Thailand’s King and Queen attend Prince Mahidol Day celebrations – as crop-top-wearing protesters take to the streets mocking his clothing and calling for his power to be reduced
- King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were at Siriraj hospital in Bangkok
- Prince Mahidol Day remembers King’s grandfather’s efforts in medical education
- The king, who spends much time in Europe, laid a wreath at grandfather’s statue
- It is not clear if his mistress Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi was at the event today
- It comes as protesters rallied at parliament as it debated amending constitution
Thailand‘s king and queen have attended celebrations at a hospital as crop-top-wearing protesters mocked his clothing and called for his power to be reduced.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok for Prince Mahidol Day – to commemorate his contribution to medical education.
The monarch, who spends much of his time in Europe, laid a wreath at the foot of his grandfather’s statue, local media said.
It is not clear if his mistress Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi, who was reinstated as his royal consort after being released from jail earlier this month, was at the event.
She has been given back her royal and military titles after she was previously accused of seeking to undermine the monarch’s official wife, the queen.
It comes as a thousand demonstrators rallied at parliament as it debated amending the constitution, one of the demands behind nearly two months daily protests.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida were at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok for Prince Mahidol Day – to commemorate his contribution to medical education
The monarch, who spends much of his time in Europe, laid a wreath at the foot of his grandfather’s statue, local media said
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida are pictured at the wreath laying ceremony today
King Maha Vachiralongkorn presides over the wreath laying ceremony on Mahidol day in memory of his grandfather who was considered the founding father of Thailand’s modern medicine, at the Siriraj hospital in Bangkok
It is not clear if mistress Sineenatra Wongvajirabhakdi (pictured with the king last year), who was reinstated as royal consort after being let out of jail earlier this month, was at the event
Protesters wore crop tops and sprayed a democracy plaque outside the building as they mocked the king for his clothing.
The two-day session of parliament was convened on Wednesday and was expected to vote late tonight on whether to accept a motion for constitutional changes.
But a lawmaker aligned with the government proposed the vote be postponed to November and a new committee be set up to study details around the process first.
The proposal was met with resistance from opposition parties and also angered the protesters.
A thousand demonstrators rallied at parliament as it debated amending the constitution, one of the demands behind nearly two months daily protests
Protesters wore crop tops (bottom right) and sprayed a democracy plaque outside the building as they mocked the king for his clothing
The two-day session of parliament was convened on Wednesday and was expected to vote late tonight on whether to accept a motion for constitutional changes
Thai police attend to an injured anti-government protester inside the parliament compound after scaling the fence of parliament in Bangkok
Anon Nampa, one of the protest leaders, said: ‘Do you hear the people? Or is the building so thick?’
The protesters want to change a constitution they say was engineered to ensure ex-junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha stayed on as prime minister after last year’s election.
They want his departure and some protesters also say the constitution gives too much power to King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The biggest demonstration so far drew tens of thousands of people over the weekend.
The protesters want to change a constitution they say was engineered to ensure ex-junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha stayed on as prime minister after last year’s election
They want his departure and some protesters also say the constitution gives too much power to King Maha Vajiralongkorn
The biggest demonstration so far drew tens of thousands of people over the weekend. Pictured: Today’s rally
A Thai protester ties white ribbons on the door of the Thai Parliament as thousands rallied at the gates
The 2017 constitution was written by a military-appointed committee and passed a nationwide referendum in 2016 at which opposition campaigning was banned.
Prayuth said the 2019 election was fair.
On Wednesday, hundreds of royalist from the Thai Pakdee group marched to the parliament to submit a petition opposing constitutional change.
The assembly combines an elected lower House of Representatives and a military-appointed Senate.