Bangkok — An unusually high number of curious netizens caused the Thai royal palace’s website to crash after photos of the king’s royal consort were released online on Monday (Aug 27).
King Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed the 34-year-old Major-General Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi as the Royal Noble Consort during his 67th birthday last July.
General Sineenat was a former nurse and bodyguard to the king.
She was the first appointment in such a position for almost 100 years.
According to an initial report by Reuters, the king appointed Sineenat as consort after he married his fourth wife Suthida Tidjai (41), a former flight attendant and deputy head of the king’s personal guard force.
More than 60 photos were released on Thailand’s Royal Household Bureau’s website along with a 40-page biography of General Sineenat.
Such photos include those of General Sineenat wearing a camouflage-print sports bra while flying an aircraft and other candid shots of her in combat fatigues as she aimed an assault rifle.
She is also seen holding hands with the king while she carried the royal pet dog appears to be wearing a black leather top.
According to the biography posted on the website, General Sineenat took courses on jungle warfare and night parachuting.
The photos posted on the royal website were regarded as quite an unprecedented and uncharacteristic move.
Netizens were amused by the photos and achievements of Sineenat who became a general at 34 years old. Other netizens commented how she reminded them of popular video game icon Lara Croft./TISG