Creepy and useless

The negative reports on Thailand’s king continue. Some are accurate, some sensationalist, and some contain errors. The point, however, is that King Vajiralongkorn has a history that means he is unlikely to every get the political free ride his father had for decades.

The latest example is from the UK’s left-wing Morning Star, with the headline, “Thailand’s Caligula-like and useless new king.”

There’s lese majeste, Fu Fu, Srirasmi’s trials including her nakedness, the arrest and jailing of her relatives and the role of the monarchy partnered with the murderous military.

The king is creepy, But useless? Not for the military.

There’s also a bit on regional politics and Thailand’s move toward China.

The article concludes:

In this context, the quaint invented rituals of an anachronistic monarchy may seem irrelevant. However, the Thai throne has been a key linchpin of Thailand’s conservatism and its pro-Washington bias for the whole post-war period. The country’s underlying social and political tensions are bound to re-emerge sooner or later with one key political weapon of the elite gone.