Thai Prince Strips In-Laws of Royal Name

The Crown Price of Thailand has issued an order to forbid his wife's family from using the royal name following charges of corruption and lèse-majesté, speaking ill of the royal family. A group of police officers with ties to Princess Srirasm, the wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and the mother of presumed heir Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, were charged with mass corruption, including running illegal casinos, money laundering, and – most controversially – using monarchy symbols for their own benefit. Thai media rarely scrutinizes negative reports about the royal family and details surrounding this most recent case are typically vague. However, the lèse-majesté charge has caught people's attention. Thailand is very strict about what can be said about the royal family and people can be convicted of violating lèse-majesté laws for seemingly innocuous conversations. Since she was a commoner before her marriage, Princess Srirasm's royal status and rights may be in jeopardy.