29th November, 2016
The Thai parliament on Tuesday said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is to become the king of Thailand.
Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, President of the National Legislative Assembly, said late King Bhumibol Adulyadej had designated Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn as his heir apparent.
Accordingly, the parliament formally invited the crown prince to be proclaimed as the king.
At the end of the meeting, all members of the parliament stood up and hailed together “long live the new King’’.
Deeply-revered Adulyadej died on Oct. 13 at the age of 88 after years of illness.
Vajiralongkorn, 64, was appointed the crown prince by his father in 1972.
According to established procedure, the crown prince still needs to accept the invitation in order for him to be formally proclaimed as the king.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said earlier that they expected an audience with the prince within the next one to two days.
Once proclaimed king, the crown prince would become King Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782, though his formal coronation will not happen before his father’s royal cremation in 2017.
“For the royal cremation, a funeral pyre is going to be built soon,’’ the government said.