King returns titles to 'royal consort'
Sineenat, a former member of the Royal Guards, was punished for trying to elevate her status to that of the Queen. The royal consort shares the king with his official wife. The monarch has already banished two wives before. Young anti-government protesters are critical of the monarch’s lifestyle.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – King Vajiralongkorn has returned the royal titles and military ranks to his royal consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, the Royal Gazette announced.
The royal consort, who once was the king’s bodyguard, was stripped of her rank in October 2019, a few months after she was named as the king’s companion.
Sineenat is the first royal consort in nearly 100 years, and joins the king's official wife. She was punished for trying to elevate herself to the same status as Queen Suthida (the king’s fourth wife).
According to the Royal Gazette, the monarch's decision removes all former penalties, as if she had never been stripped of her ranks and titles, including that of major-general.
Born as Niramon Ounprom in 1985 in northern Thailand, Sineenat worked as a nurse before joining the Royal Guard where she trained as a pilot and parachutist.
For King Vajiralongkorn, this is not the first time that he strips a spouse of her royal rights. The first time was in 1996 with his second wife, who later fled to the US, and in 2014 with his third, Srirasmi Suwadee, who was banished from the royal palace.
Sineenat's rehabilitation comes as Thailand grapples with a series of anti-government protests targeting the king as well as coup leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Protesters are critical of the lifestyle of the 67-year-old monarch, who became the richest man in the country after he declared crown assets his personal property.
The protest movement includes calls to reform the monarchy, an exceptional development in a country where the offence of lèse-majesté can be punished with up to 15 years in prison.
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21/09/2020 13:04
