Vajiralongkorn

Vajiralongkorn (วชิราลงกรณ;, ; born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand.

He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit.

Vajiralongkorn was born on 28 July 1952 at 17:45 in the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall of the Dusit Palace in Bangkok.

Vajiralongkorn began his education in 1956 when he entered kindergarten at the Chitralada School in Dusit Palace.

After completing Mathayom 1 (grade seven), he was sent to be educated at private schools in the United Kingdom, first at a prep school, King's Mead, Seaford, Sussex, and then at Millfield School, in Somerset, where he completed his secondary education in July 1970.

In August 1970, he attended a five-week military training course at The King's School, in Sydney, Australia.

In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father.

In 1972, the prince enrolled at the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra, Australia.

His education at Duntroon was divided into two parts, military training by the Australian Army and a bachelor's degree course under the auspices of the University of New South Wales.

Vajiralongkorn was proclaimed crown prince on 28 December 1972 at 12:23 in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, making him the third crown prince of the Chakri dynasty.

An excerpt from the royal command to establish the title of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn reads:

"As stated in the bliss or the country's royal statutes, when a Royal Prince who is destined to be heir to the throne is mature, the King shall graciously bestow the rank upon him of Somdet Phra Yupharat Mongkutratchakuman. At this present time, all people, including citizens of nations worldwide, shall accept and acclaim that His Royal Highness Prince Vajiralongkorn shall succeed to the throne of the Kingdom. When His Royal Highness Prince is mature, at the time that he shall be established as heir to the throne, tradition and a royal tradition Kattii ceremony should be observed, consistent with the citizens and all leaders of the country of all sides. Therefore, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej hereby decrees for His Royal Highness Prince Vajiralongkorn to be His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn per the name written in the Supannabhat as Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun Sirikittayasombunsawangwat Worakhuttiyarajsantiwong Mahitalaphong Adulayadet Chakkrinaresyuppharajvisut Sayammakutratchakuman...."

He graduated in 1976 as a new lieutenant with a liberal arts degree.

He started his army career as a staff officer in the Directorate of Army Intelligence and attended the Command and General Staff College in 1977.

Crown Prince Hospitals had been set up in 21 locations in 1977.

On 6 November 1978, at age 26, the prince was ordained as a monk at Wat Phra Kaew.

As is traditional for royals, he stayed at Wat Bowonniwet Vihara for 15 days, under the monastic name "Vajiralongkornno".

After completing his studies, Vajiralongkorn served as a career officer in the Royal Thai Army.

After that he became Deputy Commander of the King Chulalongkorn's Own Guards, the 4th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment in 1978.

In 1980 he was appointed as a Commander of the 4th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment.

The event occurred one day after the 80th birthday of his father.

Vajiralongkorn established "Crown Prince Hospitals" through funds donated by the public to serve as medical and health care centers for people living in remote areas.

In 1982, he completed a second bachelor's degree in law, with second-class honors at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

In 1992 he became Commander of the Royal Security Command.

He is a military pilot qualified to fly the Northrop F-5, F-16, and the Boeing 737-400.

His military role in recent years has become increasingly ceremonial.

As his father grew older, Vajiralongkorn took a more prominent part in royal ceremonial and public appearances.

He officially opened the 2007 Southeast Asian Games, held in Nakhon Ratchasima.

These hospitals had become major community hospitals providing services of international standards to the general public in 2011.

Also interested in agricultural development, Vajiralongkorn has accepted the "Mobile Agricultural Clinic Project" under his patronage.

The project provides prompt services to farmers to enhance efficiency in farm production and solve farmers' problems.

It provides experts in various agricultural fields who can advise farmers on plants, livestock, fisheries, and land development.

When the crown prince was one year old, Somdet Phra Sangkharat Chao Kromma Luang Vajirananavongse, the 13th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand of the Rattanakosin Era, gave the child his first name at birth, Vajiralongkorn Boromchakrayadisorn Santatiwong Thewetthamrongsuboribal Abhikkunupakornmahitaladulyadej Bhumibolnaretwarangkun Kittisirisombunsawangwat Boromkhattiyarajakumarn.

After his father's death on 13 October 2016, he was expected to ascend to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne.

He accepted the throne on the night of 1 December 2016.

The Thai government retroactively declared his reign to have begun on 13 October 2016, upon his father's death.

As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X.

Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.

He is the wealthiest monarch in the world, with a net worth estimated to be between US$30 billion and US$70 billion.

His coronation took place from 4–6 May 2019.