The World's Wealthiest Monarch in Mourning
When it comes to immense wealth, extravagant lifestyles, and global notoriety, few figures can rival Thailand's controversial King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Formally known as Rama X, the 73-year-old monarch holds the title of the wealthiest ruler on the planet, with an estimated personal fortune exceeding £52 billion. His life has been characterized by extraordinary wildness and bizarre behavior that would overshadow even history's most debauched royal figures. However, in recent months, this flamboyant royal has dramatically withdrawn from public view, presenting a subdued figure consumed by personal tragedy.
A Monarch in Retreat
Rarely seen since the passing of his mother, Queen Sirikit, in October, the once-spirited king appears to be immersed in prolonged mourning. In November, merely weeks after his mother's death, a somber-looking Vajiralongkorn made history as the first Thai monarch to undertake a state visit to China. Then, on February 1, the king was observed performing religious rites to commemorate the 100th day since his mother's passing. Photographs from the ceremony depicted uniformed soldiers bowing obediently before the solemn king and queen in an ornate room dominated by a large portrait of the late Sirikit.
Compounding his profound grief is the dire health condition of his eldest daughter, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, who has remained in a coma for over three years. The palace announced in August that the princess is receiving continuous medical treatment to stabilize her blood pressure following a severe infection. She has been unconscious in hospital since December 2022, when she collapsed due to heart complications during a dog training session. Beyond obligatory formal events, the monarch seems to have minimal interaction with the outside world, marking a significant departure from his previously very public existence.
A Legacy of Scandal and Extravagance
Before his recent retreat from the public eye, King Vajiralongkorn was embroiled in a series of sensational scandals that captivated international media. These included appointing his pet poodle as chief of the Thai air force, spending COVID-19 lockdown periods with a harem of so-called 'sex soldiers' in a German hotel, and imprisoning a mistress for displeasing him and his wife. Despite Thailand's stringent lèse-majesté laws, which can impose prison sentences of up to 15 years for criticizing the monarchy, foreign media outlets have extensively documented his unconventional antics.
Given that Vajiralongkorn spends considerable time in Germany, he has become a prime subject for the country's tabloid press. He was frequently photographed wearing crop tops and tight jeans while leisurely strolling through German cities with various companions. From an early age, he displayed signs of being profoundly disconnected from ordinary life. Educated at King’s Mead School in East Sussex and later at Millfield boarding school in Somerset, he was reportedly a spoiled bully as a child. Astonishingly, by age 12, he could not tie his own shoelaces, having always relied on courtiers for such tasks.
The Bizarre Tale of Foo Foo
Perhaps the most emblematic example of his eccentricity is his peculiar relationship with his pet poodle, Foo Foo. For 17 years, this dog was the absolute center of the king's affection. Acquired as a month-old puppy from a Bangkok market in 1997, Foo Foo enjoyed a life of luxury beyond ordinary imagination. The poodle was often cradled in Vajiralongkorn's arms, with the king affectionately describing him as 'quite cute, but... very weak.' So cherished was Foo Foo that the monarch bestowed upon him the military rank of Air Chief Marshal, leading to widespread bemusement, including from the US ambassador to Thailand.
In a leaked 2007 diplomatic cable, Ambassador Ralph Boyce recounted Foo Foo's antics at a gala dinner, where the dog, dressed in formal attire with paw mitts, jumped onto the head table and drank from guests' water glasses. That same year, a scandalous video leaked showing the king's third wife, Princess Srirasmi, wearing only a G-string while lying on the floor eating cake beside Foo Foo during her 30th birthday party in 2001. When Foo Foo died in early 2015, Vajiralongkorn ordered four days of Buddhist funeral rites, culminating in the dog's cremation, with the fate of its ashes remaining unknown.
German Harem and Marital Intrigues
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while much of the world remained indoors, King Vajiralongkorn utilized his vast wealth to live a radically different existence. He booked the entire fourth floor of the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in southern Germany, accompanied by a harem of 20 concubines holding military ranks. This floor was filled with Thai treasures and antiques, featuring amenities including a designated 'pleasure room.' His 'sex soldiers' were organized into a military unit dubbed the SAS, adopting the motto 'Who dares wins,' and were assigned military-style designations and honorary titles.
At 73, the king has been married five times and currently maintains simultaneous marriages to two women. In May 2019, just before his coronation, he married Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant who became Queen Consort. Merely two months later, he appointed his mistress, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, as a royal noble consort and Major General. However, by October 2019, he rescinded her titles and imprisoned her for alleged dishonor and disobedience, though she was later released and joined his German harem in September 2020.
Fashion Controversies and International Tensions
King Vajiralongkorn's bold fashion choices have also sparked controversy. In 2017, the Thai government pressured Facebook to remove posts showing the newly-crowned monarch walking through a Munich shopping mall wearing a skimpy yellow crop top, revealing large tattoos. Similar sightings in 2016 showed him arriving at Munich airport in a tiny top and sagging jeans. His extended stays in Germany have strained diplomatic relations, with then-German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stating that Thailand's politics should not be conducted from German soil, though Thai officials maintained the king was there for private reasons.
As the monarch navigates this period of mourning and personal hardship, his future public presence remains uncertain. His story underscores a poignant truth: even unimaginable wealth cannot shield one from profound personal loss, though it may facilitate extraordinary lifestyles marked by military harems, royal poodles, and crop-top fashion statements.
