Succession to the Thai Throne


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Every time I was in Thailand (and no, luckily not in that place from hell, called Phuket) the national tv always repeated old newsreels of a young and fit King Bhumibol and slender and beautiful Queen Sirikit visiting projects. How good they were. The Good King. The Gracious Queen. Let us all bow down and revere them on our knees. What has Thailand ever done to receive such benevolence and grace from the God-given King? And pssst..... utter no word about the financial malversations, the corruption, the nepotism by the Royal House: they are divine, after all.

At every street corner, at the entrances to highways, at high buildings, in public parks, everywhere you are met with HUGE portraits showing the faces of the (much younger looking) King and Queen. Never in the world are the punishments so severe for the slightest critic on the King as especially in Thailand. And yes there is no other word for it than brainwashing the Thai.

You may not agree with it. Soit. That is why this is actually a discussion board. And we will never know what the average Thai actually thinks. Of course they better throw themselves on the knees and weep bitter tears. Uttering critic on the King was (and is) never appreciated, to put it with an enormous understatement.
 
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The position of His late Majesty of blessed memory stands solid on its own merits, there is no need to give attention to the standard nay-sayers who revel in every opportunity to reduce another persons achievements and presence. There is no dispute over the late Kings unique place in the minds of the Thai people, and his elevation to this revered place was not something done as a courtesy or out of fear, it was a natural consequence of the actions of the King during an amazingly long reign, through often turbulent and worrying times for Thailand. His late Majesty often single-handedly steered Thailand away from threats tearing at her seams, and all through his enormous position of gravitas and affection, he remainded solidly grounded, humble and devoted to his people.
When the position, accomplishments and gratitude given towards the memory of the King is ill-advisedly attacked or demeaned, I think the words of Michelle Obama serves us all best: 'when they go low, we go high.'

As for the actual succession, there is a Crown Prince who will be proclaimed King in a short while, but to those that worry about the perceived delay in doing so, there's no need at all. The Crown Prince will be King, but when a most beloved King passes away and Thailand mourns, possibly in a way that many in the West do not understand, the Crown Prince wisely saw the timing as not right for an instant proclamation. Now is the time to mourn a King who was, rightfully so, deeply loved and respected. Soon enough the Crown Prince will ascend the throne, and when he does, he needs the love and support of the people to flow in his direction, to ensure that the next reign will be a good and wise one in the footsteps of a great, departed King.

Thank you LadyRohan, we do hope that Thailand would sustain its road that King Bhumibol has paved for us in the next reign. :flowers:
 
Isn't the Crown Prince somewhere in his mid sixties? By no means "old" as mentioned in an earlier post.
Happily Queen Elizabeth shows no signs of handing over the reigns in favour of the afterlife(!); interesting to note both the Crown Prince and Prince Charles have a bit in common. Both have spent the average working life waiting for the role they are destined to take, both with severed marriages, although Charles has remarried.
Of course that is the fate of in the wings Kings and Queens so to speak. Excepting cases of abdication in favour of the next in line, also of course.
 
Every time I was in Thailand (and no, luckily not in that place from hell, called Phuket) the national tv always repeated old newsreels of a young and fit King Bhumibol and slender and beautiful Queen Sirikit visiting projects. How good they were. The Good King. The Gracious Queen. Let us all bow down and revere them on our knees. What has Thailand ever done to receive such benevolence and grace from the God-given King? And pssst..... utter no word about the financial malversations, the corruption, the nepotism by the Royal House: they are divine, after all.

At every street corner, at the entrances to highways, at high buildings, in public parks, everywhere you are met with HUGE portraits showing the faces of the (much younger looking) King and Queen. Never in the world are the punishments so severe for the slightest critic on the King as especially in Thailand. And yes there is no other word for it than brainwashing the Thai.

You may not agree with it. Soit. That is why this is actually a discussion board. And we will never know what the average Thai actually thinks. Of course they better throw themselves on the knees and weep bitter tears. Uttering critic on the King was (and is) never appreciated, to put it with an enormous understatement.

All I can say to this is that when someone points a finger at someone or something they don't totally understand or want to understand, the wise person sees that the other three fingers are pointed back at himself and reflects his own character.

Peace
 
Only two months ago Prime Minister Prayuth won a referendum for the new Constitution. As well as diminishing the power of future elected governments, the new constitution is intended to keep the Royal Thai Army in a position to manage the royal succession.

Amongst diplomats it is understood that Prime Minister Prayuth is not going to loosen his grip, at least until Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is enthroned and the military can be sure the new King is not going to rock the affairs of state. The current military junta has worked hard to orchestrate a better image for Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Note that the Crown Prince has had formal military training, did army service and is qualified as a jet fighter and helicopter pilot. This means he is quite close to the military junta. There is no doubt: Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will become King. The generals will ensure this and hold power over future civil governments thanks to the new Constitution, approved two months ago.

