Thai King's sons wind up surprise first visit home in 27 years
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Mr Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse (left) and Dr Chakriwat Vivacharawongse are the second and third of four sons of King Vajiralongkorn’s second wife.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BANGKOK - The two sons of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn ended their first visit to Thailand in 27 years on Monday, without any comment on their surprise arrival from the palace.
Mr Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse arrived in Thailand last week
Photos in local media at the weekend showed that his younger brother, Dr Chakriwat Vivacharawongse, had also arrived.
The pair visited a hospital and paid homage to their ancestors. Dr Chakriwat, 40, is the founder of New York’s Chakriwat Medical Information Centre.
Their visits come at a fraught time for the royal family, with the monarch’s eldest daughter in a coma since December.
“This was a fast week. There were many things we wanted to do and see in Thailand, but there wasn’t a lot of time,” Mr Vacharaeson told reporters on Monday before leaving from the country’s main Suvarnabhumi Airport.
“We received love and warmth from everyone we met,” he said.
Mr Vacharaesorn and Dr Chakriwat are the second and third of four sons of King Vajiralongkorn’s second wife, Ms Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, a former actress whom the then-crown prince divorced in 1996.
Mr Vacharaesorn, his mother, three brothers and one sister were estranged from the prince after the divorce, in which his mother was publicly accused of adultery, and they moved abroad.
Mr Vacharaesorn’s younger sister was later re-embraced by the royal family and given the royal title Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana. REUTERS
