer jailed for 2 more years over royal insult, fined US$4 for using loudspeaker

It is the latest charge levelled against prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, who now faces more than 10 years in prison.

29 Apr 2024 - 3:28PMvideocam

Thai lawyer and political activist Arnon Nampa in 2023. File photo: AFP

Did Thai King Ananda shoot himself to death? New probe sought into 1946 case

According to official investigations, the monarch, who was found lying face up in bed with a gunshot wound on his head, was murdered.

5 Apr 2024 - 2:00PMvideocam

Thailand’s jailed ex-PM Thaksin to be freed early

Thaksin Shinawatra to be freed possibly as soon as the weekend – just six months after returning from 15 years of self-imposed exile.

13 Feb 2024 - 4:06PMvideocam

Former Thai PM Thaksin charged with royal insult

Thailand has some of the world’s strictest royal defamation laws protecting King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family, with each charge bringing a potential 15-year prison sentence.

6 Feb 2024 - 5:00PMvideocam

Thailand’s attorney general is considering prosecuting convicted former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over an alleged insult of the powerful monarchy. Photo: AFP

Thai activist gets record 50-year sentence for Facebook posts insulting royals

The sentence comes as Thailand ramps up use of its controversial royal insult laws against pro-democracy protesters in what critics say is a tactic to silence dissent.

18 Jan 2024 - 7:14PMvideocam

Thai political activist Mongkhon Thirakot flashes the pro-democracy gesture of a three-finger salute. He was given a 50-year jail sentence for insulting the monarchy, on Thursday. Photo: SCMPOST

Thailand’s cabinet approves marriage bill to grant same-sex couples equal rights

An amendment to the civil code will change “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners” for same-sex couples to receive the same rights heterosexual couples receive.

24 Nov 2023 - 4:35AMvideocam

‘Go for it’: Thailand’s Princess Siri competes at the Asian Games in equestrian

Horse-riding Princess Siri is representing Thailand at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou – so what does King Vajiralongkorn think about it?

28 Sep 2023 - 12:25PM

‘Worthwhile sacrifice’: Thailand jails top protest leader for insulting monarchy

Arnon Nampa was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday under Thailand’s tough lèse-majesté law over a speech he made in Bangkok in 2020. He said he had no regrets.

26 Sep 2023 - 3:06PMvideocam

Arnon Nampa talks to the media before entering court to hear the verdict in his royal defamation trial in Bangkok on Tuesday. He was later sentenced to four years in prison for a speech he gave in 2020. Photo: AP

Thai PM Srettha Thavisin to take finance portfolio amid tepid economic growth

Reviving Thailand’s faltering economy will be one of the biggest tasks for political newcomer Srettha, who became prime minister last month.

2 Sep 2023 - 4:03PM

New Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (R) visits street food vendors at Thaiphat Market in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE

‘A dream to be back’: second son of Thailand’s king returns after 27 years away

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse was estranged from his family after his mother, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, divorced the then-crown prince in 1996.

8 Aug 2023 - 7:18PM

Thai election winner Move Forward confident of senators’ support in PM vote

Pita Limjaroenrat’s party has assessed senators opinions and concerns and believes some now have ‘a better understanding of our policies’, its secretary general says.

20 May 2023 - 5:55PM

Meet the Asian royals who dazzled at King Charles’ coronation

King Charles’ coronation saw many Asian royals dazzling in uniforms, traditional dresses and suits … from Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino to Thailand’s Queen Suthida

9 May 2023 - 3:16PM

Crown Prince Akishino of Japan and Crown Princess Kiko; Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema; and Brunei’s head of state, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Prince Abdul Mateen arrive at the coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla in London, Britain, on May 6. Photos: Kyodo, Reuters

Thai king’s younger daughter is appointed as army major general

King Maha Vajiralongkorn announced the military appointment of his 36-year-old daughter – Princess ‘Siri’ Sirivannavari – who is also a fashion designer.

13 Mar 2023 - 8:35AM

Thailand jails man for selling calendars with yellow ducks on them

Bangkok’s Criminal Court ruled the cartoon ducks resembled and ridiculed Thailand’s king. The 26-year-old defendant was sentenced to two years in prison.

8 Mar 2023 - 1:32PM

Thai Princess remains unconscious from severe heart arrhythmia

Physicians concluded Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati had a severe arrhythmia due to inflammation of the heart caused by mycoplasma infection.

8 Jan 2023 - 7:30PMvideocam

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati remains unconscious three weeks after being admitted to hospital. Physicians have concluded that the princess had a severe arrhythmia due to inflammation of the heart caused by mycoplasma infection. Photo: EPA-EFE/File

Thai king’s eldest daughter on life support after her collapse

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, known in Thailand as ‘Princess Bha’, is on ‘medicine and equipment’ to support her heart, lungs and kidney, the palace said in a statement.

19 Dec 2022 - 2:41PMvideocam

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, eldest daughter of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, sits in her barge during a royal procession in Bangkok in 2019. Photo: AFP

Thai temples hold prayers for hospitalised Princess Bajrakitiyabha

Prime Minister Prayuth and senior government officials visited a hospital to wish a quick recovery for King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s eldest child.

16 Dec 2022 - 2:54PM

3-year-old girl survived Thailand nursery school massacre while sleeping

Paweenuch Supolwong, usually a light sleeper, survived when her classmates were killed as she was asleep under a blanket in a corner of the classroom.

9 Oct 2022 - 9:13PMvideocam

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn visits wounded survivors of nursery shooting

Prime Minister Prayut met families reeling from one of the kingdom’s deadliest mass killings. He laid flowers and handed out compensation cheques.

7 Oct 2022 - 11:55PMvideocam

A worker sets up a portrait of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida ahead of their visit to the hospital where injured survivors were taken after a mass shooting at a nursery. Photo: AFP

Letters | Amid global food insecurity, Thailand’s model shows a way forward

The Khok Nong Na agricultural model stems from the philosophy of sufficiency economy. It calls for the building of a small weir to act as a water reservoir to maximise both land use and water retention.

19 Jun 2022 - 2:30PM

Workers harvest rice in a pilot field at the Chai Nat Rice Research Centre in Khao Tha Phra, Chai Nat, Thailand, on October 26, 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

Thai influencers charged with royal insult over Lazada adverts

Criticism of the monarchy is taboo in Thailand, where King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family are protected by some of the world’s toughest royal insult laws, with each charge carrying a prison term of up to 15 years.

17 Jun 2022 - 11:15AM

What message does Thai army boycott of Lazada send to investors?

The Thai army barred the delivery of goods from Lazada, and its personnel from shopping on the website, following a promotional video seen as mocking the royals. One analyst says it is a bad sign for businesses if volatility can arise from of a video.

11 May 2022 - 7:30PM

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King Maha Vajiralongkorn

Thailand’s King Rama X is the 10th in a dynasty that dates back to 1782, following in the footsteps of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 at age 88. Rama X – his formal title is “His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarankun” – had been the heir apparent since 1972.

Born

28 Jul 1952

Industry

Monarchy, Politics

Job Title

King of Thailand

last updated:

7 October, 2024