Former flight attendant becomes Thai queen
A former flight attendant for Thai Airways has become the queen of Thailand after a surprise wedding.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, became the constitutional monarch three years ago after the death of his father in 2016.
He has been married and divorced three times and has seven children.
He has now married his long term partner and royal consort, general Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya, who was deputy head of his personal bodyguard unit.
It is believed the pair met on a Thai Airways flight while she was working as cabin crew. She was then given the bodyguard role and now has the title of Queen Suthida.
The wedding, which takes place days before the king’s coronation, has come as a surprise to many Thai people. The couple’s relationship has never been officially acknowledged even though they have been seen together in public for several years.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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