thailand king crop top

thailand king crop top

In fact he is known more for his eclectic dress sense, scandal-plagued past and failed marriages than any regal qualities. In return, they have faced police water cannons and tear gas, angry royalist mobs and an … In effect, it gives him control of a personal private army. In what seemed to be a concession to modern sensibilities, Vajiralongkorn, according to newspaper reports, has ordered an end to prosecutions under the lèse-majesté laws. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. “Yes,” he replied. Two died while in custody while another reportedly fled to Myanmar. In the largest of them, in 2010, the Red Shirts occupied the commercial center of Bangkok for nearly three months before they were crushed by the army, with some 80 Red Shirts killed and more than 2,000 injured. “Some people have gone to jail,” Sirapop Kornaroot, known as Rungsila, a dissident poet recently released after five years of detention, told me. He has clearly taken charge, doing so in a way that implicitly affirms both obedience to authority and a kind of above-the-law monarchical privilege. Yingluck was accused of corruption and removed from office in 2014, and with new Red Shirt protests looming and the old, much-loved king, Bhumibol, on his deathbed, the military stepped in, seizing power in a coup and then assuring the royal succession when Bhumibol died two years later. Chip in as little as $3 to help keep Vox free for all. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. The theater closed to mourn the king. According to the report, the new King is domiciled in Bavaria where he owns two villas which makes him subject to local inheritance tax. In one area, a row of large buildings that once housed senior members of the palace staff are empty and decaying, reportedly awaiting demolition. But, as Rungsila and people like him acknowledge, Thailand’s turn to authoritarianism has also been welcomed and supported by many people who experienced the intermittent turbulence and violence of the years before the 2014 coup, and who give credit to the military and the monarchy for the return of domestic “peace and order,” as the propaganda put it at the time. He’s gotten changes in the constitution giving him emergency powers and allowing him to exercise his authority even when he is out of the country — which is most of the time. Crop tops, tattoos and marrying his bodyguard - new Thai king's coronation sets the seal on years of eccentricity After the death of his father King Bhumibol in October 2016, Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne as His Majesty King Rama X. When Sineenat was installed for her brief reign as noble royal consort, official photographs of the ceremony showed her lying on the floor, making hand gestures of fealty, while Vajiralongkorn sat imperiously on a gilded throne above her. It would be hard to overstate the extent of what seems to be an almost medieval reverence for the king in Thailand. And so, following the election, the former army chief who led the 2014 coup, Prayuth Chan-ocha, became the country’s prime minister. The Thai royal family has some pretty draconian laws when it comes to … Video of the king was reportedly shot at a mall in Munich last year in July, and has been widely shared on the social … His latest book is China 1945: Mao’s Revolution and America’s Fateful Choice. And given its importance as a pillar of Thai nationhood and identity, that could be disastrous in a country already prone to deep divisions and political turmoil. It started in 2001 when a rich, charismatic populist, Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected prime minister via overwhelming support from the rural poor in the north and northeast of the country. Since the military coup of 2014, at least 68 people have been arrested or imprisoned under these laws, according to Human Rights Watch. Here's the footage of … The King of Thailand went on a shopping trip in a crop top, someone posted it to Facebook and the King was NOT happy. To get a sense of that, I spent a day in November in an area of fish farms and rice paddies in Chachoengsao province southwest of Bangkok to talk to members of an environmental group opposed to a planned industrial zone called the Eastern Economic Corridor. The man once infamous for his mistresses, crop tops, and presumably fake tattoos now looks out sternly from portraits placed all over Thailand, dressed in kingly gold-brocaded robes or a trim white jacket with epaulets, a yellow sash, and a sword. Indeed, the old politics was breeding such extreme conflict that Thailand was in danger of civil war. The incident that has attracted the most attention in the new king’s reign so far involved the woman walking next to Vajiralongkorn in that shopping mall video, a former nurse named Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi. A furious opposition emerged, known as the Yellow Shirts — yellow being the color of the monarchy — whose claim to legitimacy was that they, with support from the military, were the defenders of the monarchy. Just three months later, as if to show the dangers of incurring the king’s disfavor, Sineenat was accused of ingratitude and misbehavior and stripped of her rank and titles. But human rights groups say that, instead, similar prosecutions are taking place under the country’s computer crime laws. But in a way, that was the point: Like President Trump, Vajiralongkorn gets away with things that would have ruined his predecessors, though in Vajiralongkorn’s case, this involves an intentional display of royal power, a signal that the rules that apply to everybody else don’t apply to him. One of the leaders of the protests, a local fish farmer named Sarayoot Souraksa, described in succinct terms how people in the region of 4 million people felt about the country’s past turmoil and the coup that put an end to it. