Thailand has begun the process of naming Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn as the country’s new king.
The deeply revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on 13 October, plunging Thailand into mourning.
The prince was widely expected to succeed his father immediatley, but officials had earlier said he wanted to postpone by at least a year.
The official reason given was that he wanted to give the Thai people time to mourn his father before he became king.
The monarchy occupies a pivotal place in Thailand’s political order. King Bhumibol Adulyadej had been seen as a unifying figure amid periods of political unrest, including during the most recent military coup in 2014.
The late King had already endorsed the crown Prince to be his successor.
A quick look at the life – of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn who will soon be King Rama X.
Born on July 28, 1952 at Ambara Villa, Dusit Palace, the new King received his early education at Chitralada School, followed by Millfield School in Somerset, Britain, and The King’s School in Sydney, Australia.
His formal education was followed by military training at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra, Australia.
The monarch’s military background was enhanced with training programmes in Special Forces along with demolition, unconventional warfare tactics and advanced navigation training in the United States, Britain and Australia. He is also a qualified military pilot and a helicopter pilot.
Long live our King
Source: Bangkok Post and various International Agencies