He's NOT as close to the military as you suggest just because he had a military training...One and One is not always two...Many top brass dispise him actually.Ok,next.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pjz6Lad_mw

Now this BBC news angered me to no end, especially Mr. Verapat; I admired him with his law work, but what was he muddling about with a succession procedure on the program? It's right in the constitution.


So, I'll try my best to explain tradition and law about succession in Thailand as best as I can.


Thailand has never have a proclamation "The king is dead, long live the king" to pass the throne to the successor immediately (what the PM said in the announcement didn't have legal standpoint). We have a system that's called Anekachonnikorn Samosornsommut, in which means proclamation by the people; however, this people was actually the leading class.


In the bygone era, the next monarch will be selected by council of high nobility – such as done by the national assembly nowadays – this was of cause not a free election of monarch, there was several factors to be considered.


Firstly, the king has power to name his successor – which still carry on until nowadays – by appointing a viceroy, the king is making the viceroy an heir to the throne. However we also have a tradition that the king would appoint his younger brother a viceroy; the only viceroy who was a son was Rama II who actually appointed after the death of the previous viceroy – his uncle, Rama I's younger brother. This position was eventually replaced by position of crown prince in reign of Rama V. In this case, it's clear that the council of high nobility would select the viceroy to succeed to the throne. Exactly like article 23.1 in present constitution.


Secondly, if the king hasn't named a successor – which in the past would mean we doesn't have a viceroy at the death of the king – the high nobility will choose the new monarch among suitable royals. This was why we had Rama III who was a son of concubine instead of Rama IV – a son of the queen and rightful heir to the throne – succeeded Rama II. Because Prince Jessadabodin was deemed more suitable than Prince Mongkut at the time. This is the case of article 23.2 in constitution, however the present constitution state that a princess could be selected as well, which wasn't a case traditionally. And the king also couldn't appoint a princess as successor like in the first case because this is forbidden by 1924 Palace Law of Succession.


So, now you see that Thailand has always have a period of interregnum after the death of king until the high nobility could discuss about the successor and proclaim said successor new king. It's nothing new, nothing to worry about, just that this interregnum would be much longer than any other (actually, Rama VIII proclamation was also about a month after Rama VII abdication as well.)
 
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Thanks much for explaining in detail how succession to the throne works and the traditions that have been followed previously.

I have a question here and please forgive my ignorance on things. After following the ceremonies so far after the death of King Bhumibol, I have noticed that the Buddhist monks play a very important part in all of it from the beginning until the cremation ceremony and the final farewell. Do they play any part whatsoever in choosing and inviting a new king to the throne?
 
They were huge part in choosing the king as they were part of high nobility; you see, in Thailand the monk in high hierarchy have a title of nobility. All those monks that participate in funeral ritual had noble title of various esteem granted to them (not every monk have noble title of cause, we have nation-wide exam of monks, those monks who pass this exam are one who would climb up the ladder of hierarchy). In the present however, they didn't play as huge role, but undeniably that they would be consulted before anything would be done.
 
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Thank you for the explanation. One thing I do admire is just how much the people of Thailand not only hold onto and preserve the past but also make it such a big part of their everyday lives today. :flowers:
 
At every street corner, at the entrances to highways, at high buildings, in public parks, everywhere you are met with HUGE portraits showing the faces of the (much younger looking) King and Queen. Never in the world are the punishments so severe for the slightest critic on the King as especially in Thailand. And yes there is no other word for it than brainwashing the Thai.

There certainly are other words for it: propaganda is more appropriate than brainwashing. I was in Bangkok two weeks ago and my taxi driver was laughing at the HUGE portraits of a very young Queen Sirikit. I also heard that the much loved Princess Sirindhorn is the butt of many a joke because of her weight and dowdy appearance (and supposed lesbian tendencies). Obviously Thais are well aware of the lèse-majesté laws, and for a peaceful life many no doubt accept them. But that does not mean they are brainwashed. Last week I was in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and our tour guide told us with a straight face that there are no prisons in Korea because there is no crime. Now that is what I would call brainwashing.
 
From what I understand, on December 2nd, he will officially step into his role as King Rama X. The coronation will not take place though until after the cremation ceremony of his father which will be in the warmer weather once a year of mourning has passed. As King Bhumibol just died in October, the coronation most likely will not be until 2018.
 
