Taking refuge in 5-star Hampshire hotel: Thailand's Crown Prince and his retinue of 30

 
Heir apparent: Maha Vajiralongkorn with his wife Princess Srirasmi
Anna Dubuis23 May 2014

The Crown prince of Thailand has set up camp at a five-star hotel in the Hampshire countryside as his nation is wracked by political violence.

While Maha Vajiralongkorn and his royal retinue have taken over a wing of grade-II listed Tylney Hall in the village of Rotherwick, 6,000 miles away the Royal Thai Army — in which he holds the rank of general — are taking control of his country following six months of political unrest and street protests.

Thailand’s powerful military has declared martial law, suspended the constitution, and imposed a night-time curfew with soldiers fanning out across the capital Bangkok. It comes after a court ordered the removal of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over alleged abuse of power, and mounting tension between her “Yellow-shirt” opponents and “Red-shirt” supporters.

Meanwhile, Prince Vajiralongkorn, heir apparent to revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has set up residence in rural England with a squad of security guards.

Rooms at Tylney Hall start at £250 a night, rising to £530 for the Duke and Duchess Suites with four-poster beds and whirlpool baths. The prince’s entourage arrived a week ago, his possessions being unloaded from a huge lorry. One onlooker said: “There seemed to be hundreds of boxes. It looked like they were planning to stay a while.” A marquee has been set up in the gravelled courtyard to house two top-of-the-range Mercedes, including one with the numberplate THAI 1.

The Crown Prince is staying at Tylney Hall where a marquee has been set up for the party’s two Mercedes

Guards, some wearing colourful uniforms, are stationed inside and out, closely monitoring the movements of other guests. A well drilled security operation took place as the prince returned to the hotel at 9pm. A fleet of cars sped to the front entrance while staff locked all doors leading into the main reception, screening the royal party from view. Less than three minutes later, the doors were reopened and everything returned to normal.

A hotel employee confirmed their presence, saying: “The Thai prince is staying here, he has about 30 people with him. We have hardly seen them as they have been very private. They are staying for 10 days. I don’t think they have visited here before.”

While staff have been sworn to silence, the prince’s presence has been the talk of the walnut-panelled dining room. On Tuesday night, a group of businessmen asked the concierge if he was expecting “the Thais”, to which he replied with a curt: “Not tonight.”

The party's Mercedes under a marquee today Picture: Jeremy Selwyn

Royals have been keeping a distance from other residents and visitors, although they did venture to dinner at the weekend. One guest said: “They have taken over a whole wing of the hotel. The place is crawling with security. I was sat next to the prince at dinner, who was eating with a lady. They were receiving a lot of attention.

“Security guards were everywhere and I noticed what appeared to be a high-ranking Thai general in full military uniform with his medals on. People were complaining about the intrusion because whenever you moved, they moved. My friend went to take a photo of our group and as the flash went off the security guards were leaping around. It wasn’t intimidating but their presence was obvious.”

More than a dozen guards were on duty yesterday while several guests asked hotel staff about the large canopy covering the Mercedes. One said: “It is a bit over the top. There are often Ferraris on this car park but the owners do not ask for them to be covered.”

The 112-room hotel, which dates back to 1700, is set in 66 acres of gardens, woodland and lakes. Facilities include indoor and outdoor pool, glass-domed restaurant, lounge and bar.

Martial law in Thailand - in pictures

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Prince Vajiralongkorn, 61, trained at Australia’s Royal Military College, and since 1975 has served as an officer in the Royal Thai Army. He is also an admiral in the Royal Thai Navy, and air chief marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force.

In the Seventies he led counter- insurgency operations against the Communist Party in northern Thailand, and took part in actions along the border with Cambodia when it was controlled by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge.

He has a reputation for a playboy lifestyle and was at the centre of a scandal in 2009 when an Australian TV channel obtained a video of a lavish birthday party he threw for his miniature poodle Foo Foo, at which his wife Princess Srirasmi reportedly appeared wearing little more than a G-string.

Thailand has been gripped by turmoil since 2006, when former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled by a military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for Thailand’s king. His sister Yingluck was voted into power in 2011, but faced constant protests from the Yellow-shirt movement, mainly from the urban elite and middle class. She and her brother were widely backed by poorer, rural voters.

The declaration of martial law is partly about the stand-off, and the military called both sides in for talks yesterday. But the coup has also been seen as a sign of nervousness over what will happen when the king, 86 and frail, dies. The Crown Prince lacks support among the establishment because he is thought to be close to the Shinawatras.

Last year US diplomatic cables released as part of Wikileaks revealed senior Thai officials expressed concern about his suitability as a successor to his father, and in private many royalists express a preference for his sister, Crown Princess Sirindhorn.

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