Regent or Rama?

The question of what will happen in Thailand once Bhumibol inc pulls down the shutters for the last time, is a "sensitive" issue in Thailand. So sensitive in fact, that it's actually illegal to even discuss it in public. So let's discuss it here instead. There are three factors which most Thai people think will stop the royal succession from going smoothly:

First, there's the "rumour" that General Prem (King Bhumibol's personal friend according to the BBC) and $irikit will try to block the Thai Crown Prince from becoming king, by joining forces and forming a "regent". This would act as a caretaker monarchy until Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti comes of age. This would cause divisions in Thai society, and would make the succession problematic.

Then there's the other "rumour" that Prince Vajiralongkorn has AIDS, hence the regular visits to a German clinic. So even if he becomes king, it's unlikely that he would live long. Just how true these rumours are, is difficult to tell, baring in mind that Thailand's lese majeste law makes it impossible to discuss this openly.

Finally, there's "The Prophecy" (echo effect). No it's not a horror film, it's a prediction that there will never be a Rama X. King Bhumibol is the 9th Rama, so according to my Casio calculator , the Thai crown prince would be the 10th. But not if "The Prophecy" (echo effect) has anything to do with it.

Then of course, there's lese majeste law. A large minority of Thai people hate their Crown Prince, so it's likely that many would criticise him over rumours about his private life. Like the video from DieDieChakri states, things are likely to heat up in Thailand when the Thai king finally dies.




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