John Ciorciari was quoted in the October 13 Wall Street Journal article by James Hookway: “After Thai king’s death, crown prince has a hard act to follow.”
The highly-popular monarch of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died on Thursday at age 88. His successor, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, is now set to take the throne. Ciorciari argues that the new king will face an uphill battle in winning the love and respect that his father held during his 70-year reign.
Because Adulyadej had been an important figure in the country for so long, Ciorciari says, Vajiralongkorn “will almost certainly not enjoy the same prestige or sway.”
The article describes Prince Vajiralongkorn as somewhat of a “black sheep” in the royal family. However, Vajiralongkorn will have a year to prepare for the kingship as the country undergoes a period of mourning before crowning the next king.
John Ciorciari is associate professor of public policy at the Ford School and director of the Ford School’s International Policy Center.