The deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam affirmed last night that the the president of the Privy Council has become the Regent pro tempore.

His clarification on a special TV programme broadcast on TV Pool followed rumour spreading on the social media about the appropriateness of the appointment of Gen Prem Tinsulanonda to the position with the absence of the monarch signing endorsement.

In such case, Dr Wissanu, the legal expert, made clear that under the constitution, the president the Regent pro tempore of the Privy Council will become the Regent pro tempore to perform duty after the passing of the King until there is succession to the throne.

He asked the people not to focus only on the name of person, but on the position which a person is holding which in such case the Constitution has clearly states the president of the Privy Council will act on the role of the Regent pro tempore until a succession to the throne is made.

It is an instant automatic procedure, he said, although he didn’t want to call it automatic.

The Regent pro tempore requires no appointment or any ceremony, he explained.

He went on explaining that under the Palace Law on Succession BE 2467 and the constitution, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is the heir to the throne, the Nation reported.

However, he said, the Crown Prince preferred to join the people in grieving on the passing of His Majesty and his father before he will make final decision on the succession to the throne.

Meanwhile National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vice-president Peerasak Porjit said appointment of the Regent pro tempore is in line with the constitution, which states that the council president is acting regent when the throne is vacant, according to the Bangkok Post.

He explained that pending the proclamation of the name of the heir or the successor to the throne under Article 23 of the Constitution, the president of the Privy Council shall become Regent pro tempore.

According to Section 23, his duty ends when a meeting of the NLA invites the heir to ascend the throne, he explained.

The NLA vice-president recalled a meeting on Thursday evening was held under Section 2 of the interim constitution which the cabinet should have submitted the heir name for acknowledgment. Then the NLA president would invite the heir to step on the throne.

But at the meeting, the prime minister informed the NLA that the crown prince would like to take some time to grieve with the nation before accepting the invitation to become the new king.

Therefore, a regent pro tempore is needed during this transition period.

In such case, the president of the Privy Council then automatically take that position.

Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, 96, was appointed president of the Privy Council in 1988. He was prime minister for eight years from 1980. </s> News Late Thai King’s Confidant Confirmed as Temporary Regent

Mourners enter the Grand Palace to pay their respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Oct. 17. / Chaiwat Subprasom / Reuters

BANGKOK, Thailand — A 96-year-old confidant of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been formally confirmed as the regent to manage the throne in the place of the crown prince and heir apparent, but it wasn’t clear how long the caretaker arrangement would last.

In a speech late Saturday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said that Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn invited him and regent Prem Tinsulanonda for an audience to discuss the situation “as his royal highness was deeply concerned for the Thai people during this time of national bereavement.”

Prem heads the Privy Council, a body of advisers to the monarchy, and was the closest adviser of Bhumibol. He is also known to be close to Bhumibol’s highly popular daughter Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Vajiralongkorn, who should have ascended the throne, has asked for more time to grieve along with the nation before taking over the monarchy. The constitution dictates that the Privy Council head be the regent in such a situation.

“His Highness’s only wish is to not let the people experience confusion or worry about the service of the land or even the ascension to the throne because this issue has the constitution, the royal laws and royal traditions to dictate it,” Prayuth said in his message broadcast on television.

The 64-year-old crown prince implores everyone to help each other get through the grief first before thinking of his ascension to the throne, Prayuth said.

“Once merit-making and the cremation has passed …then it should be the right time to proceed. This procedure should not impact the work plan or any steps,” he said.

No date has been set for the cremation, which in royal families is usually months if not years later. Officials have suggested it would be at least a year. Buddhist funeral ceremonies have already begun at the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok’s historic center where Bhumibol’s body is kept in an ornate hall for the royal family members to pay respects. The hall will be opened to the public on Oct. 28.

Analysts say the question of succession is important because the late king had been the unifying glue that had held Thailand’s often fractious politics together, and diffused tensions during crises when the dominant military was pitted against the civil society. While the institution of monarchy is generally revered and respected in Thailand, it is more so because of Bhumibol’s popularity that no other royal member commands.

“His death means that the Thai political system must find an alternative focal point around which to unite the country’s factionalized population,” said Tom Pepinsky, a Southeast Asia expert at Cornell University.

For ordinary Thais, succession was not particularly top on their minds for now as they were consumed by grief at the loss of a man many saw as their father and a demigod.

