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Thailand's king Maha Vajiralongkorn is the subject of protests that have rocked a number of provinces in the country for the past three months.

Young Thais not afraid to speak up against monarchy now

Although the monarch is deeply revered in Thailand, young Thais are now openly speaking up, despite a tough lese-majeste law that outlaws insults against the king.

https://twitter.com/zenjournalist/status/1317450469082628097

Anger towards the monarch and government have been simmering over allegations of the crackdown towards the popular opposition party Future Forward Party, and further fuelled by corruption claims, as well as the arrests and mysterious disappearance of pro-democracy activists.

The king has been criticised for spending most of his time in Germany, and has also been accused of living a lavish lifestyle that includes having an harem of at least 20 women.

Critics have compared him unfavourably to his late father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who commanded respect among the Thai people.

Thai king richer than Brunei sultan & Saudi Arabia king

The king's personal wealth has also become a subject of scrutiny as voices calling for greater financial transparency grow louder.

He is thought to be the richest monarch in the world, with his personal wealth estimated to range from US$30 billion to US$43 billion (S$40 billion to S$58 billion), according to Reuters, South China Morning Post and business publication CEOWorld Magazine.

This puts him above Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (US$28 billion) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (US$18 billion).

Thais express discontent towards the king & call for reform of the monarchy

The king owes his wealth partly to one of his major moves since taking power.

Barely two years after he ascended to the throne in December 2016, Thailand's Crown Property Bureau transferred its entire portfolio to him, Financial Times reported.

The royal assets, which were held for more than 80 years on behalf of the monarchy, were reportedly worth tens of billions of dollars.

While news of the transfer was announced without much fanfare at that time, Thai protesters are now asking why public funds are going into the pockets of a king who spends most of his time away from the country.

#BANGKOK, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Thai protesters installed a plaque opposite the Grand Palace in Bangkok inscribed with the message that Thailand belongs to the people and not to the monarch. #19กันยาทวงอํานาจคืนราษฏร #ThailandProtest2020 #WhatsHappeningInThailand pic.twitter.com/1wGIQLyWgz

— Jorge Silva (@jgesilva) September 20, 2020

And they have made their displeasure known.

On Oct. 15, when protesters heckled the royal motorcade carrying Queen Suthida and the 14-year-old Prince Dipangkorn, they shouted "our taxes", referring to their contributions to the royal coffers.

ยืนยันด้วยคลิป ถ่ายโดยผม ขณะรายงานข่าว บริเวณหน้าทำเนียบรัฐบาล และแยกนางเลิ้ง ไม่มีการขัดขวางขบวนเสด็จของพระราชินี และ เจ้าฟ้าทีปังกรฯ แต่อย่างใด ขบวนเสด็จดังกล่าวฝ่ามาในที่ชุมนุมโดยไม่มีการแจ้งเตือนล่วงหน้าใดๆ อันนี้พูดตามหลักข้อเท็จจริง #สื่อไทยต้องทํางาน #ม๊อบ14ตุลา pic.twitter.com/03fGIauyyz

— Noppakow kongsuwan (@SAHINOP) October 14, 2020

The government then imposed a "serious state of emergency", citing threats against the queen and the prince.

Critics claimed that the royal motorcade had been diverted from a planned route that was cleared earlier, and that the incident provided a pretext for the government to crack down on protesters.

https://twitter.com/zenjournalist/status/1317450939322740739

Besides demanding a new constitution to replace the one written and passed under the military, protesters have also demanded reform to the monarchy, which consists of a list of 10 demands.

These demands include cuts to the king's budget and a clear separation between crown property and the king's personal wealth, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Top image by Linh Pham via Getty Images