The Thai Royal Family's Deadly Game of Thrones

As Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the sole male heir to the Thai throne, approaches his 18th birthday, whispers of a potential shakeup in the country's succession plan have emerged. While the royal family may appear to be stable after Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's recent health scare, a fierce power struggle rages behind the scenes, threatening to disrupt the peace. The situation has yet to reach its peak, with reports of another prominent member of the Thai royal family's passing kept under wraps. The stakes are high, and the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the nation.

The country's future is shrouded in doubt, with the king's younger sister, a well-regarded figure with uncertain health, the fashion-focused Princess who stays away from controversy, and the elderly Queen Mother, who wields significant behind-the-scenes influence. The upcoming transition of power could have far-reaching implications for Thailand's political and social stability, particularly in light of ongoing protests calling for democratic reforms and criticizing the role of the monarchy in Thai politics. As the world watches with bated breath, the question remains: where will the situation lead?

On December 14, 2022, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the 44-year-old eldest daughter of the Thai king, suffered a sudden heart attack while running in Khao Yai National Park and remains in a coma to this day. She is currently receiving ECMO treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, which keeps people alive when their heart and lungs can no longer function properly.

However, the Thai royal family insists that the Princess is in a "stable condition," and her situation is not as dire as reported by some media outlets. It has been almost six months since the incident, but the royal family has not updated the public on the Princess's health status, and she has not made any public appearances or statements. It appears that the royal family hopes to gradually forget about this matter through delaying tactics.

There are only two legitimate children of the Thai king left: Prince Dipangkorn and the little princess Sirivannavari, who is almost indifferent to everything. Despite occasionally attending royal events, Sirivannavari mostly focuses on her own fashion career. She is a fashion designer who has been a regular attendee at fashion shows for the past decade. She founded her brand, Sirivannavari, in 2005 and just brought her brand's autumn/winter collection to Paris Fashion Week last month.

During an interview, the princess shared that she is very hands-on with her work and learned quickly during her internships with top brands such as Dior, Armani, and Bulgari. She has ambitious plans for the future of her brand and wants it to become a successful designer brand that appears in department stores and shops.

Despite being a princess, she does not care about anything related to the throne and is passionate about fashion. This could be due to her special background. When she was a child, she and her family were driven overseas by the Thai king, who would never let her have any involvement with the throne because her mother was deposed by the king.

Regarding the Thai king, he appears to have reversed his past extravagant lifestyle in the past six months and has been behaving very well, attending events with the queen. It's possible that he wants to stabilize the external situation first and focus on solving internal problems. During this period, he has attended a significant number of events, which could match the amount he attended in a year in previous years. Following the incident with the Grand Princess, he and Queen Suthida have been on a busy schedule.

The Thai king's complexion appeared not very good during the period, but Queen Suthida looked radiant, and her appearance and demeanor were impeccable. Some people may be curious about what happened to Consort Sineenat, who previously threatened the position of Queen Suthida. She has been "missing" for almost a year and a half now, with her last public appearance being at the end of 2021, and there has been no news of her since. It's unknown whether she is alive or dead, banished to the cold palace, or has "good news" (some say she might be pregnant). The outside world knows nothing about her.

An unexpected event has occurred in the Thai royal family as a key figure, Songkhla Vali, the mother of the Crown Princess, has reportedly passed away. While there is no confirmation of this news, a foreign journalist who follows the royal family closely has reported it. Songkhla Vali had a tragic experience in her high position in the family, having been pressured to marry her cousin, the Thai king, by her aunt Queen Sirikit, at the age of 20. Despite her noble background, the king did not like her, and she suffered a miscarriage in her first pregnancy due to the tremendous pressure. Her second pregnancy resulted in the birth of the Crown Princess Phatchara, but the king had already moved out to live with another woman and had an affair during her pregnancy. He forced Songkhla Vali to divorce him after giving birth and was very abusive towards her.

Despite her ordeal, Songkhla Vali remained in the royal family as a representative due to her high-status family background, and she raised her daughter, the Crown Princess, to have more power. However, the sudden accident of the Crown Princess has dissolved all of that, and for Songkhla Vali, who was already physically weak and always considered her daughter in all matters, the death of her daughter may be the final straw. The consecutive accidents of the Crown Princess and her mother may also cause greater damage to the balance of power in the royal family, including weakening the elderly Queen Sirikit's hold on power.

Amid rumors of a potential shift in the Thai royal family's succession pattern, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn emerges as a strong contender if the Crown Princess and Somsawali are unable to take the throne. Despite losing to her brother in the struggle for the throne, Princess Sirindhorn has maintained her competitiveness and dedication to her work, holding onto her power for decades.

With the successive deaths and health issues of key figures in the royal family, the current instability within the family has added another layer of uncertainty to Thailand's already turbulent political climate. Ongoing protests calling for democratic reforms and criticizing the monarchy's role in Thai politics have been met with a heavy-handed response from the government, including arrests of activists and journalists.

Any change in the succession pattern could further destabilize the country and potentially lead to more unrest, making it a topic of significant interest both within Thailand and internationally. As the situation within the royal family develops, it remains to be seen how it will impact Thailand's political future.