Thailand's playboy king has taken back his royal consort and restored all her military ranks after purging her for disloyalty last year
Advertisement
Bill Bostock
Sep 3, 2020, 16:51 IST
Major General Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi, the royal consort of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, in an aircraft cockpit. This undated photo was posted in August 2019 by the Thailand Royal Office.Associated Press
Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was stripped of her military ranks and accused with trying to usurp the Queen of Thailand.
But last week, a statement from the royal household said Wongvajirapakdi had been reinstated.
"As Miss Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi has never been a tarnished person, His Majesty has given her the title of the royal consort, military ranks and royal decorations continuously," it said.
Advertisement
King Rama X, Thailand's playboy monarch, has taken back his royal consort and reinstated her military ranks after purging her for disloyalty 10 months ago.
At the time, the Royal Gazette said Wongvajirapakdi was "lacking of gratitude or actions fit for her position" and stated that she was demoted to "reduce tension and potential trouble."
"She was not satisfied with the position granted and has acted in every way to match herself with Her Majesty the Queen," the statement said. King Rama made Tidjai his fourth wife in May 2019.
Advertisement
But on Monday, a statement in the Royal Gazette said that Wongvajirapakdi had been wrongly demoted, and that her ranks have been reinstated, the Bangkok Post reported. The announcement was published on August 29 and dated August 28, the Post said.
"As Miss Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi has never been a tarnished person, His Majesty has given her the title of the royal consort, military ranks and royal decorations continuously," it said.
"It will be regarded that she was never stripped of the royal consort title, military ranks and royal decorations previously."
While Wongvajirapakdi appears to be back in favor, King Rama X is for the first time in decades facing a challenge to his rule.
The country operates strict lèse-majesté laws, which make it illegal to insult, defame, or threaten any member of the royal family. Criticizing the monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
The government has sought to silence the demonstrations, asking Facebook to block users in Thailand from seeing posts from the one-million-member group "Royalist Marketplace," which criticized the king.
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.