Thai king’s diktat triggers confusion T
Former royal bodyguard and army nurse dismissed from noble consort
he very public downfall of the Thai king’s 34-year-old consort — stripped of all royal titles and military ranks by a late-night command — left the country open-mouthed yesterday at the latest abrupt act from its mercurial monarch.
Here are five ways royal power has been displayed under Thailand’s new king so far, from beefing up his security to taking direct control of a fortune.
‘Disloyalty’ in palace
The palace said Sineenat had not obeyed the king, had created conflict in the palace by going above her authority, and had acted “against the appointment of the Queen (Suthida)... for her own ambitions”.
Her actions had also undermined the monarchy, it said. Known as Koi, Sineenat is a qualified pilot and was the first woman to receive the consort title in nearly a century.
After she obtained it, the palace released images of a short-haired Sineenat in combat fatigues shooting weapons, flying a jet and preparing to parachute from a plane, as well as holding the king’s hand.
Army units
The palace has also stepped up royal security under Vajiralongkorn, adding 1,600 police officers.
Two new army units were later put under the monarch’s direct control in October by royal decree, only a few months after the May coronation.
Banking billions
King Vajiralongkorn inherited one of the world’s richest monarchies from his beloved father Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016.
Among his successor’s earliest moves was to assert full, personal control over the Crown Property Bureau (CPB), which has billions in assets in banks, companies and prime real estate.
The CPB committee was previously headed by the finance minister in an arrangement that gave a sheen of public oversight of a trust some experts estimate to be worth $30-$60 billion.
Salutes and protocol
Discipline, protocol and loyalty are virtues state officials say the king insists upon, especially among royal guards. Vajiralongkorn reminded members of his beefed-up detail in April that their duty was to “preserve the nation, country, and monarchy”.
The army introduced a new salute under Vajiralongkorn in which soldiers must puff out their chests and jerk their heads to the side.
Charter changes
Any major legal changes in Thailand require the king’s signature.
But King Vajiralongkorn ordered rewrites to part of the country’s new constitution, including a vaguely worded clause that says any unforeseen issues should be handled based on “tradition”.