Why does the king prefer Germany?

That’s the question asked by a recent article at an Australian outlet. It is a good question, and many Thais ponder it as well.

The article comments that:

Aside from the controversial decision to self-isolate in an entire hotel with a harem of women, King … Vajiralongkorn’s living arrangements continue to perplex the world.

And it mentions the recent protests against his loose “isolation” at the “Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl, an alpine, luxury hotel in Germany’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen precinct…”.

There are royals who live outside their country, but they are usually in exile; Vajiralongkorn is in a kind of self-imposed exile.

The report’s answers to its question is somewhat shallow. It notes that he owns a villa in Tutzing on Lake Starnberg, suggesting that the “12 million euro” property is “away from prying eyes…”. It concludes that “the King’s property investments could be a key reason he so regularly resides in Germany.”

That seems unlikely. After all, the majority of his vast fortune is property in Bangkok. That certainly doesn’t keep him there. In addition, the villa in Tutzing is not particularly private and the town is small. But it is in a beautiful and quiet location, looking across the lake to the Alps.

Another claim is that Vajiralongkorn’s “complicated love life” is “possibly … a reason for [him] frequenting the European country.”

That, too, seems unlikely. His women are all from Thailand and he could easily fulfill his carnal desires and manage his women there. He’s done this before.

While the article speculates in these ways it fails to consider other possible possible reasons. For example, the king has had his son Dipangkorn Rasmijoti in school in Germany for some time. While no one speaks about it, it seems that the 15-year old has “learning difficulties.” His life in Germany is mostly private, although several videos of his life in Germany, with his father and friends have appeared.

Another consideration is the king’s health. There have long been rumors about his health. Yet he seems a fit 67-year old, regularly bicycling, exercising and skiing. We might guess that the king feels fitter and healthier in Europe. Most of his family in Bangkok seem sickly and unfit when compared with him. Being on a decade-long holiday in a pleasant Bavarian environment that is less polluted than Bangkok works wonders!

We do know that the king plans to continue to make Germany his home, having demanded changes to the junta’s 2017 constitution to allow him to operate as king remotely.