World

Hated Son May Take Thai King’s Crown After Shock Twist

SUCCESSION

The eccentric King of Thailand wanted his daughter to succeed him but a near-fatal health condition could lead to an explosive showdown.

A photo illustration of Thailand’s exiled prince, Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, surrounded by his father, King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his half-sister, Princess Bajrakitiyabha.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters

As a teenager, Prince Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, the second son of the present king of Thailand, was left in little doubt about the contempt in which his father held him.

Not content with banning “Vach” (pronounced “Vatch”) from the country along with his siblings, his father, the

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