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Thai king strips royal consort of her titles over ‘disloyalty’ and inappropriate behaviour

  • Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has removed the title, ranking and medals bestowed on his consort, former army nurse Sineenat Bilaskalayani
  • She was the first person to hold this title in almost a century, but was accused of ‘ambition’ to match the queen’s position

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Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn standing with royal noble consort Sineenat Bilaskalayani, also known as Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi. Photo: AFP
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has stripped his 34-year-old consort of all titles for “disloyalty” and apparent “ambition” to match the queen’s position, a royal command issued late on Monday said, less than three months after she was bestowed with the honour.
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Former royal bodyguard Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi – known by her nickname “Koi” – was given the title on the king’s 67th birthday on July 28, the first time in nearly a century a Thai monarch has taken a consort.

A few days later the palace released images of the short-haired Sineenat in combat fatigues shooting weapons, flying a jet and preparing to parachute from a plane, as well as holding the king’s hand.

It was an intimate and rare glimpse into the private life of Thailand’s powerful, ultra-wealthy and inscrutable monarch, known as Rama X of the Chakri dynasty.

Former Thai royal consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, pictured in August 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE
Former Thai royal consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, pictured in August 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE
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But on Monday Sineenat’s swift and public downfall was relayed on national television.

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