Upholding tradition: Vajiralongkorn and Suthida paying their respects during a visit to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine. — AFP
BANGKOK: Three days of elaborate centuries-old ceremonies begin today for the formal coronation of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who has been on the throne for more than two years.
What Vajiralongkorn – also known as King Rama X, the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty – will do with the power and influence the venerated status confers is still not clear.The 66-year-old monarch has sent mixed signals. Bursts of assertiveness alternate with a seemingly hands-off approach in other matters – a perception girded by the amount of time he spends at a large residence he maintains in Germany.
