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As Thai king’s consort Sineenat returns, so do rumours of a plot to oust her
- Months after King Maha Vajiralongkorn reinstated the consort he sacked last year, Queen Suthida’s camp is said to be trying to get rid of Sineenat again
- Her return comes as the palace struggles to boost its image amid pro-democracy protests and an ‘ugly power struggle’ within its walls, observers say
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When Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn last month greeted thousands of supporters at a pro-monarchy rally in Bangkok, the cameras zoomed in on him and Queen Suthida beaming and waving at devotees holding flags and the royal couple’s portraits.
Also in the crowd was royal consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, marking her return to the spotlight after almost a year in banishment for disloyalty.
Since her reinstatement in September, she’s been touring Thailand’s provinces in a public relations blitz amid a pro-democracy movement raging across the country.
According to political scientist Puangchon Unchanam from Naresuan University, the public role of Sineenat – known as Koi – is to endear the royals to Thai youths, because “she is young, energetic, beautiful, fit, friendly and sporty”.
But the consort’s return has also resurfaced intrigue about the palace, including speculation about a plot by Queen Suthida’s supporters to oust her – especially in the wake of a scandal that saw the release of hundreds of intimate photographs featuring Sineenat last month.
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