The coronation of 66-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun will kick off on Saturday, more than two years after he ascended the throne following the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was widely beloved and revered.
“In many ways (the coronation) begins a new chapter in Thai history,” said Paul Chambers, from the College of ASEAN Community Studies at Thailand’s Naresuan University. “It legitimizes him, and it commences the reign formally.”
“The coronation can be seen as an event that would distract Thai people from the current political problems,” Chambers said. “People are very curious — they haven’t seen a coronation.”
A multi-million dollar celebration
The crucial moment, where King Vajiralongkorn becomes a consecrated king, will be on Saturday, when he receives a sacred, nine-tiered umbrella. Only a consecrated king is allowed to sit on a throne under a nine-tiered umbrella which represents the King’s connection with heaven.
Although King Vajiralongkorn has already ruled for over two years, the coronation ceremony will solidify his role as a fully-fledged monarch. The almost three-year gap between the late King’s death in October 2016 and the new King’s coronation isn’t unusual, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. King Vajiralongkorn needed time to grieve his father and prepare for the event, he added. The late King Bhumibol reigned for four years before his coronation.
“The official enthronement will solidify kingship and enhance his aura as the new king,” said Thitinan.
In the capital Bangkok, shops are already selling portraits of the King as a young man and T-shirts in yellow — the color associated with the monarchy — emblazoned with the words: “Long live the King.” In Thai belief, each day of the week is assigned a color and both the current and late King were born on a Monday, which is associated with yellow.
This time, no foreign dignitaries have been invited.
Who is King Vajiralongkorn?
King Vajiralongkorn studied in Australia and the United Kingdom and has fathered two daughters and five sons.
On Wednesday, days before the coronation began, the King announced he had married his fourth wife, General Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya.
Earlier this year, King Vajiralongkorn spoke out about the importance of the royal family staying “above politics” after his 67-year-old sister Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya announced she would stand as the prime ministerial candidate for the Thai Raksa Chart Party (Thai Save The Nation, or TSN).
The party was aligned with populist former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in a 2006 coup.
A tough act to follow
King Vajiralongkorn’s father Bhumibol reigned for 70 years, making him the world’s longest reigning monarch at the time of his death.
When he died, Thailand had a year-long mourning period for the late King, who is also known as King Rama IX. During his elaborate funeral ceremony in 2017, a sea of mourners clad in black lined the streets.
“The new king inherits this protracted conflict and polarization,” Thitinan said. “He’s not as popular as his father, but he has an opportunity to build popularity.”
CNN’s Kocha Olarn in Bangkok and Mohammed Elshamy in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Source : Nbcnewyork