Vajiralongkorn

Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952), also known as Rama X, is King of Thailand, reigning since 2016.

Vajiralongkorn was the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. He was proclaimed Crown Prince of Thailand in 1972 at the age of 20. When his father passed away on 13 October 2019, it was expected that he would immediately succeed to the throne. However, he postponed the ascension to the throne to give people time to mourn his father. On 1 December 2019, he was invited to the throne. However, the Thai government counted his reign back to the date of his father’s death. Since he was 67 years old on the day of his ascension to the throne, he was the oldest Thai monarch on the day of his ascension to the throne. Vajiralongkorn held his father's royal cremation ceremony on 26 October 2020 and his coronation ceremony took place on 4–6 May 2022.

 Early Life 
Vajiralongkorn was born at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace in Bang Kok, He is second child and only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, He has three sisters in the family, He studied at Chitralada School, Preparatory school and first at a prep school, King's Mead, Seaford, Sussex, and then at Millfield School, in Somerset in United Kingdom, He completed his high school in Summer 1970. He attended a five-week military training course at The King's School, in Sydney, Australia.

Vajiralongkorn start study the military training by the Australian Army at Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra and a bachelor's degree course under the auspices of the University of New South Wales. He graduated in 1976 as a new lieutenant with a liberal arts degree.

In 1982, Vajiralongkorn was completed his second bachelor's degree in law, with second-class honors at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

 King of Thailand 
After his father's death on 13 October 2016, he succeeded to the throne of Thailand, with a delay, saying he needed "time to prepare before being proclaimed as the new king". He accepted the throne on 1 December 2016. The coronation was held in May 2019.

At aged 64, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.

He is the wealthiest monarch in the world, with a net worth said to be between  and .

 Personal life 
Vajiralongkorn has been married and divorced three times. He has three daughters and five sons. His four eldest sons were born before he married their mother. They are not able to succeed as king, because their titles have been removed. Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, born in 2005, is heir presumptive.

On 1 May 2019, three days before his coronation, Vajiralongkorn married Suthida Tidjai, former acting commander of Royal Thai Aide-de-Camp Department.

 Titles and styles 
 28 July 1952 – 28 December 1972: His Royal Highness Prince Vajiralongkorn
 28 December 1972 – 13 October 2016: Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
 13 October 2016 – present: King Vajiralongkorn


 References 

Notes

Category:1952 births
Category:Living people
Category:Monarchs of Thailand
Category:People from Bangkok
Category:Thai military people
Category:Thai nobility
Category:Current national leaders
Category:Chakri dynasty
Category:Bhumibol Adulyadej
Category:21st-century Thai monarchs