Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952), reigning title Phrabat Somdet Phra Vajira Klao Chao Yu Hua is King of Thailand since 2016.
He appears to spend most of his time in Germany instead and is believed to have a home on Lake Starnberg, 25 miles from the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl, per Bild and The Times of London.
He was sent to school in England from ages 13 to 17, before enrolling at military college in Australia until 1976.
He attended prep school at 13 before moving on to the prestigious Millfield boarding school, where he finished at 17.
He then attended Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra, Australia. He graduated in 1976.
He struggled to keep up at school in England and Australia, blaming his upbringing in the Thai palace, the BBC reported.
He is a qualified pilot on both civilian and military aircraft, and flies his own Boeing 737 when he travels overseas, BBC reported.
He has received military training in Thailand, the UK, US, and Australia.
The Thai royal palace’s official website crashed after those photos were released, Reuters reported.
He has had numerous acrimonious divorces in the past.
His mother, Queen Sirikit, reportedly once described her son as “a little bit of a Don Juan” in the early 1980s, per The Guardian.
She also suggested that her son preferred spending his weekends in the company of beautiful women over carrying out his formal royal duties, BBC reported.
He participated in the “Bike Un Ai Rak” or “Bike Love and Warmth” event in December 2018.
When his pet poodle Foo Foo died in 2016, he gave him a four-day-long Buddhist funeral ceremony, per The Sun
He used to dress Foo Foo up as an air chief marshall and take him to formal events, The Guardian reported.
Sources:
- https://www.insider.com/thailand-king-maha-vajiralongkorn-everything-we-know-2019-8#the-eccentric-king-is-also-known-for-his-love-for-dogs-22