Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana’s Birthday in Thailand Date in the current year: June 3, 2024

Before ascending the throne, Vajiralongkorn was married three times. The first wife of the then-Crown Prince was Princess Soamsawali Kitiyakara, Vajiralongkorn’s first cousin. They married in 1977 and had one daughter born the following year.

However, just a couple of years after his wedding the Crown Prince started living with aspiring actress Yuvadhida Polpraserth. She gave birth to five children, all born out of wedlock since Princess Soamsawali refused to divorce Vajiralongkorn. The divorce was finalized in 1991, and the Prince married Yuvadhida Polpraserth in 1994. Two years later, she fled to the United Kingdom with her children.

In 2001, Vajiralongkorn got married for the third time. His new wife was Srirasmi Suwadee, a commoner who had been serving for him as a lady-in-waiting since 1992. They had one child together and divorced after 13 years of marriage. Srirasmi had to relinquish her royal titles because several members of her family were accused of corruption.

Vajiralongkorn’s fourth wife, Queen Suthida, was born Suthida Tidjai on June 3, 1978. There is little information about her early life, but it is known that she graduated from Assumption University in Bangkok with a B.A. in communication arts and then worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways. Around 2010, Suthida joined the King’s Guard.

It is believed that she became romantically involved with the then-Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2014, sometime around his divorce from Princess Srirasmi. Several months before the divorce, Suthida was appointed commander of the prince’s household guard.

On December 1, 2016 (the day when Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne as the tenth king of the Chakri dynasty), Suthida was promoted to the rank of general (after only six years of service) and appointed commander of the Special Operations Unit of the King’s Guard. The next year, she was appointed acting commander of Royal Thai Aide-de-Camp Department in the re-organized Royal Security Command.

In 2017, Suthida was awarded the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao that is usually bestowed upon members of the royal family, foreign monarchs, heads of state and government. She was named a Dame Grand Cross, becoming the first female recipient to receive the honor since 2004 and the first in the reign of King Rama X.

Suthida was first referred to as Vajiralongkorn’s consort shortly before his ascension to the throne, although the palace never confirmed their relationship officially. The wedding took place on May 1, 2019, shortly before the official coronation ceremony, with President of Privy Council Prem Tinsulanond and the King’s sister Princess Sirindhorn as witnesses. Ten days after the coronation, the queen consort’s birthday was officially declared a public holiday.