Despite the truculent details of Daniel Sancho’s crime, in the country where the events took place there is more talk of the dynastic crisis of the Thai royal family and the new direction it has taken in recent days.
Maha Vajiralongkorn, known by the dynastic moniker of Rama X, is the eccentric Thai king who has made headlines in recent weeks for having the final say on what will happen to Sancho’s life if he is eventually sentenced to dead, as happened when he commuted Artur Segarra’s sentence to life imprisonment in 2020. But far from being dependent on the son of the Spanish actor, the monarch – criticized in recent years for long absences from the country and extravagances – seems that he is making moves about a hypothetical succession, since at 71 he has not yet named an official heir.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha, 44, the king’s only child by his first wife and considered by many to be a suitable successor to the throne, has been in hospital since December after suffering two strokes and is said to be surviving vegetative
With the tragic prognosis, the return of Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, the king’s second son, after almost three decades settled in the United States, has been seen as the solution to the succession problem. Video of his arrival at Bangkok airport was shared on Facebook and went viral, sparking excitement among followers of a monarchy that has suffered unpopularity in recent years due to the excesses of Rama X, quite a regular of scandals.
So far, the palace has not made any kind of statement about the affair, but since arriving in Thailand, Vivacharawongse, 42, has played an institutional role, visiting temples and monuments and telling the media: “I have been away for a long time, 27 years. It’s a dream come true to come back. When I looked out the window before landing, I was delighted.” “I never forgot that I am Thai. I have never forgotten how important our culture is,” he added.
Vacharaesorn, who does not have a royal title, grew up with three siblings abroad since the mid-1990s, after Rama X, then the crown prince, announced a divorce from his second wife, Sujarinee, an ex-wife to whom publicly accused of adultery.
Another of the issues that most attract the attention of Rama X are the successive and scandalous marriages and divorces. He was also the first Thai king in decades to appoint a “royal consort”, meaning a relationship equivalent to a second wife.
Just four days before the ostentatious coronation in May 2019, he contracted a fourth wedding by surprise with hostess Suthida Tidjai, the current titular queen, known and loved in the country for social works. But after this surprise came another. A few months later, the king named his nurse, Sineenat Wongvajirapak, as consort, causing a stir because bigamy is considered anachronistic, a common practice in Thailand until it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
All in all, Rama X is the richest monarch in the world, with a fortune estimated at 30 billion euros that he inherited from his father, King Bhumibol. The previous sovereign always had the veneration of the majority of his subjects during the 64 years he reigned, until his death in 2016.
