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SCMP’s Asia desk

The third son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has said he wants to return home for urgent brain surgery.
Chakriwat “Than Aong” Vivacharawongse posted a video on social media on Monday saying he had two large brain tumours requiring surgery. The 43-year-old doctor said he wanted to receive treatment in Thailand.
“I want to return to Thailand for treatment because Thai doctors are highly capable,” he said in the video.
Chakriwat said he did not have enough money to pay for the surgery in Malaysia or the United States, where he had been living, adding that he could be bedridden or even die if he did not receive proper treatment in time.

Chakriwat is the third of four sons born to the king and Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. The former actress had five children with the then crown prince while he was married to his first cousin, Princess Soamsawali. Sujarinee married the crown prince in 1994, but following their divorce two years later, she was exiled to the US with her sons.
All four of Sujarinee’s sons have long been estranged from the palace and do not use any royal titles.
In August 2023, Chakriwat and his older brother, Vacharaesorn, returned to Thailand for the first time in 27 years.
“This was a fast week. There were many things we wanted to do and see in Thailand but there wasn’t a lot of time,” Vacharaesorn said at the time before leaving from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, according to Reuters. “We received love and warmth from everyone we met.”
Their short visit passed without incident, but when their brothers, Juthavachara and Vatchrawee, later tried a similar trip, they were denied entry at the border.
Chakriwat has been living with neurofibromatosis type 2 since he was 13. The genetic condition, also known as NF2-related schwannomatosis, can cause tumours to grow along nerves and inside the brain and spinal cord.
While most of these tumours are generally benign, their size and location can still cause serious problems by putting pressure on the brain, spinal cord or nerves.


By 2015, Chakriwat had already undergone 10 open operations alongside several Gamma Knife and CyberKnife radiation procedures, according to news outlet Thai Enquirer.
His worsening health became public earlier this month when he shared that he was unwell. “I’m determined to get better. I’m trying every day,” he wrote.
On Friday night, he posted photos and videos of himself in hospital, saying: “My health is truly in terrible condition, and I am at risk of becoming bedridden or facing death. This is the honest opinion of three to four neurologists I know. I am in urgent need of brain surgery.”
His brothers later released a message expressing alarm over his condition. They said they did not know where he was or what treatment he was receiving, and offered to help him if he responded.
This year has been a difficult one for the king. In June, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, his eldest child and only daughter with Princess Soamsawali, died at age 47 after spending more than three years in a coma.
Her death raised questions about succession in the House of Mahidol.
The 74-year-old king has seven children. With Chakriwat and his three brothers outside the line of succession, the eligible choices are Chakriwat’s sister, Princess Sirivannavari, and 21-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the king’s son with his third former wife, Srirasmi Suwadee.


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Chakriwat Vivacharawongse says he faces paralysis or death from brain tumours as he appeals to receive medical care in Bangkok


Chakriwat Vivacharawongse says he faces paralysis or death from brain tumours as he appeals to receive medical care in Bangkok.


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King of Thailand’s estranged son seeks return for urgent brain surgery

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chakriwat Vivacharawongse says he faces paralysis or death from brain tumours as he appeals to receive medical care in Bangkok

Chakriwat Vivacharawongse says he faces paralysis or death from brain tumours as he appeals to receive medical care in Bangkok