Tens of thousands of people are thronging at the palace complex to pay their last respects to a beloved monarch who dominated the memories of generations of Thais. Authorities have allowed people to enter the complex for a limited time, and only to sign condolence books in another hall.

The king of Bhutan is also expected to visit later Sunday.

Bhumibol’s death after 70 years on the throne was a momentous event in Thailand, where the monarch has been glorified as an anchor for a fractious society that for decades has been turned on its head by frequent coups. Over the past 10 years, Thailand has suffered particularly intense political turmoil pitting arch-royalists against those seeking a redistribution of economic and political power, allied with Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist prime minister ousted in a 2006 coup.

But in recent years, Bhumibol had suffered from a variety of illnesses and seemed far removed from the upheavals of Thai politics, including the 2014 coup that brought current prime minister, an army general, to power.

A one-year mourning period for the government has been declared together with a 30-day moratorium on state and official events. But no substantial demands have been made of the private sector.

The government has only urged people to refrain from organizing entertainment events for a month, apparently mindful of the need to ensure that the sputtering economy, which relies heavily on tourism, does not suffer too much. </s> Mourners lit candles and recited prayers before dawn on Saturday outside Bangkok's riverside Grand Palace, where the remains of the king will lie for months before a traditional royal cremation.

The world's longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol died on Thursday in a Bangkok hospital, at the age of 88.

The government has said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn wants to grieve with the people and leave the formal succession until later, when parliament will invite him to ascend the throne.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said in an interview broadcast on state television late on Friday that there was no uncertainty about the succession but, in the interim, the head of the powerful Privy Council would have to step in as regent.

"There must be a regent for the time being in order not to create a gap," Wissanu said. "Even though there is no problem, because we have a clear answer, the head of the privy council must be regent temporarily."

"This situation will not be used for long," he added, without mentioning by name Privy Council head 96-year-old Prem Tinsulanonda, a former army chief and prime minister.

Prince Vajiralongkorn does not enjoy the same adoration his father earned over a lifetime on the throne. He has married and divorced three times, and has spent much of his life outside Thailand, often in Germany.

The king's remains were taken in a convoy on Friday through Bangkok's ancient quarter to the Grand Palace, winding past thousands of Thais dressed in black, many of them holding aloft portraits of a monarch who was worshipped as a father figure.

Buddhist monks chanted prayers beside his coffin on Saturday as Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn came to pay her respects.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the palace during the morning and some who had arrived before dawn lit candles.

"I didn't ever want to hear this news although it couldn't be avoided. All we can do now is hope that he will rest in peace," said Sakhon Sondee from the eastern province of Surin.

The king had been in poor health the past several years and his death plunged the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people into grief.

Most Thais have known no other monarch and King Bhumibol's picture is hung in almost every house, school and office.

People in the capital and in towns across the country dressed in black. The government has decreed that no festivities be held for a period of 30 days, the first month of one year of official mourning, but shopping malls were open on Saturday.

The Nation newspaper said government guidelines for the media stipulated that TV programs and advertising "must not contain improper scenes such as entertaining, dancing or violent acts", and presenters must dress in white or black.

It said information related to the king's passing must be approved by authorized bodies, while criticism or analysis would not be allowed.

Thailand's strict lese-majeste laws, which have been applied rigorously since a military government took power in a 2014 coup, have left little room for public discussion about the succession.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called in a statement on Thailand's military government to lift the censorship order on broadcasters

"While CPJ sympathizes with the Thai people over the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, we lament that the government has resorted to crude censorship at this sensitive time," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator.

The king stepped in to calm crises on several occasions during his reign and many Thais worry about a future without him. The military has for decades invoked its duty to defend the monarchy to justify its intervention in politics.

Military government leader Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said after the king's death that security was his top priority and he ordered extra troops deployed around the country.

Thailand has endured bomb attacks and economic worries recently while rivalry simmers between the military-led establishment and populist political forces after a decade of turmoil including two coups and deadly protests.

The junta has promised an election next year and pushed through a constitution to ensure its oversight of civilian governments. It looks firmly in control for a royal transition. </s> (CNN) Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on Thursday after seven decades on the throne, plunging the country into intense mourning and no small amount of uncertainty.

"It's a complicated situation," said Patrick Jory, an expert on the Thai monarchy at the University of Queensland.

"The last time we were at this point was 70 years ago."

