BANGKOK: 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.

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. — Reuters </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> (BBC) — Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been crowned on the first of three days of coronation rites.

King Vajiralongkorn inherited the throne in 2016 when his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej died.

Days ago in a surprise announcement the palace said the king had married his long-term partner and royal consort who would now be Queen Suthida.

Thailand has a constitutional monarchy, but the royal family is highly revered by Thais and wields considerable power.

Thailand also has strict laws, called lese majeste, which ban criticism of the monarchy. The laws have shielded the royal family from public view and scrutiny.

During Saturday’s ceremony the 66-year-old king was handed the 7.3kg (16lbs) Great Crown of Victory, which he placed on his head.

He then issued his first royal command, promising to reign with righteousness, as his father had done at his coronation 69 years ago.

The coronation comes at a time of political uncertainty. A general election was held on 24 March, the first since the army took control in a coup in 2014, but a new government has yet to be declared.

Who is the king?

King Vajiralongkorn is the second child, and first son, of Queen Sirikit and Bhumibol Adulyadej.

He was educated in the UK and Australia and has been trained at the Royal Military College in Canberra. He went on to become an officer in the Thai armed forces and is a qualified civilian and fighter pilot.

He became crown prince and official heir to the throne in 1972. He is now known as Rama X, or the 10th King of the Chakri dynasty.

Queen Suthida, who is his fourth wife, is the deputy commander of his personal security unit. She was made a full general in the army in December 2016.

What are the coronation ceremonies?

The coronation rituals began at 10:09 (03:09 GMT), an auspicious time, when King Vajiralongkorn changed into a white robe to go through purification and anointment ceremonies using sacred water that has been collected from more than 100 locations around the country.

He is receiving the five Royal Regalia – the symbols of kingship – which includes the Great Crown of Victory.

Most of the main Brahmin and Buddhist rituals take place on Saturday, and the coronation continues until Monday.

While King Vajiralongkorn has been on the throne since 2016, in Thai tradition he cannot be considered a divine representative on Earth nor the main patron of Buddhism until he is consecrated.

How are Thais marking the occasion?

On Sunday, King Vajiralongkorn will take part in a procession around the capital, Bangkok, giving people a chance to celebrate.

Large crowds are expected for this event as well as when he makes a public appearance on a balcony at the Grand Palace on Monday.

King Vajiralongkorn spends most of his time abroad and is not as well known to the public as his father.

But huge portraits of him can now be seen at many buildings after it was made mandatory for state offices to erect them in the weeks leading up to the celebration.

Civil servants were also asked to wear yellow – the colour associated with the king. Many ordinary Thais will also be wearing yellow to show their loyalty to the monarch. </s> BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn donned white robes and began purification rituals on Saturday before being officially crowned in intricate ceremonies.

King Vajiralongkorn, 66, inherited the throne from his revered father after his death in 2016 following a 70-year reign. </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 (Reuters) - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn announced on Wednesday that he had married his consort, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn, and named her Queen Suthida.

The announcement, carried in the Royal Gazette, came just before the official coronation of the king, 66, on May 4-6.

Vajiralongkorn, 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.

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 have 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 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.

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> Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has married the deputy head of his personal security, according to a royal statement.

She will now wear the title of Queen Suthida.

The surprise move came before ceremonies start on Saturday to consecrate the royal's position.

"(The King) has decided to promote General Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya, his royal consort, to become Queen Suthida and she will hold royal title and status as part of the royal family," the statement read.

Video from the wedding was shown on the nightly Royal News segment aired on all Thai television channels.

Members of the royal family and dignitaries, including Prayuth Chan-ocha — leader of the military government that has run Thailand since a 2014 army coup — could be seen attending the ceremony in the footage.

During the ceremony, the King poured sacred water on Queen Suthida, who also lay on the ground in front of him. The couple then signed a marriage register.

King Vajiralongkorn, 66, has been married three times and has seven children.

He became the constitutional monarch after the death of his father, the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in 2016, after which a year-long period of mourning was announced.

Suthida was made a general in the Royal Thai Army in December 2016, and the deputy commander of the king's personal guard in 2017, both at the king's request.

Bhumibol Adulyadej ruled for 70 years before his death, making him the longest-reigning monarch in the world. </s> Thailand's Maha has officially crowned the reigning monarch on Saturday, after his father, the late passed away in October 2016.

"I will continue to preserve, develop and rule the land with justice for the benefits of all Thai people," the new said shortly after being crowned in a ceremony at the Chakrabat Biman Royal Residence at the here. He was flanked by two men wearing military uniforms during his address.

In an event marked by elements from both Buddhist and Hindu faiths, the new King donned an elaborate gold crown weighing around seven kilograms while sitting on his throne beneath a nine-tier umbrella. Only the King is permitted to sit under the nine-tier umbrella in Thailand, which signifies the reigning monarch's connection with heaven.

Cannons were fired in honour of the new King, as Thai citizens around the country wore yellow to commemorate the crowning, which is being held for the first time in 69 years. The colour yellow is associated with the monarch's day of birth, according to

is the 10th member of the dynasty, making him King Rama X. The dynasty has ruled since Rama I took the throne in 1782.

Just days before the coronation, he married his royal consort, Suthida Na Ayudhya, declaring her as the of the nation. The wedding ceremony took place at the in on May 1 and was attended by members of the royal Prayut Chan-o-cha amongst others.

"I am happy to see this event. Now we have a full King the country will be better. This ceremony is an auspicious thing to see. I am so proud of it," a 62-year-old Thai citizen, watching the coronation outside the palace, told

The official coronation ceremony will last three days. It began with a purification ritual which used water collected from all 76 provinces on Saturday. Preparations for the ceremony have been underway ever since the passing away of King Rama IX in 2016. </s> Officials salute as King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida arrive at the Grand Palace during his coronation in Bangkok, Thailand, May 4, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Thailand is preparing for the December 1, 2016, ascension of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to the throne, according to senior military sources.