Thai king is the world’s richest monarch

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Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world’s richest monarch with a personal fortune worth $ 35 billion, according to the Forbes magazine.

Forbes said that the 80-year-old Thai King’s estimated net worth increased sevenfold during the past year because of the transparency of his riches which include over 3,000 acres of prime real estate land in Bangkok, a stake in a major bank and huge holdings in the Siam Cement company.

In fact, King Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, reached the helm of the US-based magazine’s list of 15 richest rulers by knocking Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of oil-rich Brunei off the top spot.

Forbes rated the personal fortune of the 62-year-old Asian Sultan–who fell to the number four slot–at $20 billion, adding that Brunei’s oilfields were in the danger of drying up. “The Sultan, who inherited the riches of an unbroken 600-year-old Muslim dynasty, has had to cut back on his country’s oil production because of depleting reserves,” the magazine said.