September 3, 2019--King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun

Did you know that the King of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, has a "consort"? Maj. Gen. Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi.

When I read about this official consort in the Gray Lady New York Times more than anything else I wanted to share their names with you and the pleasure I took when trying to get them typed without any errors (forget pronunciation).

I can't begin to tell you what SpellCheck did to my efforts. The king's first name, Maha, for example, became Mama.

Now that you're interested, to quote Paul Harvey, here's the rest of the story.   

The position of noble consort, which typically refers to a companion of the monarch, is separate from that of queen. The queen title is held by Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya (more SpellCheck opportunities--Suthida became Soothed), a former flight attendant who is the king’s fourth wife. Queen Suthida later became a general and helped command the king’s bodyguards. 

General Sineenat was named a noble consort last month, on the king’s 67th birthday. It is a title that has not been conferred since Thailand abolished its absolute monarchy in 1932. Before taking up her consort duties, General Sineenat graduated from the Army Nursing College. She is now a member of the king’s bodyguard corps, with the rank of major general.

Both Queen Suthida and General Sineenat participated in the consort's coronation ceremonies, a catered $30 million affair in which the king received a 16-pound Great Crown of Victory.

On the official website of the Royal Household are photos of the consort sitting in an airplane cockpit, wearing a camouflage-printed sports bra, others are of her aiming an assault rifle and standing in combat gear with the king’s pet poodle in her arms. The dog is wearing what appears to be a black leather top.

Not exactly The King And I. But is a puzzlement.