Bhumibol was not formally crowned until May 1950, more than four years after his brother, King Ananda Mahidol was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head under mysterious circumstances.

So with the King's death, who is currently in charge of the kingdom?

Under the 1924 Palace Law of Succession, the Thai king has absolute power to designate his successor.

Bhumibol's only son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, was officially appointed crown prince and heir apparent on December 28, 1972, at the age of 20.

In the event of the king's death, parliament should invite the designated heir to immediately assume the throne. However, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thursday that Vajiralongkorn "needs time to jointly mourn with the Thai people" before he succeeds his father.

While there is little doubt that Vajiralongkorn will become king, Jory said it was "surprising" that he did not do so immediately, and warned that a prolonged period of uncertainty could hit the country's stock market

The Privy Council is an elite body of advisers, appointed by the king, which has significant powers with regard to royal appointments and the law of succession.

King Bhumibol's last council, which remains in place until Vajiralongkorn appoints his own, is headed by former Prime Minister and army general Prem Tinsulanonda.

"(Prem) has been a key player since the 1980s and was the king's right hand man," said Jory.

Other members of the council include fellow former prime ministers Thanin Kraivichien and Surayud Chulanot, and Chalit Pukbhasuk, a former acting chairman of the Council for National Security, the junta that overthrew Thaksin.

When Vajiralongkorn does assume the throne, he is likely to replace the council with his own supporters, Jory said.

As a constitutional monarchy, power in Thailand officially lies with the government, with the king as head of state.

However, ISEAS warned that thanks to sweeping new powers granted the military by the new constitution "the traditional elites would in effect have design new mechanisms to seize power without resorting to a military coup." </s> Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who will have his official coronation on Saturday, has appointed his consort as the country's queen.

An announcement Wednesday in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya is legally married to the 66-year-old king, and is now Queen Suthida.

Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, there has been little official information released about her and the news was a surprise to many Thais. She is reported to be 40 years old and to have previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. The two reportedly met on a flight.

Suthida joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the king's security unit, currently holding a general's rank. The new queen also has several top royal decorations.

Vajiralongkorn has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014. He became king after the death in October 2016 of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thai television, which broadcast the royal order Wednesday evening, showed a video of Suthida prostrating herself before the king, to whom she, according to the announcer, presented a tray of flowers and joss sticks, and in return was bestowed traditional gifts associated with royal power.

It also showed the king in a white uniform and his bride in a pink silk traditional dress formally registering their marriage on Wednesday in his palace residence in the capital, Bangkok. It showed what the television announcer said was the couple signing a marriage certificate book, which was also signed by the king's sister, Princess Sirindhorn, and Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda as witnesses. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other senior officials were also in attendance.

This story has been corrected to show that Suthida joined the palace guard in 2013, not 2014.

© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is making preparations for Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to ascend the throne on Dec. 1, two senior military sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attends an event commemorating the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, as he joins people during the mourning of his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct. 13 at the age of 88 has plunged the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people into a year of mourning.

News of the December timeframe follows the prince’s departure for Germany at the weekend where he had personal business to attend to, one senior military source told Reuters, adding that the prince would return in November.

“We are making preparations. Everything is being prepared for Dec. 1,” said another senior military source who declined to be identified. “But this timeframe also depends on His Royal Highness.”

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had said the prince’s formal ascension could be within seven to 15 days of the king’s death, or later.

Speaking on behalf of the prince hours after King Bhumibol’s death, Prayuth said the prince wanted to grieve with the people and leave the formal succession until later, when parliament will invite him to ascend the throne.

His formal coronation, however, cannot take place until after the king’s cremation in a year’s time.

FACE OF ESTABLISHMENT

Prem Tinsulanonda, 96, who was head of the powerful Privy Council and is known as the face of Thailand’s traditional establishment, is acting as regent until the new king is named.

Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws have left little room for public discussion about the succession. The laws have also severely curbed public discussion about the prince, who does not enjoy the same level of public support as his father.

Thailand has weathered more than a decade of political upheaval that has pitted the royalist-military establishment against populist political forces.

The latest chapter was a May 2014 military coup which removed the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and which the military said it carried out to end Thailand’s cycle of political instability.

Kan Yuenyong, executive director of the Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank, said he did not foresee any political violence over the next year but added that political divisions would resurface if the succession did not go smoothly.

