As Thailand’s king whoops it up in Germany, his citizens are getting the royal shaft.
With Thailand dealing with a plunging tourist trade brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak, King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been chilling in a four-star luxury hotel nestled in the Bavarian Alps 5,500 miles away.
But the 67-year-old monarch, who assumed the throne in 2016, isn’t alone at the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in scenic Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Accompanying the royal is an entourage of 100 and his harem — numbering at least 20 women, reported Deutsche Welle.
In late March, German media reported the king flitting about Dresden, Leipzig and Hanover in his private Boeing 737.
“The king’s behavior during the coronavirus crisis has been a disaster for the reputation of the Thai monarchy,” explained activist Andrew MacGregor Marshall. “(He is) a troubled, sadistic and authoritarian monarch who should have no place in the 21st century.”
Thai residents who dare express criticism of their leader face potentially lengthy prison terms of up to 15 years. There have been numerous cases of citizens being jailed for several years just for posting negative posts about the royal on social media.
“What do we need a king for?” exiled historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul rhetorically asked in a tweet that displayed Vajirlalongkorn’s flight path to Germany.
And younger citizens, mostly under 30, are calling for the abolition of the monarchy.
“Honestly, I already want to have a president,” wrote one anonymous social media user.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS