Further updated: A prince again

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse has suddenly begun calling himself “Prince Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse.” It has been widely covered on social media, with PPT first seeing it at Andrew MacGregor Marshall’s Facebook page.

There is no possible way he would claim this title back if he wasn’t sure the palace and his formerly estranged father approved. So far, we have seen no official announcement of his title being restored or his position in the royal family.

AMM pointed to the site of VVV GROUP, a new company in Thailand, not to be confused with the New Zealand real estate group of the same name.

Clipped from the Bangkok Post

At the website for the legal and business consulting firm, Vacharaesorn’s bio states:

CHAIRMAN & SENIOR PARTNER
Prince Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse
Prince Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, the second son of His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) of Thailand, assumes the prestigious role of Chairman and Senior Partner at VVV GROUP. He brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence in overseeing and guiding the firm’s strategic direction, policies, and decision-making.

It goes on to recount biographical details that are not easy to verify, so we are unable to affirm their truthfulness.

It mentions he has a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University, a middle-ranked law school that charges fees of about $50,000 a year. Vacharaesorn is also listed as having also gained a BA at Stetson in 2003, with the JD in 2006. His bio also says he has an LLM from George Washington. In 2009, Stetson Law listed he and his mother as donors of more than $10,000 each. The bio claims he was selected as a “super lawyer,” although the only online evidence was that he was one of dozens from Stetson named a “rising star” in 2015, not a “super lawyer” in 2014, as claimed in the bio . Essentially, these listings appear to be a commercial directory of lawyers.

Vacharaesorn also lists himself as a member of the:

Board of Directors of AG&P, a multi-billion dollar energy company, where he spearheaded the governmental and logistical aspects of projects, including the installation of new LNG terminals and power plants in Southeast Asia. As a Board of Advisors member for INDO Coffee, a California-based coffee company, Prince Vacharaesorn acts as a crucial ambassador for Thai product export, introducing high-quality Thai products to foreign markets.

We can find no online mention of INDO Coffee and AG&P’s website does not appear to list its directors online and does not seem to have a search function enabled.

The bio also claims:

He has been a dedicated advocate to ensure that the voices of those in need are heard. Additionally, he holds the position of Chairman for a charitable organization, providing college scholarships to deserving Thai students studying abroad.

We can find no particular evidence for the first claim and as the “charitable organization” is not listed, we are unable to confirm this claim.

All-in-all, the rehabilitation process goes well for this crown aspirant, even if the bio is somewhat slippery. Of course the minor issue of his US wife and kids and at least one legal case there remain.

Update 1: A reader points out a story we missed regarding Vacharaesorn’s debts to American Express. The Daily Beast reported that:”Legal documents filed in New York State in March reveal that Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse … agreed to pay down $94,767.88 in charges he defaulted on in 2023. The schedule of payments would have the balance completely paid down by March 29.”

In another post at Facebook, Andrew MacGregor Marshall queries Vacharaesorn’s legal employment, claiming he was “sacked” by Gerber, Ciano, Kelly, Brady, LLP as a partner. He then questions why he was appointed by Wichien Chubthaisong, president of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, to be his honorary adviser until 2025. It isn’t clear in the linked story if he’s been made an adviser to Wichien or to the LCT. AMM does not provide a link on the “sacking,” but while the firm is listed on Vacharaesorn’s Wikipedia page, Vacharaesorn does not appear currently listed at the firm. Also at the Wikipedia page, he is listed as “divorced.” However, the link supplied makes it clear that this is incorrect.

There are sufficient contradictions in the publicly available information to question Vacharaesorn’s truthfulness.

Update 2: Adding to this story of contradiction and more, a reader pointed out that “charitable organization” is the Thai Heritage Scholarship Fund of New York. AMM also mentions this in another Facebook post. PPT has yet to find this organization in online databases of foundations and charities and its website does not load for us. We are therefore unable to report any details about this so-called charitable organization except that it may have been founded somewhere around 2017. It was also about this time when Vacharaesorn and a couple of his brothers Wikipedia pages were created where they highlight their “royalness.”