“Political tensions might warm up again and struggles could follow,” he said.

Thailand’s baht has slid 0.9 percent throughout October amid concern the king’s death may increase political uncertainties and hurt economic activity in the near term. </s> Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has appointed his consort as the country’s queen ahead of his official coronation on Saturday.

An announcement in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya is legally married to the 66-year-old king, and is now Queen Suthida.

Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, there has been little official information released about her and the news was a surprise to many Thais.

Suthida is reported to be 40 and to have previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. They reportedly met on a flight.

She joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the king’s security unit, currently holding a general’s rank. The new queen also has several top royal decorations.

Vajiralongkorn has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014. He became king after the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej in October 2016.

Thai television, which broadcast the royal order, showed a video of Suthida prostrating herself before the king.

According to the announcer, she presented the king with a tray of flowers and joss sticks, and in return was bestowed traditional gifts associated with royal power.

TV showed the king in a white uniform and his bride in a pink silk traditional dress formally registering their marriage in his palace residence in Bangkok.

The couple were seen signing a marriage certificate book, which was also signed by the king’s sister, Princess Sirindhorn, and privy council head Prem Tinsulanonda as witnesses.

Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other senior officials were also in attendance. </s> BANGKOK (Reuters) - Just days before his official coronation, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Wednesday married the deputy head of his personal guard force and gave her the title Queen Suthida.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn named Queen Suthida sign marriage documents during their wedding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand May 1, 2019, in this screen grab taken from a video. Thai TV Pool

The surprise announcement was carried in the Royal Gazette, and footage from Wednesday’s wedding ceremony was later shown on the nightly Royal News segment aired on all Thai television channels.

Vajiralongkorn, 66, also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016, after 70 years on the throne.

He is due to be officially crowned in elaborate Buddhist and Brahmin ceremonies on Saturday, followed by a procession through Bangkok the next day.

In 2014, Vajiralongkorn appointed Suthida Tidjai, a former flight attendant for Thai Airways, as a deputy commander of his bodyguard unit.

Some royal observers and foreign media had linked Suthida romantically with the king, but the palace had previously never acknowledged a relationship between them.

The king made Suthida a full general in the Royal Thai Army in December 2016, and the deputy commander of the king’s personal guard in 2017. He also made her a Thanpuying, a royal title meaning Lady.

Among the dignitaries at the wedding were Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the military junta that has run Thailand since a 2014 army coup, as well as other members of the royal family and palace advisers, the wedding footage showed.

Vajiralongkorn has previously been married and divorced three times and has seven children.

While the king took the throne after the death of his father, his formal coronation follows a mourning period for King Bhumibol, whose royal cremation was held a year after his death. </s> Bangkok -- Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has appointed his consort as the country's queen ahead of his official coronation on Saturday. An announcement Wednesday in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya was legally married to the 66-year-old king, and was now Queen Suthida.

Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, there has been little official information released about her and the news was a surprise to many Thais. She is reported to be 40 years old and to have previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. The two reportedly met on a flight.

Suthida joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the king's security unit, currently holding a general's rank. The new queen also has several top royal decorations.

Vajiralongkorn has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014. He became king after the death in October 2016 of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thai television, which broadcast the royal order Wednesday evening, showed a video of Suthida prostrating herself before the king. According to the announcer, she presented the king with a tray of flowers and joss sticks, and in return was bestowed traditional gifts associated with royal power.

TV showed the king in a white uniform and his bride in a pink silk traditional dress formally registering their marriage on Wednesday in his palace residence in Bangkok. The couple was seen signing a marriage certificate book, which was also signed by the king's sister, Princess Sirindhorn, and Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda as witnesses. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other senior officials were also in attendance.

Thailand is ruled by a military government and the royal family still wields significant influence as an embodiment of power.

Insulting the monarch, queen or heir apparent is punishable by three to 15 years in prison under Thai law. In practice, however, the rules are more widely interpreted, and the military government has been criticized for its frequent use of the law to silence critics since it seized power in May 2014.

The "lese majeste" law has been widely condemned, including by rights groups and the United Nations, which has called for it to be revoked. Some 100 cases of lese majeste have been prosecuted since the 2014 coup, according to the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
Per Section 24 of the Constitution, Thailand formally confirms as the Regent pro tempore Prem Tinsulanonda, the President of the Privy Council and the former confidant of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.