Protests in Thailand have now been going on for more than three months.

Non-traditional protest methods, including incorporating pop-culture inspired signals, have been used by the young protesters.

While mostly peaceful, riot police have started using force in quelling the protests.

There have been a number of demands floated by the youth-driven protests. One of the more prominent ones is the call for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to resign, saying he manipulated an election in 2019 to keep hold of power.

Prayuth in turn has said the election was fair.

Protests in Thailand against perceived unfair election results or coups against the government of the day is nothing new, in fact King Bhumibol Adulyadej (the previous King) resided over 10 coups.

What is a tad bit rarer is the open demands and criticisms being levelled against the Thai monarchy, and its king.

A different king

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been mostly silent about the three months of protest. While the need to distance oneself from the political rumblings of a country is sometimes a must for a king in Thailand, that distance sometimes might feel geographically inclined.

The king, who lives mostly in Germany since 2007, has been reported on German tabloids to have holed himself up in a 4-star hotel at in the Bavarian Alps with a harem of 20 women, and an entourage of 80.

And while this might not be wholly unexpected, it is the policy changes he has enacted to ensure he can continue this way of ruling that might have cultivated resentment.

Changes were also made to allow the king to spend the majority of his time overseas, without appointing someone to rule in his stead.

Ironically, it appears to be in German parliament where the idea of the Thai king making policy decisions while in another country has been most severely questioned.

"We have made it clear that politics concerning Thailand should not be conducted from German soil."

In a year when planes were grounded, the constant humming from the Thai king's jet reverberated louder than usual.

A king of the people

Countless comparisons have been made between the current king and his predecessor/father King Bhumibol.

The current king does not often fare well in these comparisons.

At first glance, it is easy to see why. The previous king was revered by his people, fondly referred to as "a king of the people" during his 70-year tenure.

But the two kings have more in common than most would expect. Both came to power while outside Thailand.

Bhumibol was a student in Switzerland, while Vajiralongkorn was reportedly staying in a villa near Munich.

Policies and practices were eventually enacted within years of their coronation that placed more power and prestige in the hands of the royal family.

How they went about it was quite different.

Bhumibol spent his early years as king of Thailand essentially building up a reputation as a king of the people. Paul Handley, who wrote an unauthorised biography of Bhumibol which was banned in Thailand, described the first few years of his rule:

"King Bhumibol spent his first years on the throne engaging in what looked like politically benign activities. He made public appearances with his attractive, dynamic family. He played jazz over the radio. He sponsored charities and farm projects. Like many pious young Thai men, he was briefly ordained as a Buddhist monk."

The support he gained from these activities, even while he was a largely ceremonial figure in the early years, and the juxtaposition between the military's perceived flippancy towards the people, placed Bhumibol in good standing.

When a royalist general, Sarit Dhanarajata, seized power in 1957, the king was imbued with more powers. They revived old monarchical practices, made the king's birthday a national holiday, and broadened the lèse majesté laws to include insulting the monarch.

Current king consolidated his power

The current king went a different path.

As mentioned above, Vajiralongkorn had changed the constitution to make it easier for him to rule from outside Thailand.

A Nikkei Asia report in 2019 also noted a shift in power within the military factions, with the king purportedly favouring The King's Guard instead of the Queen's Guard, of which Prime Minister Prayuth is a standard bearer.

Four of the six army chiefs over the last 12 years had also been from the Queen's Guard.

Other changes enacted led to a concentration of power in the King's army.

Two key army units were placed directly under the control of the palace, and perhaps more importantly, all crown property assets were transferred to the king's ownership, and would “now be held in the name of His Majesty”.

According to The Financial Times, this is estimated to be worth more than US$40 billion (S$54 billion).

So while the protests right now cover more than just the issue of Thailand's monarchy, it is very much a contributing factor.

Speaking out

According to FT, one of the most prominent protestors in Thailand, Parit Chiwarak, said to be one of the most vocal among the student protesters in pressing for royal reforms, had this to say about Thai royalty:

“It’s the biggest issue of all in Thailand. The royal institution can interfere in politics because they have enough money.

If we don’t say it now, when are we going to say it?”

As the protests continue, criticism towards the king looks set to get louder before it subsides.

Prayuth had said on June 15 that the king had asked for laws against criticising the monarchy, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, to not be enforced for now.

The protestors have taken this window of opportunity to question taxpayer funds going towards royal affairs as well as laws stifling discussion of the monarchy.

A discussion that appears to have been a long time coming.

In 2017, student activists placed a commemorative plaque in the heart of the royal district, close to the "royal field". It read:

"The people have expressed the intention that this country belongs to the people, and not the king."

Within a day, the plaque was gone.

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