Just quickly, do New Mandala readers have anything to add to this report of recent royal aeronautical feats. The report makes it sounds like the Thai Crown Prince has been flying around “on a 4-5 week tour of European airports”. My brief searches of royal news don’t turn up any further details but I expect many readers will be keen to learn more. Last year there was word (reported here on New Mandala) that the prince was receiving flight training in Sweden. Is this the same thing?
On an unrelated note, readers may also be interested in this recent article that asks the imponderable, “What happens when the king goes?”
17 responses so far ↓
1 Andy // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:45 am
I the German language forum nittaya.de a member reported that the Crown Prince was at a town festival in the Munich suburb Erding. In a later posting was a link to this photo of his plane parked at Munich airport.
2 msot // Jul 14, 2008 at 2:11 pm
He comes here to do his local flight-training a couple of times a year for 2 or 3 days. Every time he goes back to digs, police stop all traffic for long periods. The fact that he personally sees nothing wrong with this is indicative that he is either hugely out-of-touch or just flat-out arrogant. It’s probably both.
3 Reg Varney // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I could be wrong, but the prince seems to have been away since early/mid June. I heard that he is doing some kind of upgrade training. Captain’s rating? Anyone know more about this?
By the way, is this his personal plane? I know it says “Royal Flight”, but the logo appears to be his. I realise that these royals get lots of stuff, but a plane of his own? Really?
4 Bangkok Pundit // Jul 14, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Reg: It is necessary to comply with the sufficiency economy doctrine. It is not his plane as such, but for use by the Royal Family. They have a couple of planes.
5 Reg Varney // Jul 14, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Bkk Pundit, all useful. But I still have a question. This plane in the photo, said to have been taken in Germany, shows a different kind of plane, a different livery – it is “Royal Flight” rather than “RTAF” and it has the prince’s logo on the tail fin. Seems like he has his very own toy.
6 Srithanonchai // Jul 15, 2008 at 3:29 pm
#2 The Crown Prince and his family seem to have disappeared from the Royal Household news for some time. His trips to Germany are also not reported about, as far as I know.
7 Reg Varney // Jul 15, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Srithanonchai : You are right on the point about the news of the prince’s trips not been reported (unlike other royal globetrotters). However, the prince’s wife was on TV a couple of weeks ago, visiting a bunch of hospitals and kiddie things just outside Bangkok. Maybe a kik went to Germany??
8 Bangkok Pundit // Jul 16, 2008 at 5:23 am
Srithanonchai : Dead silence on the Crown Prince’s trip. Same thing last year and well we know what kind of speculation there is.
You have to wonder with the daily 20 minute Royal News and over two to three months, why can’t they fit in a couple of minute segment? I swear one of the other royals was in the region recently.
9 manning sawwinner // Jul 16, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Don’t waste your attention on this completely useless imitation of a royal.
10 Reg Varney // Jul 17, 2008 at 3:57 pm
manning – imitation? you mean he’s an illegitimate royal? He may not be to your taste, but he sure costs the Thai taxpayer a fortune! The whole family does! So he deserves critical attention, just like the rest of his family.
11 msot // Jul 19, 2008 at 3:34 am
Your last sentence says it all, Reg. Although we might amend to “like the rest of us”.
12 manning sawwinner // Jul 19, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Dear Reg, I am not referring to illegitimacy by any means. My point is that, the way things are, there is nothing you can do about it, critical attention or not. So calm down and let nature take its course.
13 ST // Jul 20, 2008 at 1:41 am
Somebody at Munich Airport told me he makes his Aviation Licence at Lufthansa. Seems like he dont had one before but had one Charity Flight some time back lol
14 Reg Varney // Jul 20, 2008 at 9:31 pm
msot: “like the rest of us” – we all most certainly do not require critical attention. Most of us are not public figures and nor do we take billions of whatever currency from state coffers to support us.
15 Reg Varney // Jul 20, 2008 at 9:32 pm
BTW, the prince is back on TV for kaho phansa.
16 ThaiCrisis // Jul 21, 2008 at 12:33 pm
So calm down and let nature take its course.
Nature ?
Anyway. I believe that open information and public scrutiny are the best solutions. People should be informed.
It’s enough of those stupid little secrets that eventually fuel the rumors machine, over and over again.
Times of secrecy seem to be over. We don’t like it ? We regret the good old days ? Well, it’s the same price.
Now with Internet, a reader can tell us that he saw prince’s aircraft at the airport in Munich. We can cross informations with local medias, all over the world.
So eventually, it highlights the strange ways of doing of thai medias. And eventually, and unfortutanly, it deserves the royal family.
To be a public figure without public scrutiny… just can’t work anymore.
Surely, Thailand might be willing to avoid this reality… But the question is : is it possible ?
17 manning sawwinner // Jul 21, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That’s what I mean by “nature”. Que sera sera!
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