Blog about Thailand
Technically, Prince Dipangkorn is first in line to the throne. However, as his mother and the king are divorced, he can be replaced if the king has a son with his current wife. In that situation, the new son will be the crown prince and take Prince Dipangkorn’s place as first in line to the throne.
The monarch in question, King Maha Vajiralongkorn , officially known as King Rama X , was crowned in May 2019, almost three years after the death of the previous king, his father Bhumibol Adulyadej.
But since 2018, King Vajiralongkorn’s personal wealth and the monarchy’s overall wealth have been entwined. The day-to-day costs of running the monarchy, meanwhile, are paid for by Thai taxpayers, and the Thai Government allocated around $1.3 billion in this year’s budget.
Section 112 of Thai Criminal Code currently reads as follows: “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King , the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years.”
My taxes!” Thailand’s government has budgeted over $1 billion to finance the monarchy this year, despite the fact that King Maha Vajiralongkorn is one of the world’s wealthiest rulers, with an estimated $40 billion in assets.
The 37-year-old was banished from his homeland along with his three brothers after King Rama X, then crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, accused their mother Sujarinee Vivacharawongse of adultery in 1996.
The King’s property portfolio and love of lakeside cycling may be the reason he regularly opts to reside in Germany as opposed to his birth country.
The Thailand Flag has changed a bit over the past 200 years or so. The name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand on 24th June 1939.
List of royalty by net worth
Rank | Name | Title |
---|---|---|
1 | Vajiralongkorn | King of Thailand |
2 | Hassanal Bolkiah | Sultan of Brunei |
3 | Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud | King of Saudi Arabia |
4 | Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan | President of the United Arab Emirates Emir of Abu Dhabi |
Siam joined World War I siding with the allies, a political decision to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, Siam became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to ” Thailand “.
The monarchy’s official ceremonial residence is the Grand Palace in Bangkok, while the private residence has been at the Dusit Palace.
Articles 490 and 491 of the criminal code govern lèse-majesté. Any person who defames or insults the king, the queen , their ancestors or their descendants can be imprisoned for up to two years.
But as a matter of fact, the country has the strictest lèse-majesté laws in the world. Insulting the King, Queen , regent, or heir to the throne can land you in prison for 3 to 15 years. Per charge.
Freedom of speech was guaranteed in the 1997 Constitution of Thailand. Those guarantees continue in the 2007 Constitution, which states in part: Section 36: A person shall enjoy the liberty of communication by any means [บุคคลย่อมมีเสรีภาพในการติดต่อสื่อสารถึงกันไม่ว่าในทางใดๆ].