Thai royal family accused of owning fleet of 38 aircraft
Thailand's monarchy is under fire over claims by opposition politicians that the royal family have nearly 40 aircraft at their disposal.
Financial records obtained by opposition MPs are said to reveal that the royal household of King Maha Vajiralongkorn has 38 jets and helicopters - a fleet as big as some airlines.
The claims will add to pressure on the king to rein in the family's spending, which has become a growing political issue for many Thai citizens.
He is already believed to be the world’s richest monarch, with a net worth of around $30bn, but has often been criticised for spendthrift habits.
Details about the apparent size of the monarchy's air fleet were obtained by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of Future Forward, a youth-backed party formed two years ago.
It has campaigned for what it says is long-overdue reform of Thailand's powerful royal and military establishment. Mr Thanathorn launched an unprecedented public probe into the royal finances at a parliamentary budget committee last month.
With the Thai economy tanking due to Covid-19, he is now demanding greater transparency in how royal money is spent. “People are getting furious about this, especially when you look at the macroeconomy,” he told the Financial Times.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn - whose name means "adorned with jewels or thunderbolts" - was crowned in May 2019, almost three years after the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Educated at Millfield public school in Britain, the 64-year-old currently spends most of his time in Germany, where he caused controversy earlier this year for staying in a four-star hotel with an entourage of female followers during the Covid outbreak.
Despite Thailand's strict lèse majesté laws, which make criticism of the monarchy punishable by jail, details of his hotel stay sparked outspoken protests on social media, with a Thai hashtag of “Why do we need a king?” appearing 1.2 million times on Twitter.
Mr Thanathorn, 41, who was previously the boss of a large Thai manufacturing firm, was elected as an MP in 2019. His youth, good looks and progressive views have seen him described as a Thai version of French President Emmanuel Macron.
He said that requests for greater detail about the royal spending had been refused. The king is a qualified pilot and often flies the royal aircraft himself. It is not known whether the figure of 38 aircraft included only planes in current use or also included those used in the past.
Student protesters, who are demanding reform of Thailand's constitution, are expected to raise the issue of the royal budget at a rally on Saturday. Some are demanding a separation of Crown property from the king’s personal assets.
