This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Thailand’s king has fired six senior palace officials for their “evil actions”, the palace announced Wednesday, days after the monarch stripped his consort of all her titles for “disloyalty”.

In a week of palace intrigue which has gripped the country, King Maha Vajiralongkorn fired six high-ranking officials from the royal household bureau, including “a nurse at the bedroom guard service” and a veterinarian, according to two separate announcements released by palace mouthpiece the Royal Gazette.

“They have severely breached disciplinary conduct for their evil actions by exploiting their official positions for their own or other people’s gain,” said the gazette.

King's sacking of consort highlights power of Thai monarchy Read more

It follows his removal of the King’s consort, 34-year-old former royal bodyguard Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, of her noble title and military ranks.

Her public fall from grace comes just three months after he bestowed on her the title, the first in nearly a century by a Thai monarch.

Nicknamed “Koi”, Sineenat was condemned Monday in a royal command aired on national television for “acting against the appointment of the queen”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thailand’s king stripped his former consort, Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, of her position this week. Photograph: HANDOUT/Reuters

Thailand’s royal family is protected by a draconian defamation law that makes scrutiny of it, or debate over its role, almost impossible inside the kingdom.

The public is often able to glean clues to the inner workings of the palace through its use of symbolic imagery and the fates of royal aides.

Q&A What are Thailand's lèse majesté laws? Show Hide Strict lèse majesté laws make it a crime to criticise, defame or insult members of Thailand's royal family. In practice, this means open discussion or critical reporting about the royal family is considered illegal. The military junta, which seized power in 2014, has been criticised for using the law – which can see people jailed for up to 15 years on each count – to stifle opposition. In 2015, a man was jailed for 30 years over six Facebook posts and the local printer of the New York Times refused to publish an edition with a story on the king.

Sineenat, who has not been seen in public since Monday, has been trending on Thai social media with the hashtag SaveKoi.

Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 following the death of his beloved father, who was regarded by Thais as a figure of moral authority.