^^ That's not even his full name. The full name at his birth was:

Roman script:
Somdet Phra Chao Luk Ya Ther Chao Fa Vajiralongkorn Borommachakkrayadisonsantatiwong Thewetthamrongsuboriban Aphikhunuprakanmahittaladunladet Phumiphonnaretwarangkun Kittisirisombunsawangkhawat Borommakhattiyaratchakuman

Thai script:
สมเด็จพระเจ้าลูกยาเธอ เจ้าฟ้าวชิราลงกรณ บรมจักรยาดิศรสันตติวงศ เทเวศรธำรงสุบริบาล อภิคุณูประการมหิตลาดุลเดช ภูมิพลนเรศวรางกูร กิตติสิริสมบูรณ์สวางควัฒน์ บรมขัตติยราชกุมาร

His name as Crown Prince of Thailand:

Roman script:
Somdet Phra Borom-orasathiraj Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun Sirikitiyasombunsawangkhawat Vorakhattiyarajasantatiwongse Mahitalabongsa-adulyadej Chakrinaresyubarajavisudhi Sayammakutratchakuman

Thai script:
สมเด็จพระบรมโอรสาธิราช เจ้าฟ้ามหาวชิราลงกรณ บดินทรเทพยวรางกูร สิริกิตยสมบูรณสวางควัฒน์ วรขัตติยราชสันตติวงศ์ มหิตลพงศอดุลยเดช จักรีนเรศยุพราชวิสุทธิ สยามมกุฎราชกุมาร
 
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Has a new Crown Prince of Thailand been announced?
 
I noticed Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti with the King last night at the Grand Palace. The King was not officially declared heir apparent until he was 20, so there may not be any announcement regarding an heir apparent any time soon. That is, of course, assuming the King selects his only legitimate son as his heir.
 
HRH the Crown Prince formally accepted the invitation to ascend to throne and became King on yesterday's evening. Thus, a period of interregnum in Thailand was reversed by this ceremony. It also has a retroactive effect on counting the length of his reign which's legally begun on October 13, 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-SbIQEOt5g

Standard of the Crown Prince of Thailand (Yaowarat Flag) was replaced by Royal Standard of Thailand (Maharat Flag) at Amphorn Sathan Residence Hall, Dusit Palace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxbPAO9amKU
 
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Interesting article from Bild citing undisclosed palace source that Prince Dipangkorn originally placed first in line of succession to the Thai throne, but Queen Mother Sirikit intervened the arrangement by replacing him with his older sister, Princess Bajrakitiyabha who was born out of King Vajiralongkorn's first marriage with Princess Soamsawali (Queen Mother's niece) in an attempt to preserve the 'direct blood line' of Chakri Dynasty.

Is Thailand going to get its first ever Crown Princess and, within due course, Queen Regnant? Maybe it is, given the fact that the princess is currently the only royal child to receive her own 'department', promoted to a military rank of general of the royal Thai army and undergoing intense military trainings in recent months.

18 February 2021 by Bild
Kommt hier die neue Thai-Königin geflogen? Tochter von König Rama X. als nachfolgerin im gespräch (Original)
Here's coming the new Thai queen? Daughter of King Rama X in conversation as successor (Translated)
 
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Interesting article from Bild citing undisclosed palace source that Prince Dipangkorn originally placed first in line of succession to the Thai throne, but Queen Mother Sirikit intervened the arrangement by replacing him with his older sister, Princess Bajrakitiyabha who was born out of King Vajiralongkorn's first marriage with Princess Soamsawali (Queen Mother's niece) in an attempt to preserve the 'direct blood line' of Chakri Dynasty.

Is Thailand going to get its first ever Crown Princess and, within due course, Queen Regnant? Maybe it is, given the fact that the princess is currently the only royal child to receive her own 'department', promoted to a military rank of general of the royal Thai army and undergoing intense military trainings in recent months.

18 February 2021 by Bild
Kommt hier die neue Thai-Königin geflogen? Tochter von König Rama X. als nachfolgerin im gespräch (Original)
Here's coming the new Thai queen? Daughter of King Rama X in conversation as successor (Translated)

This information is interesting. If so, will the Royal Family do anything to make this change official?
 
Interesting article from Bild citing undisclosed palace source that Prince Dipangkorn originally placed first in line of succession to the Thai throne, but Queen Mother Sirikit intervened the arrangement by replacing him with his older sister, Princess Bajrakitiyabha who was born out of King Vajiralongkorn's first marriage with Princess Soamsawali (Queen Mother's niece) in an attempt to preserve the 'direct blood line' of Chakri Dynasty.

Is Thailand going to get its first ever Crown Princess and, within due course, Queen Regnant? Maybe it is, given the fact that the princess is currently the only royal child to receive her own 'department', promoted to a military rank of general of the royal Thai army and undergoing intense military trainings in recent months.

18 February 2021 by Bild
Kommt hier die neue Thai-Königin geflogen? Tochter von König Rama X. als nachfolgerin im gespräch (Original)
Here's coming the new Thai queen? Daughter of King Rama X in conversation as successor (Translated)
Are we sure that the queen-mother is still in a position to intervene/arrange anything? We haven't seen her for years apparently because among others her mental capacities aren't what they were before.
 
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