The wife of the Thai king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has not appeared in public since December 28. Queen Suthida was supposed to represent her husband at a funeral ceremony on Monday, but Royal Concubine Senenat appeared in the place of the Queen.

The palace provided no explanation for Suthida’s absence. She was briefly featured in Royal News on Thai TV Sunday evening, but it turned out to be recordings made in mid-December.

Observers speak of a fierce internal struggle between the Queen and the “noble comrade” of the interests of the volatile Vajiralongkorn.

More recently, this has been increasingly seen with Sineenat, known in Thailand as Koi. On Sunday, the court distributed an illustration drawn by the king.

Koning has pushed wives aside before

What immediately stood out around the print was the reference to Koi. However, the fact that it was announced earlier in the official calendar that the Queen would attend the funeral service was a reassurance to many that Suthida was not left out.

Suthida will not be Vajiralongkorn’s first wife to be separated. It was preceded by three women: Princess Soamsawali, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse and Srirasmi Suwadee. Only Soamsawali, the king’s niece, remains in royal circles due to her ancestors.

Vivacharawongse is sent into exile with four of her five children, and Suwadee is in a concentration camp, a fate that befell her for nearly a year. Therefore, there are now concerns about the fate of Suthida, whom Vajiralongkorn married in May 2019.