Thailand’s new king shows his strength
BANGKOK (Reuters) — From requiring constitutional changes to pushing for unity in the divided country and reshaping the royal household, Thailand’s new king is putting an assertive stamp on his rule.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn has made it clear to the generals running the country that he will not just sit in the background as a constitutional figurehead since taking the throne in December from a father treated by Thais as semi-divine.
That matters in Thailand, where relationships between monarchy, army and politicians have long determined the stability of Southeast Asia’s secondbiggest economy and America’s oldest regional ally.
Predictions by some pundits of a troubled royal transition have proven wrong – at least for now.
“His majesty has proven himself to be very adept at managing the junta and the military,” said academic Paul Chambers at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai.
None of more than two dozen serving or former officials, military officers, parliamentarians, diplomats or analysts that Reuters spoke to for this story saw any immediate threat to that balance of power.
With jail facing anyone found guilty of insulting the monarchy under the nation’s “lese majeste” laws, few Thais comment openly on royal matters.
Asked for a response for this story, a palace official said it did not comment to the media. A government spokesman declined comment.
King Vajiralongkorn, 64, has spent years abroad, his private life complicated by three marriages, and he has yet to win the public adoration received by his father.
But the king’s background puts him on different terms with the generals: He went through military academies; he saw combat against insurgents in the 1970s; he can fly a fighter jet.
In line with protocol, junta members prostrate themselves before the new king at audiences, as palace photos show.
The junta was quick to obey when the palace asked for constitutional changes – the first such request in decades.
Changes relating to current royal powers were pushed through within days. So was the ability to make further changes to a new constitution that is in the works.
Behind the palace walls, the royal household is being reshaped. Over 20 appointments and promotions have been made by the new king and published in the Royal Gazette.
This includes reshuffling senior members of the household, many of whom had held posts for decades under King Bhumibol, and promoting military officials with ties to the new king.
The king has stressed unity within the divided country, both in his New Year address and at a late night meeting with the country’s leadership in January to push for more help for flood victims, Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha said.
“There is a palpable sense of urgency with regard to reconciliation that some politicians say stems from the new king’s call for peace and unity,” said Michael Vatikiotis, regional director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which has been involved in reconciliation efforts.
“The military government is under some pressure to deliver on the king’s request, which may even speed up the transition back to civilian government.”