Thai King Maha Vajralongkorn has said that he is "just like other human beings", and that there are days when he feels sad or despondent, the Bangkok Post reported.
Feels "despondent" on some days
He made the remarks to a student on Dec. 12 at a weekend camp for volunteers at the King's Guard. The student had reportedly asked him if there were days when he felt tired having to work hard for his subjects.
The king was quoted as saying:
"I'm just like other human beings. On some days I feel despondent. On some days I feel sad. On some days, I almost don't want to fight the bad things. But it's all human nature.
We come to realise that moral support doesn't come to us when we're at our strongest point. Never let despondence become the evil that pulls us down."
Thai King: Monarchy and Thais are inseparable
In addition, the king brought up his father, the late king Bhumibol Adulyadej, and asserted that the institution of the monarchy was inseparable from the Thai people, saying:
"We should think about the country and think about how the institution of the monarchy and the people are inseparable.
We need only look at what His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great accomplished during his 70 years. Our younger generations may have forgotten about him."
Meanwhile, according to a post on pro-royalist Facebook group Royaljitarsa, a Hmong student voiced her fear about how the Hmong people might be evicted from Thailand in the wake of the previous's king passing.
To this, the king replied that every person, regardless of their ethnic origins, are Thai and will therefore not be abandoned.
Meeting with students appear to be the latest public appearance
Photos of the event put up by Facebook user Fon Nongrat Issaro showed the king, along with Queen Suthida, wearing tracksuits at the meeting.
Previously in November, the king boarded an empty train carriage on Saturday (Nov. 14) as part of the inauguration of an extension to the Metropolitan Rapid Transit line in the capital of Bangkok.
Red carpets were laid on the ground, and officials in uniform were seen prostrating to the king as per established formalities.
As pro-democracy protests continue, his public appearances might be seen as attempts to come across as more accessible to the public in Thailand.
The same month also saw the king give his first interview in years, where he called Thailand the “land of compromise”.
And in In October, the king patted the shoulder of a staunch royalist supporter and praised him for being “brave”.
More of the king's public appearances:
Totally unrelated but follow and listen to our podcast here
Top image via Royaljitarsa/Facebook