Thailand's king strips 'disloyal' royal consort of titles, military ranks

[BANGKOK] Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkon has stripped his royal consort of her titles and military ranks for being "disloyal", a palace statement said on late Monday.

Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, 34, had breached a code of conduct for courtiers and was disloyal to the king, the statement said.

Sineenat, 34, was the first person to hold the title of Royal Noble Consort in almost a century.

King Vajiralongkorn designated her as such in July, three months after he announced his fourth wife Queen Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayutthaya.

Sineenat failed to respect royal traditions by trying to make herself equivalent to the queen, according to the statement, which added that she also defied the royal couple.

"Sineenat's behavior disrespected the monarchy, caused conflict among royal household officials and created misunderstanding among the public," it went on to say.

The statement also described Sineenat as "ungrateful".

"Royal Noble Consort Sineenat is ungrateful and behaves in ways unbecoming of her title. She is also not content with the title bestowed upon her, doing everything to rise to the level of the queen," the statement said.

"She lacks the understanding of the good traditions of the royal court. She displays disobedience against the king and the queen."

In August, the palace released unprecedented pictures and a biography of Sineenat, which provided a rare insight into royal life. Images of her posing with the monarch were among the dozens released.

Vajiralongkorn became king in 2016 but the formal coronation was delayed until May this year.

Thailand's top royals are officially treated as semi-divine. They are also protected by lese-majeste laws that allow for as long as 15 years in prison for those convicted of threatening or insulting them, limiting public discussion of the monarchy.

REUTERS,BLOOMBERG

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