MAHA the KING OF CHAOS

He was once a petulant playboy prince, now he’s one of the world’s richest and most unpredictable rulers. William Langley investigates the eccentric world of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

- William Langley

As he swayed through the streets of Bangkok aboard a gilded litter, Thailand’s newly-crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn looked down on scenes of deference and rejoicing. Last May’s spectacular coronation had been months in the planning, and the 67-year-old king, despite a reputation for quirkiness, seemed settled on a smooth transition.

Almost nothing since has followed in the discreet ways of the 800-yearold monarchy. Insiders speak of a court in chaos, feuds, betrayals and conspiracies, as four-times married Maha purges the royal ranks, promotes his favourites and seeks to establish himself as a near-absolute monarch.

Prominent among the casualties is the king’s ‘official concubine’, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, a glamorous 34-yearold former bodyguard, whom he dismissed after publicly accusing her of “disloyalty and ingratitude”. Known around the palace as Koi, the willowy martial arts instructress was appointed to the post three months after Maha’s coronation, and showered with honours including the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (special class).

Koi’s dismissal sent shockwaves through a nation which had barely absorbed the idea of the king keeping a formal mistress alongside his wife, 41-year-old Queen Suthida. Within hours of Koi’s fall, all references to her disappeared from the palace website, and her photograph was removed from state buildings. “Noble Royal Consort Sineenat is ungrateful and behaves in ways unbecoming of her title,” said a palace statement. “She is not content with the honour bestowed upon her and does everything to rise to the level of the Queen.”