summary
After the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn declared that he wanted to put off his coronation for at least a year in order to mourn his father. This was addressed by the current prime minister of Thai, Prayuth Chan-Ocha. The crown prince’s message was for the people to not be worried about the country’s administration or the succession, and to wait until the sad time is over. The monarchy has a very important place in Thailand, and the military, which has traditionally been fiercely loyal to the monarchy, has made it clear that the crown prince is going to be the next king. However, no announcement of when this will take place hasn’t been announced. The country of Thailand will go into a year of official mourning, with the cremation scheduled at least a year away.
opinion
I think the crown prince is acting a little too selfishly, especially while having the responsibilities of a monarch. The death of a family member is always hard, and I’m sure the deceased King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a most revered character, not just to the prince but to the whole country. But a whole year for mourning and no clear indication of how the government will be run in the future? That’s way too overboard. Even if one of my own parents died, I would be able to, or I would have to, decide what to do after a few weeks. The country of Thailand cannot be named as a politically balanced country, and I feel that “Don’t be confused, don’t be worried” from a crown prince with questions about competence isn’t enough of a reassurance for the citizens to live in peace.