The estranged heir to Thailand‘s monarchy could be prevented from ascending to the throne after he married an American woman.
According to The Daily Beast, Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, 42, is married to American citizen Elisa Garafano, with the couple having two children.
Vivacharawongse is Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s estranged son and was exiled alongside his three brothers to live abroad after the then-crown prince announced a divorce between their mother.
Marriage to a foreign citizen is an automatic bar to taking the throne in Thailand, with the marriage causing a potential succession crisis for the family.
Vivacharawongse has reportedly told close friends that he is splitting up with Garafano, a civil servant in White Plains, which would open the door for him to take the throne.
Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, 42, is married to American citizen Elise Garafano, with the couple having two children
Vivacharawongse has reportedly told close friends that he is splitting up with Garafano (pictured)
Marriage to a foreign citizen is an automatic bar to taking the throne in Thailand, with the marriage causing a potential succession crisis for the family. Vivacharawongse is seen here with Mark Wahlberg
Brought up in the United States, Vacharaesorn works as a lawyer in New York and speaks English and French
Garafano filed for divorce, which is currently under seal, and sources told the outlet that she suspended proceedings and told allies they are not divorced.
He is alleged to have told close sources that she wants to be recognized along with their children.
A source told the Daily Beast: ‘Vach is still married to Elisa and they do still live together, but he very much wants to keep that fact, and the fact of their children, secret because of the impact it would have on his ambition to win the throne.’
Another told the outlet: ‘Vach and Elisa were openly married for years, but since he started competing for the throne he began trying to keep it hidden, and has told people he is now divorced, even in public comments on social media.’
Vivacharawongse said he was no longer living at their home in a suburb of New York City, and that he know had a separate apartment, when approached by the outlet.
Public records indicate that he is still living with his wife and children, with their time at the property stretching back nine years.
In a statement, Vach said: ‘I am not conceding anything. I have no further comments on the intricacies of my private life and family arrangements.
‘Not everyone is fortunate enough to have an ideal family situation. I do not live with Elisa. I have another rented residence. We have a cordial relationship and I am at the address quite often.’
Vivacharawongse (pictured with Mark Wahlberg) has reportedly told close friends that he is splitting up with Garafano, but divorce proceedings have been reportedly suspended
Vivacharawongse (pictured with actress Gwyneth Paltrow) said he was no longer living at their home in a suburb of New York City, and that he know had a separate apartment
After his exile with his brothers, Vivacharawongse’s half-sister from the king’s next marriage Princess Bajrakitiyabha was installed as the heir apparent.
In December 2022, Bajrakitiyabha collapsed due to heart arrhythmia, which the royal palace later said was from a mycoplasma infection.
Bajrakitiyabha has been unconscious and remained on life support since and is believed to be in an irreversible coma.
After being away from his home country for three decades Vivacharawongse then made an appearance in Thailand and was soon talked as the new heir apparent.
Vivacharawongse’s marriage has not been reported in coverage of him in Thai media, with it being illegal to criticize the monarchy in the country.
According to the Daily Beast, Vivacharawongse is also being pursued for $94,000 in unpaid credit charges by American Express.
The outlet also added that he is being sued for $1.88 million in a dispute with a Canadian law firm.
If he did take the throne of Thailand, he would also land his father’s astonishing $40 billion fortune.
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn married his long-term consort Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, pictured during the ceremony at the Ampornsan Throne Hall in Bangkok, just days before his coronation in 2019
On his social media pages, Vivacharawongse has shared images of himself alongside celebrities including Mark Wahlberg, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rob Lowe.
It wouldn’t be the first time a member of the Thai monarchy had been stripped of their titles after marrying an American.
The current King’s elder sister Ubolratana was stripped of her titles by her father King Bhumibol in 1972 after she married an American she met while studying at MIT.
Thailand’s present ruler King Maha Vajiralongkorn married his long-term consort and gave her the title Queen Suthida just days before his coronation in 2019.
Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya, a former Thai Airways flight attendant, was promoted from General to hold ‘royal title and status as part of the royal family’.
Photos from the ceremony show her lying prostrate at his feet, in according with royal tradition in Thailand, in which the ruling monarch is seen as god-like and semi-divine, and is revered as such among his subjects.
As a result, he must always be seated higher than everyone else, and during official ceremonies, events, and speeches, the monarch’s feet are supposed to be above the heads of those around him.
