KING OF BLING

WITH A HAREM AND A PET POODLE AS HIS AIR FORCE GENERAL, THE THAI KING SETS HIS OWN ROYAL RULES

- Phillip Koch

Thailand has always been an island paradise rich in history, yet over the past couple of years the veil of secrecy over its fabulously rich king has fallen away, revealing the most bizarre royal court in the world.

And scandal-plagued monarch Maha Vajiralongkorn’s peace-loving subjects have finally had enough, staging widespread protests over the crazy rich life of this eccentric king who spent most of the pandemic holed up in a five-star hotel in Germany with an entourage of 250 servants, 30 poodles and a bevy of beautiful women. Even before he ascended the throne, King Rama X (as he is officially known) was called “Prince Bling Bling” because of his off-the-wall spending.