Once-Exiled Son of Thai King Says Royals Must Allow Criticism
- ‘I believe in freedom of speech’: Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse
- Line of royal succession in Thailand remains unclear
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When he arrives at a school in northern Thailand, hundreds of villagers immediately spring to their feet, pressing their palms together in a traditional wai to show respect. A few even drop to their knees.
This is Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, suddenly one of the most intriguing men in Thailand. Once a struggling young person in America, selling hot dogs at sporting events and vacuums door-to-door to earn cash, he’s now being discussed as a possibility to become the most powerful person in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy – and one of the wealthiest in Asia.