Thai King’s Estranged Son Mulls Return to Country, Post Says

(Bloomberg) -- A son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has secured a government-issued identification card and a Thai passport, and now intends to move back to the Southeast Asian country after living abroad for nearly three decades, according to the Bangkok Post.

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Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, a former prince who left Thailand after the divorce of his parents in 1996 and lives in New York, used the new passport for his third visit to the country in seven months, the Post reported Thursday. Vacharaesorn told the newspaper in an interview that his trips were personal and that he had no particular agenda.

Vacharaesorn’s first visit in August, during which he was joined by his younger brother, sparked speculation about the line of succession in the Thai monarchy. King Vajiralongkorn, 71, hasn’t appointed an heir to the throne since his ascension in 2016.

The former prince’s visits have come at a delicate time for the Thai royal family, which has witnessed the king’s eldest daughter and potential heir to the throne collapsing at the end of 2022 due to a heart condition. The palace has not commented on 45-year-old Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati’s condition since January last year.

That has raised questions about royal succession, a sensitive topic in a nation with strict laws prohibiting insults and criticism against the king and his closest family members. The Thai constitution stipulates that the king “shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated.”

Vacharaesorn is one of five children of the king with his second wife Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, a former actress. The king, then the crown prince, stripped Sujarinee and their sons of royal ranks after their divorce. Of their children, only Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya remains in the royal family and lives in Thailand.

The king has one other royal child — the 18-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. The king has no child with Queen Suthida, 45, whom he married in 2019.

Vacharaesorn didn’t appear to have an audience with the king during any of his visits so far.

READ: Thai King’s Son Meets With Prominent Critic of Royal Insult Law

Vacharaesorn is keen to live in Thailand with a permanent residency, but his career and other factors must be considered before deciding to move from the US, he told the newspaper. He worked as a lawyer in New York and Florida for about 15 years and is now working as a legal adviser, particularly on energy, according to the report.

He is now considering setting up a consultancy firm to advise foreign companies looking to invest in Thailand, the newspaper reported.

Vacharaesorn plans to stay in Thailand until after the Songkran holidays, a traditional Thai New Year celebration that takes place from April 13 to 15 every year, the Post reported.

(Updates with Vacharaesorn’s trip plan in final paragraph. An earlier version of the story corrected day of news report.)

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