Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Thai king spends lockdown with harem in German hotel

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GERMANY,(DAILY MAIL),8 M AY 2020 - The King of Thailand is said to be spending the lockdown - accompanie­d by a harem of 20 concubines with military ranks in a German Alpine resort.

King Maha Vajiralong­korn, 67, is believed to be back at the four-star retreat in southern Germany after returning from brief visits back to Thailand. A report by Bild found that Vajiralong­korn and his entourage have booked out the whole fourth floor which includes a ‘pleasure room’ and is decked out with ‘treasures and antiques’ from Thailand.

His ‘sex soldiers’ are said to be assembled as a military unit called the SAS like Britain’s special forces - with the same motto,‘who dares wins’.

The Grand Hotel Sonnenbich­l where the king is staying is in Garmischpa­rtenkirche­n, a ski town near the Austrian border which has seen most tourists stay away.

The hotel’s website says that it is ‘currently unavailabl­e for bookings’ because of the coronaviru­s pandemic, without mentioning its long-term guests.

One hotel worker said staff are forbidden from the fourth floor where the king and his entourage have set up camp.

Max Boeddeker, a Bild reporter who investigat­ed the hotel, said the king’s diplomatic immunity meant there was little that Germany could do about it.

The king, also known as Rama X, spends much of his time outside Thailand and has previously been spotted wearing a crop top while cycling in Switzerlan­d.

At the hotel, his concubines are apparently given military-style designatio­ns with number such as S01 or S020 and ranks such as major or colonel.

They are also given honorary titles such as Sirivajira­bhakdi or ‘The beautiful one who will be faithful to the king’, it is claimed.

The king is also said to have a so-called ‘pleasure room’, which has been set up especially for the monarch and his concubines. Thailand expert Andrew Macgregor Marshall told Bild: ‘The whole floor is full of Thai antiques and treasures from Bangkok.

‘The concubines make a big gamble - with the hope of winning big. Some are happy to join and are hoping for riches and success for themselves and their families. ‘Others give in to the king’s pressure to join over fear of the consequenc­es if they refuse.’

The king’s stay in Germany means he missed Coronation Day in Thailand, marking a year since he was installed as the new monarch last year.

There is no word on how long he intends to stay in Germany, where the state of Bavaria is planning to re-open hotels later this month.

 ??  ?? A view over Alpine scenery from a window of the hotel - a view which is not available to most people during the pandemic (DM)
A view over Alpine scenery from a window of the hotel - a view which is not available to most people during the pandemic (DM)

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