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. A new constitution written by the coup leaders allowed an election to take place in March 2019, but the new law gives the military so many automatic seats in parliament that it would be almost impossible for an opposition party to take control. In perhaps his most remarkable display of unrestricted power, after a new constitution was adopted in a referendum, Vajiralongkorn simply rewrote the clauses having to do with the power of the king. A private army would be very useful if there were ever a coup attempt, including a move against him from some dissenting faction in the army. It's here that the King lives a life of luxury and quirkiness: walking through German shopping malls wearing crop tops and fake tattoos and hiring out an entire hotel to live in with his harem of lovers. She holds the rank of general in the Thai military and is believed to be the head of the King's official bodyguard unit. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? In Thailand King Vajiralongkorn is most often seen parading in his royal regalia, complete with a colourful array of medals. But there is a deep and wide respect for the institution of the monarchy in Thailand that will no doubt help him, as well as the military factions that support him. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. They have elections, some independent newspapers that even do good critical reporting, and while they do not hesitate to get rid of opponents, they also keep disappearances at low levels so as not to arouse public animosity or international sanction. Plaques that once memorialized the 1932 coup that abolished the absolute monarchy have, according to some Bangkok residents, simply disappeared. “It’s all a way of making his power formal, visible,” one person whispered to me. Vajiralongkorn’s assertion of his power comes at a time when Thailand has been moving in an authoritarian direction, the government largely controlled by the military, which, after years of sometimes violent political turmoil, took power in a coup in 2014. As different as day and night, New York Post has reported that the new King of Thailand was questioned for his strange behaviours and was pictured wearing a white crop top exposing his midriff and other parts of his upper body. Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkor will take the throne following the death of his father – but who is he and why are some people so unhappy about it? Naked pictures emerge of Thai king who was filmed in tiny yellow crop top. On 16 May 2017, Thai officials warned Facebook after an online video was posted of the king wearing a crop top and with full view of his half sleeve tattoo. “When he came to the throne, he looked at the past ... and he said, ‘Why should I let any of that go?’”. I hired a car to look at the royal compound, though it’s not easy to get glimpses inside. Meet Thailand’s poodle-obsessed, crop-top wearing ‘playboy prince’ who will now lead the country following his revered dad’s death Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. The crown prince is seen to lack the public popularity that gave his father's rule legitimacy, raising fears of a power struggle in the south-east Asian country. In 2014, a senior policeman accused of insulting the monarchy mysteriously fell from a hospital window. That’s the way they make people give up.”. LONG LIVE THE KING! In Thai society, the king is a figure of inestimable importance, a Hindu-Buddhist paragon of presumed dignity, virtue, and morality — none of which Vajiralongkorn seemed to be exhibiting on his stroll through the mall. By Matthew Atteberry, Rush Hour Daily. Thailand is putting the squeeze on Facebook to remove dozens of pages that have video of King Maha Vajiralongkorn wearing a crop top. Indeed, it’s difficult these days to think of a single country in Southeast Asia, with its 620 million people, that is becoming more democratic rather than more authoritarian. Crop-tops, mistresses and flying poodles: Meet the next King of Thailand Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkor will take the throne following the death … BANGKOK — The new king of Thailand is into his fashion, but unfortunately the Thai government doesn’t want its citizens to know that. His first – to his cousin – reportedly included him fathering five children with a mistress, who he then married instead. He’s arranged for units of the army to report directly to him. Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej - Life in Pictures, Crop tops, mistresses and flying poodles: meet Thailand's next king, Read more King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand dies aged 88, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Facebook could be shut down in Thailand today, after images of the king wandering around a shopping centre wearing a yellow crop top were circulated online. “I thought that Vajiralongkorn would be so lacking in moral authority that he wouldn’t get the support of the various sectors of society that he needs. But things have decidedly not worked out that way. Thailand's royal family, compared to the constantly spotlighted British monarchy, is extremely secretive. She was also pictured in the cockpit of a fighter jet and wearing a gray camouflage pattern crop-top at the controls of a light aircraft. Sam, Grace, and Brett tell you why a picture of the king in a crop top is causing so much controversy. He’s taken control of an estimated $43 billion in royal assets that have for decades been entrusted to a Crown Property Bureau that, at least theoretically, managed the money for the benefit of the Thai people. Two years later, huge Yellow Shirt demonstrations took place. Public criticism of the king or his family is illegal under Thailand's strict lese majeste laws, with insults to the monarchy punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The bizarre clip of King Maha Vajiralongkorn waltzing around a shopping centre alongside a woman has gone viral, The Sun reports. He’s also disturbingly authoritarian. Among the photos of Major-General Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, the Thai King’s consort, are images of her wearing a camouflage-printed sports bra. Thai protestors chant slogans outside the king's daughter's boutique against the insult laws passed by the palace. Naked pictures emerge of Thai king who was filmed in tiny yellow crop top. Yet none of them are functioning as democracies. King Maha was spotted with … The reporting on this story was done in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. In Thailand King Vajiralongkorn is most often seen parading in his royal regalia, complete with a colourful array of medals. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Shows Off His Sick Ink | Tattoodo Cookies This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Her parents were later thrown in prison for two-and-a-half years for “royal defamation”. Since taking the throne in late 2016, Vajiralongkorn has rapidly amassed power. “Take the Belt and Road project,” he said, referring to Beijing’s plan for a network of ports, railroads, energy corridors, and shipping lanes aimed at making China the center of a vast Eurasian economic network. But there seems to be very little of that in Thailand these days. BANGKOK — The new king of Thailand is into his fashion, but unfortunately the Thai government doesn’t want its citizens to know that. The Crown Prince is known to be friends with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the businessman and former owner of Manchester City, who was ousted as the Thai premier in 2006. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Video of the king was reportedly shot at a mall in Munich last year in July, and has been widely shared on the social … Some of Thailand’s highest-profile protest leaders dressed in crop tops and paraded at a Bangkok shopping mall yesterday in a jibe against King Maha … It is Prince Maha’s “playboy” personal life that has attracted most attention. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? The Thai military government has always used a mandatory reverence for the monarchy as a tool of political control, and has carefully cultivated a very monarchical image for the new king. STROLLING in a German shopping centre, covered in tattoos and wearing a preposterous yellow crop top, the scruffy guy looked about as far from … In a country where polygamy has been banned for 100 years, the king seemed to be saying that a kind of polygamy would be a prerogative of the monarch (and nobody else). He's fond of the crop top. He’s using fear to solidify his position and to take command.”. Some of Thailand’s highest profile protest leaders dressed in crop tops and paraded at a central Bangkok shopping centre on Sunday in a jibe against King Maha Vajiralongkorn to … sions among the country’s elite as to who should succeed King Bhumibol. “We’re not supposed to talk about the king,” one person whispered to me in Bangkok during a visit there in November, “but the king is what everybody talks about.”. The second wife left the country when the relationship ended. Thailand’s playboy king isn’t playing around. Amid the turmoil, prominent members of Thailand’s ruling class have reportedly been killed in a sign of what could become a more widespread conflict. In one of them, for example, he eliminated a requirement that when the king is out of the country, which Vajiralongkorn is most of the time, his authority would revert to a regent. In 2011 four of the children she had with the Crown Prince published a letter claiming they had been abandoned by their father and banned from returning to Thailand. And that’s the situation in which the new king has been asserting his authority. Vajiralongkorn does none of that, cultivating instead an image of sternness, command, and Olympian distance from ordinary people. THAILAND could lose all access to Facebook today after footage of its heavily-tattooed king strolling around in a crop top went viral. Prince Maha has been married three times. The king of Thailand faces new embarrassment after 1400 photos of his official consort were sent to critical journalists. If there were people hoping somehow that, being a Western-educated, cosmopolitan person living mostly in the West, he would encourage a move back in the direction of liberal values and practices, they have by now been disappointed. From fake tattoos and crop tops to making a poodle Air Force chief – the King of Thailand’s maddest moments revealed . Thailand threatens to sue Facebook after videos emerge of king in crop top wandering in German shopping centre “For the Chinese, it’s easier to deal with strongmen than with democratic governments,” one Thai businessman told me in Bangkok. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts to all who need them. