The German embassy in Bangkok became a new focal point of Thailand’s months-long pro-democracy rallies on Monday as thousands marched on the building to petition Berlin to investigate the Thai king’s use of his powers while residing in Bavaria. Since 2007, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who ascended to the throne in 2016, has spent long periods of time in southern Germany. But his extended presence on German soil has become a diplomatic headache for Berlin during Thailand’s nationwide rallies, where some protest leaders have made bold demands for the monarchy to be reformed – long a taboo subject in the Southeast Asian nation because of strict lese majeste laws. In Germany, Heiko Maas, the foreign minister warned the king against using the country as a base to conduct Thai politics. “We are monitoring this long-term,” Mr Maas said. “It will have immediate consequences if there are things that we assess to be illegal.” His comments came as the embassy’s premises in central Bangkok turned into a potential flashpoint between rival protest groups on Monday.
