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King Maha Vajiralongkorn praised a man holding a royal portrait amid the protest, sparking mixed reactions across Thailand.
The Thai king has made no statement during the past three months of protests, despite the monarchy and mounting criticism from the government. However, in a video filmed the night of October 23 while greeting supporters outside the Palace, he was heard praising a monarchy. This person was presented by Queen Suthida to hold a royal portrait while the people around her protested.
“Very brave, very brave, very nice, thank you,” King Vajiralongkorn said.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida greet their followers after a ceremony at the Royal Palace on October 23. Image: Reuters.
The video was posted on the man’s Facebook page among other videos during the event and photos of him holding the photo on October 20.
“The royal family recognized me. This is the culmination of my life,” Thitiwat Tanagaroon wrote.
Many others present at the time also returned to the meeting between the King and Tanagaroon and posted it online, but their words were not clearly heard amidst the cheers.
King Vajiralongkorn’s statement drew mixed reactions, including applause from royalists and criticism from protesters.
“See this picture, we are very touched,” wrote the leader of the realist movement Warong Dechgitvigrom. “This is how Thais and Thai society care, support and protect. Today, it must be recognized that the royal family has adapted to be close to the people. That makes the biggest impression.”
However, it was also among the top keywords on Twitter Thailand with 500,000 mentioned as “23OctEyesOpened” (October 23 open to the eyes), used by protesters to spread the message that Hoàng The Thai palace has now clarified their point. of sight.
The keyword “VeryBraveVeryGoodThankYou” (Very brave, very good, thank you) is also widely shared with sarcastic comments.
“The king is no longer on the sidelines of political affairs, but is always in the center,” said protest leader Piyarat Chongthep.
The palace has yet to comment. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri also declined to comment.
Protest movements in Thailand have risen since July to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, accusing him of rigging last year’s elections to stay in power. They also called for a constitutional amendment, a reduction in royal power that allowed the military to dominate the country for decades.
According to the Thai constitution, the royal family is revered in the highest position, but in principle it should not participate in politics, as King Vajiralongkorn himself highlighted in last year’s elections.
James Buchanan, a professor at Mahidol International University in Bangkok, said the King’s statement marked his most obvious intervention to date in the Thailand crisis.
“I understand it as a sign that the King recognizes the challenge of the rallies for his power, but will not back down,” he said.
Mr. Ngoc (Follow Reuters)
