Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attends a succession ceremony to become King Rama X in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec.1, 2016. Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn accepted invitation from parliament president to ascend to the throne and thus formally proclaimed King Rama X in a televised ceremony broadcast late Thursday. (Photo/Agencies)
Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn accepted invitation from parliament president to ascend to the throne and thus formally proclaimed King Rama X in a televised ceremony broadcast late Thursday.
"I accepted the invitation to ascend to the throne," Vajiralongkorn said in a televised statement, followed by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's televised address, in which Prayut said "we have a new king now".
King Vajiralongkorn's formal title is "His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun".
According to the televised ceremony, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, head of parliament, or National Legislative Assembly, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Supreme Court President Veerapol Tungsuwan and the current Regent Prem Tingsulanondaare were granted an audience with the prince at about 19:16 at Bangkok's Dusit Palace, during which Pornpetch invited the prince to formally ascend the throne.
Since Vajiralongkorn accepted the invitation, he is now King Rama X, or the 10th king of the Chakri dynasty founded in 1782, succeeding his father, revered late King King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died at 88 on Oct. 13.
King Vajiralongkorn's formal coronation will not happen before his father's royal cremation later next year.
