bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s praise for a man who held up a royal portrait at a protest site in Bangkok has drawn controversy in Thailand, winning acclaim from monarchists and scorn from protesters.
The king has not made any public comment on more than three months of protests, which have increasingly targeted the monarchy as well as the government.
But in video recorded on Friday evening as the king greeted well-wishers outside the Grand Palace, he is heard praising a monarchist who is introduced by Queen Suthida as the man who held up the royal portrait while others were protesting.
“Very brave, very brave, very good, thank you,” the king said.
Is Germany about to lose patience with its Thai king guest?
The Royal Palace made no comment, as it has not since the start of anti-government protests in July that have increasingly targeted the monarchy as well. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri declined to comment.
The video was posted on the royalist’s Facebook page along with several other videos of the event and pictures of him from October 20 holding the portrait.
“Their majesties recognised me. This is the highest point of my life,” wrote the man, Thitiwat Tanagaroon.
Several other people at the event recorded the encounter and posted videos online, but the king’s words were not clear amid the chanting. The king’s comments drew a big response.
This is the Thai way and Thai society of caring, supporting and protecting
Warong Dechgitvigrom, Thai royalist leader
“Just seeing this picture, we are very touched,” said royalist leader Warong Dechgitvigrom. “This is the Thai way and Thai society of caring, supporting and protecting. Today it’s considered that his institution has adapted to be very close to the people. That made the greatest impression.”
But also among the top trending hashtags on Twitter in Thailand, tweeted well over 500,000 times, was #23OctEyesOpened – used by protesters and their supporters saying the Palace had now made its position clear.
The hashtag #VeryBraveVeryGoodThankYou was also widely used – alongside sarcastic comments.
“Very brave, very brave, very good for such a clear expression,” read a comment from protest leader Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree. He has put less emphasis than others on calls for royal reform.


Another protest leader, Piyarat Chongthep, commented: “The king has not been above political problems but always sits at the heart of the problems.”
Protesters seek the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader they accuse of engineering an election last year to keep power. He denies the accusation.
The protests also seek changes to the constitution and to reduce the powers of the monarchy, which they say has helped enable decades of military domination.
Under Thailand’s constitution, the monarchy is “enthroned in a position of revered worship” but in principle it does not engage in politics – a point that the king himself underlined during elections last year.
Why are there protests in Thailand and what will happen next?
James Buchanan, a lecturer at Bangkok’s Mahidol University International College, said the king’s comments marked his clearest intervention so far in Thailand’s crisis.
“I interpret it as signalling that the king acknowledges the challenge to his authority by the protests, but will not back down,” he said.


Trump border tsar says 700 immigration officers to leave Minnesota immediately

Iran formally allows women to ride motorcycles, in historic shift

US fighter jet shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier

Trump says seeking US$1 billion from Harvard in ‘damages’

Protests around the world

Thailand king’s praise for defiant loyalist, seen as first comment on protests, draws controversy

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet royalists as they leave a religious ceremony in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Thailand‘s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet royalists as they leave a religious ceremony in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Why are there protests in Thailand and what will happen next?

Thai anti-government protesters next to a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok. Photo: EPA

Thailand's newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried in a golden palanquin during the coronation procession on May 5, 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand held its first coronation for the first time in nearly seven decades as King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, was crowned on Saturday following an extended mourning period for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016 at the age of 88. The elaborate three-day ceremony reportedly cost around $31 million as King Vajiralongkorn circled around parts of Bangkok on a royal palanquin after being presented with a gold 7.3-kilogram crown and a sacred nine-tiered umbrella. (Linh Pham/Getty Images/TNS)

As Thailand’s protests snowball, rattled royalists would rather blame a hidden foreign hand than look inward

Pro-democracy protesters make the three-finger salute during an anti-government demonstration demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Photo: DPA

epaselect epa08756850 Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (L) holds a sign during a rally outside the building, housing the Royal Thai Consulate-General, in Hong Kong, China, 19 October 2020. Wong and other pro-democracy activists expressed their support for the pro-democracy protesters in Thailand, who are calling for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new constitution and monarchy reform. EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE

Royalists wearing yellow shirts hold pictures of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn during a gathering event to support the monarchy in Bangkok, Thailand, October 22, 2020. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

A demonstrator holds up a placard during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 18, 2020, a street food vendor sells food as pro-democracy protesters take part in an anti-government rally in Bangkok. - As pro-democracy protests rage daily in Bangkok, street food vendors have earned the moniker 'CIA' for their uncanny ability to rapidly deploy to protest sites ahead of demonstrators and the police. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)

epaselect epa08750467 Pro-democracy protesters react as riot police fire water canons during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand, 16 October 2020. Pro-democracy protesters gather again in Bangkok in defiance of a government decree banning demonstrations as protesters call for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and a rewrite of the new constitution and monarchy reform. EPA-EFE/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Thai protests: heckling of royalty in ‘motorcade moment’ reveals escalating showdown

Thailand‘s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are pictured as their motorcade drives towards the Grand Palace in Bangkok on October 14. Photo: Reuters

Pro-democracy protesters march past a portrait of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Thousands of anti-government demonstrators gathered on the anniversary of a 1973 popular uprising that led to the ousting of a military dictatorship, amid a heavy police presence and fear of clashes with political opponents. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn is seen as pro-democracy demonstrators give a three-finger salute while marching in Bangkok on October 14. Photo: Reuters

Thailand protests: parliament to hold special session, with business community wary of further economic fallout

Pro-democracy protesters make a three-finger salute during an anti-government protest in Bangkok on October 21. Photo: Reuters

Pro-democracy protesters scuffle with the police as they march towards the Government House during an anti-government protest in Bangkok, Thailand October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Thailand’s protesters are taking on the monarchy because of the military

People scuffle with police during anti-government protests in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters

epa08747891 Pro-democracy protesters flash the three finger salute during rally against the state of emergency at Ratchaprasong district in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 October 2020. Pro-democracy leaders and twenty demonstrators were arrested ending the anti-government protest surrounded the government house after Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced state of emergency in Bangkok to quell the mass protest calling for the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the new constitution rewrite and the monarchy reform. EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL

Thai protesters at an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Friday. Photo: Reuters

News

Asia

Southeast Asia


King Maha Vajiralongkorn has not made any public comment on more than three months of protests in the country
But in a video recorded on Friday, he can be heard praising a supporter who held up a royal portrait at a protest



King Maha Vajiralongkorn has not made any public comment on more than three months of protests, which have increasingly targeted the monarchy as well as the government.
