Vajiralongkorn << wah chee RAH loong kawn >> (1952-…) became king of Thailand in December 2016. His official name as king is Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. As the 10th sovereign in the Chakri dynasty (family of rulers), which was founded in 1782, Vajiralongkorn is also known as Rama X. His father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, was king of Thailand from 1946 until his death in October 2016.
Vajiralongkorn was born in the city of Bangkok, Thailand, on July 28, 1952. He is the only son of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit. He has three sisters. Vajiralongkorn attended primary school in Thailand and secondary school in England. In 1975, he graduated from Australia’s Royal Military College at Duntroon in the Australian Capital Territory. In the 1970’s, he served as a military pilot in the Thai army. During this period, he took part in military operations against Communist forces in Thailand.
In 1972, Bhumibol officially made Vajiralongkorn crown prince and heir to the throne. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, Maha Vajiralongkorn lived a largely private life, spending much of his time in Europe. He has been married four times and has seven children. In December 2016, after a mourning period for his father, Maha Vajiralongkorn formally accepted the invitation of Thailand’s National Assembly to become king. He ascended the throne on Dec. 1, 2017. His formal coronation took place in May 2019.
