<p>This article will explain the relationship between the monarchy and the armed forces in the modern reign in 2 parts: 1) royal government agencies which are directly under royal command; and 2) relations with the armed forces which the King has created through recently developed networks.</p>

<p>Nurak Marpraneet, former President of the Constitutional Court, has been appointed a member of the Privy Council.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/">Khaosod English</a>:&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;The top adviser to His Majesty the King has praised the 2014 military coup as a necessary action that saved Thailand from chaos.</span></p>

<div> <div>The Thai Appeal Court on May 8 affirmed the decision of the Court of First Instance, sentencing Ekkachai H. to three years and four months in jail and a fine of 66,666 baht for selling VCDs of a documentary on the Thai royal succession by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and copies of Wikileaks cables.&nbsp;</div> <div> </div></div>

<p>Papatchanan Ching-in has been found guilty of l&egrave;se majest&eacute; for her involvement in a red-shirt protest against the President of the Privy Council in Nakhon Ratchasima in April last year.</p>

<p>Somsak Jeamtheerasakul, a Thammasat University lecturer in history, told a public forum that in order to get rid of the so-called &lsquo;Amat&rsquo; regime (traditional elitist rule), it was necessary to change the constitutional clause on the royal prerogatives to conform to the principles of democracy. &nbsp;This included two main points: the appointment of Privy Councillors and the succession, with the latter being changed after the 1991 coup.</p>