
Thailand's colourful new King bought his mistress and his former air stewardess wife to his father's lavish cremation service.

For many men, the idea of their wife and their mistress being within 100 miles of each other is enough to bring them out in a cold sweat.

But King Maha Vajiralongkorn decided he wanted both of the special women in his life by his side as Bangkok paid tribute to King Bhuminbol, during a mass ceremony today.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn (centre) of Thailand marches during his father's funeral procession alongside his wife Suthida Tidjai (far left)

King Maha's alleged lover Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi screams an order as she takes part, marching in a military uniform with the rank of colonel

The 65-year-old father-of-seven is known for his eyebrow-raising antics, whether its wearing a skimpy yellow crop top while shopping with a mystery woman, racing around in sports cars or reports of dubious business dealings.

And as his wife Suthida Tidjai marched alongside him in the procession, followed by his alleged lover Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, it appeared his ascension to the throne would not be curbing his old habits.

Both women were wearing full military dress during the tribute today, as the Thai capital was brought to a standstill to pay respects to their longest reigning monarch.

Tidjai, a former Thai Aiways stewardess, has been romantically linked with the King since 2008.

She has never been officially announced as his wife, but her honorific titles imply that the pair are married. She holds the rank of general in the Thai military and is believed to be the head of the King's official bodyguard unit.

King Maha was spotted with Tidjai, while wearing a white crop top, covered in what appeared to be fake tattoos, and holding a small white dog as he boarded a plane in Germany last year.

The alleged second woman in King Maha's life, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was first seen with the monarch strolling around a shopping centre in Munich, during July last year.

In the embarrassing footage, shared on Facebook, the King was wearing a crop top and sporting fake tattoos.

The King was spotted with Tidjai, while wearing a white crop top, covered in what appeared to be fake tattoos, and holding a small white dog as he boarded a plane in Germany last year

Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi was first seen with King Maha strolling around a shopping centre in Munich, during July last year

The video caused outrage in Bangkok with Thai authorities threatening to launch legal action against the social media giant.

Wongvajirapakdi is a former nurse, but since romantically linked with the King she has found herself promoted to the rank of colonel in the military.

King Maha led a procession of his father's ashes through the streets of Bangkok as part of an elaborate five-day funeral that drew hundreds of thousands of black-clad mourners to the Bangkok's historic old quarter today.

He presided over the burning of his father's remains in a golden crematorium at a late-night ceremony yesterday.

Thousands of mourners stayed to watch as smoke rose from the crematorium with many sobbing and crying loudly.

King Maha picks bits of his father's charred bones and remains to be enshrined as relics following a spectacular cremation

Royal palace officials move royal relics of late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a royal procession in Bangkok

The crowds had diminished by today, but thousands of people still lined the streets to glimpse what they could of a ceremony that in total cost $90million.

'I can't express my sadness at the loss. It's like a child longing for a parent,' said Boonpherm Buatho, 56, a housekeeper.

Shielded from the sun by a large white-and-gold umbrella, King Vajiralongkorn led a religious ceremony to return his father's remains to the palace. He sprinkled the bones with sacred water as classical Thai music played.

The remains were blessed by Thailand's Supreme Patriarch, the head of the order of Buddhist monks. The late king's bones were then taken to the Grand Palace, where he has lain in state since his death last October.

King Maha (second left) marches with the royal guards during the royal procession transferring the royal relics and ashes of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok

Hundreds of took part in the procession to the royal palace including drummers dressed in vibrant red outfits

Although Thailand does not conduct polls on the monarchy's popularity - partly because of strict laws that protect the royal family from insult - the king built up a wide personal following and is often referred to as 'father'.

The ceremony on Thursday brought Thailand to a standstill as many businesses, including banks, shut to honour the late king.

The late king's nine-spired crematorium, built to honour the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, features intricate carvings and staircases with sculptures of nagas - a half-human, half- cobra beings - among other mythical creatures.

Pictures of mourners wearing black and holding photographs of the late king flooded social media in Thailand, with many using popular hashtags such as #rama9, #kingofkings, and #thegreatestking.

The first of those temples contains the ashes of many royals. The second is where King Bhumibol was ordained as a monk - a tradition for many Thai men - and is the centre of the strict Thammayut sect founded by the late king's great grandfather.

Raised in Switzerland, Bhumibol ascended the throne aged 18 in 1946 after his elder brother Ananda Mahidol was shot dead in mysterious circumstances at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.