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Image source, fake images
King Maha Vajiralongkorn greets his followers in Bangkok
In a rare gesture, the Thai king was seen on video praising a supporter of the monarchy during an anti-government protest.
King Maa Vajiralongkorn thanks the man for showing him a portrait of his late father.
The reporter said that this gesture could be a real endorsement of those willing to defend the monarchy.
The former monarchy has not spoken out on the protests and has begun to question its role.
What did the king say?
King Vajiralongkorn lives more in Germany than in Thailand and, while in Bangkok, presides over formal ceremonies with little chance of interacting with civilians, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head reported from Bangkok.
But he broke that custom on Friday night, as he was leaving a temple ceremony with Queen Suthida, spent time with a crowd of followers and spoke with some of them. .
He thanked a man for displaying a portrait of the king’s late father during an anti-government protest.
“Very brave, very brave, very good, thank you,” the king told the man in a video widely circulated on social media.
The BBC correspondent says the monarchy is officially considered out of political wrangling, and the palace has so far said nothing about the protests.
What were the reactions?
The brief interaction above has attracted a great response in Thailand.
Royalists, including Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of the Thai Pakdee (Loyal Thai) group, said it was a moving moment that demonstrated the king’s interest in his people.
But protesters say the king’s comments made his opposition to them clear. The hashtag # 23OctEyesOpened has been tweeted more than half a million times.
Why do people protest in Thailand?
The student-led movement is demanding the resignation of Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former general who took power in the 2014 coup and became prime minister last year after a controversial vote.
The protesters want a new election, to amend the constitution, and end the oppression of critics of the state.
They also question the power of the monarchy, prompting an unprecedented public discussion about an institution protected by the law from criticism.
Thailand’s Military Law, which prohibits insulting the monarchy, is one of the harshest laws in the world.
The protests took place mostly in peace for three months, but royalists can now feel encouraged to show up and confront the student-led reform movement after them. comments from the king, increasing the risk of clashes between the two sides, said the BBC correspondent.
