Thai palace sacks top royal aide for having an affair, forcing mistress to have an abortion
Since ascending the throne the new monarch Maha Vajiralongkorn has axed a number of powerful officials from his father’s era
A senior Thai royal official has been sacked for “evil acts” including having an extramarital affair and forcing his alleged mistress to get an abortion, the palace said, the latest top aide to be axed under King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Vajiralongkorn, 65, took the throne one year ago following the death of his widely revered father King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for seven decades.
He has yet to attain his father’s widespread popularity but remains insulated from any criticism by one of the world’s harshest royal defamation laws.
Since ascending the throne the new monarch has axed a number of powerful palace officials from his father’s era.
The latest aide to fall from grace is Distorn Vajarodaya, a senior official in the Royal Household Bureau who served as Grand Chamberlain under the late King Bhumibol and was often seen by the ailing monarch’s side during the final years of his reign.
A statement published by the Royal Gazette late on Friday stripped Distorn of his royal decorations and listed his alleged wrongdoings – including having an extramarital affair, “forcing” his mistress to get an abortion, and then coercing her into marrying another man.