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Among at least 35 … His son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ascended the throne in December. Thailand is set to crown a new monarch this month after King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s death ended his 70-year reign – but the former ruler’s only son and heir, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is not popular with everyone. The gates to the old zoo are locked shut. Even the most senior officials in the government and the military literally drop to their knees when in his presence. The King of Thailand, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has called Bavaria his part-time home for a number of years. While his day job required him to dress conservatively, King Vajiralongkorn … It wasn’t lost on many Thais that the king himself had five children with a now-dismissed mistress while he was still married to his second wife (that mistress and four of the five children have since been disowned and are now living in the United States; the youngest child and only daughter lives in Thailand as a royal). Some would prefer the Crown Prince’s younger sister, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to take the throne but Thai law forbids a female monarch. It’s clear that nobody wants to be heard saying anything negative or derogatory about Vajiralongkorn. “He is basically running the country now, though he’s not doing that like his father did through moral authority. Richard Bernstein is a former foreign correspondent at Time magazine and the New York Times. And he has already asked to delay becoming king, raising fears of deepening instability in Thailand after the death of his much-loved father. Among at least 35 activists currently facing charges under the lese majeste law is 16-year-old Napasin Trirayapiwat, who wore a crop top and had anti-monarchy slogans written on his midriff at a protest. Millions rely on Vox’s explainers to understand an increasingly chaotic world. But I was wrong,” Chachavalpongpun continued. Richard Hartley-Parkinson Tuesday 16 May 2017 6:12 am. Vajiralongkorn is clearly a product of Thai culture, but his evident authoritarianism also seems to fit a larger regional and even global pattern, the disillusionment with traditional liberal elites and the turn to strongman rule. When the dog died last year, it was given a four-day funeral complete with Buddhist rites before being cremated in an extravagant ceremony. Around the same time, several palace aides were dismissed — two of them, identified as bedroom guards, for “inappropriate acts and adultery,” according to the official Palace Gazette. People of Thailand, meet your new king. Foo Foo and its owner hit the headlines in 2014 when opponents of the Crown Prince leaked a video showing his third wife, Princess Srirasm, lying on the floor feeding the dog cake while wearing nothing but a G-string. The man once infamous for his mistresses, crop tops, and presumably fake tattoos now looks out sternly from portraits placed all over Thailand, dressed in kingly gold-brocaded robes or a … You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. The world knows Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn as a playboy who has churned through four wives, lives among lots of women in a German hotel and relishes skimpy crop tops … There is no such regent anymore in Thailand. All of this would be far more difficult, maybe even impossible, if there were widespread public opposition. It has frequently appeared at official functions; including accompanying the Crown Prince to a 2007 reception hosted in his honour by the US Ambassador Ralph Boyce. Family 10 Things To Know About Thailand’s Crop Top-Wearing Royal Consort. It does this by refusing to criticize these countries for human rights violations, by offering aid and military support when such support is withheld by the US and Europe, and, not least, by presenting a model that seems to be successful and that China itself proclaims as an alternative to Western ways of doing things. Still, whenever new elections were held, Thaksin’s party won them handily, and when those governments were ousted, Thaksin’s ardent supporters, known as the Red Shirts, mounted huge counter-demonstrations. After taking the throne, Vajiralongkorn had her recognized as noble royal consort, meaning that she would be a sort of official concubine — a second female companion to the king in addition to his actual wife (his fourth). Here’s a regal dilemma to consider: Is it right for a king with 70 million subjects and wealth in excess of 70 billion dollars to be seen frolicking around in a crop top rather than a crown? BANGKOK — A few years ago, a Facebook video went viral and revealed to the world why many people in Thailand were anxious over the prospect of Maha Vajiralongkorn, then the country’s crown prince, becoming king. Dozens Face Criminal Complaints in Thailand, Accused of Insulting the King Most are protesters who have changed the country’s political landscape in recent months . Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The king’s crop tops. Scandal, sex and crop tops: The scandal-plagued life of Playboy Prince Vajiralongkorn. Of course, not forgetting his white poodle in hand. Thailand’s new king is a kooky crop top-wearing playboy By David K. Li. Some of Thailand’s highest profile protest leaders dressed in crop tops and paraded at a Bangkok shopping mall on Sunday in a jibe against King Maha Vajiralongkorn to … The King of Thailand held an odd ceremony Sunday where he named one of his top generals and longtime girlfriend as his official mistress, a … “I thought that Thailand would end up having a weak king,” Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a scholar of Thai politics and a dissident exiled from the country when Vajiralongkorn’s father was still king, told me in a Skype interview from Japan, where he lives. In the Philippines, for example, President Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as a sort of elected strongman, carrying out a supposed war on drugs that has resulted, according to human rights groups, in more than 20,000 extrajudicial killings. 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