Image copyright Reuters Image caption The crown prince had delayed succession in order to join people in mourning

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is to be confirmed as the new king of Thailand on 1 December, a senior source has told the BBC. Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attends an event commemorating the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, as he joins people during the mourning of his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct. 13 at the age of 88 has plunged the Southeast Asian nation of 67 million people into a year of mourning. News of the December timeframe follows the prince’s departure for Germany at the weekend where he had personal business to attend to, one senior military source told Reuters, adding that the prince would return in November. “We are making preparations. Everything is being prepared for Dec. 1,” said another senior military source who declined to be identified. “But this timeframe also depends on His Royal Highness.”

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had said the prince’s formal ascension could be within seven to 15 days of the king’s death, or later. Speaking on behalf of the prince hours after King Bhumibol’s death, Prayuth said the prince wanted to grieve with the people and leave the formal succession until later, when parliament will invite him to ascend the throne. His formal coronation, however, cannot take place until after the king’s cremation in a year’s time. Strict lese-majeste laws protect the most senior members of Thailand's royal family from insult or threat.
Thailand is preparing for the December 1, 2016, ascension of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to the throne, according to senior military sources.