by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
Photo: Zimbio
Srirasm Suwadi, the former Princess Srirasm of Thailand, was the third wife of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, the son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Sirikit Kitiyakara, and now King of Thailand. She was born Srirasm Akharapongpreecha on December 9, 1971, the third of five children of Aphirut and Wanthanee Akharaphongpreecha. Following her primary education, she attended the Bangkok Business College. In 1993, she became a lady-in-waiting in the Crown Prince’s household. She later graduated from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Management Science, and Kasetsart University in 2007 with a master’s degree in Home Economics.
Srirasm and the Crown Prince were married on February 10, 2001, at the Nonthaburi Palace. Their marriage was not announced until early 2005 when Srirasm was pregnant with the couple’s only son. After his birth, she was elevated to Princess of Thailand.
- Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (born 2005)
Following her son’s birth, she founded the “Sai Yai Rak Jak Mae Su Luk” (Love and care from mother to children) campaign. This organization promotes breastfeeding and healthy upbringing of children. She was often seen at official events along with her husband, both within Thailand as well as representing the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at events elsewhere in the world.
On December 10, 2014, the couple divorced. Two days later, Srirasm relinquished her royal titles and the Thai royal palace released this statement: “Princess Srirasmi, wife of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn… has written to respectfully resign from her status in the royal family and permission has been granted by His Majesty the King.”
After Srirasmi’s divorce, her parents were arrested for lèse-majesté, a French term meaning “to do wrong to majesty”, is an offense against the dignity of a reigning sovereign Thailand’s criminal code has carried a prohibition against lèse-majesté since 1908. Srirasmi’s parents later admitted to misusing their royal connection twelve years earlier which led to a former neighbor being jailed on bogus fraud charges. Both were sentenced to five years in prison, which was reduced to two and a half years.
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