Prince Andrew accused of royal romps on Thai taxpayer dime
Embassy insider reveals playboy antics during overseas government role
A former UK official has alleged that Prince Andrew used taxpayer-funded trips to Thailand to meet women while serving as a government trade representative.
According to Ian Proud, a former senior diplomat at the British Embassy in Bangkok, the disgraced royal regularly mixed business with pleasure during his visits to Thailand as the UK’s special trade envoy.
“The prince would come out for official duties, like royal events or post-tsunami support, but also took private trips, often to meet women. It was well known among embassy staff.”
The prince, who lost his royal titles amid his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sexual abuse claims by Virginia Giuffre, is accused of frequenting high-end hotels and nightclubs in Bangkok, where women reportedly flocked to him.
“He liked a particular hotel with a basement nightclub and preferred staying off the compound. There were always Thai ‘high society’ women around. He had his pick.”
Biographer Andrew Lownie previously claimed that as many as 40 escorts were “brought to him” on one trade mission—allegations Proud doesn’t entirely dispute.
“Whether they were escorts or upper-class women hoping for a cuddle with a prince, who knows? But the fascination was real.”
In one instance, the prince is alleged to have taken a Thai companion on a private trip to Chiang Mai, using an official car and staying in a hotel during what was billed as a trade mission.
While the prince did perform his trade ambassador duties “very well,” Proud admitted, “when he wasn’t working, he was entertaining himself in more exotic ways.”
Photos from a 2001 yacht trip in Phuket showed Andrew surrounded by topless women. He was also spotted in bars staffed by semi-nude dancers, according to Proud, who described the prince as “larging it” across Thailand’s nightlife scene.
Prince Andrew’s lavish trips came at considerable cost. A 13-day tour of Southeast Asia in 2010 racked up over £46,000 (approximately 2.09 million baht) in expenses, including £37,000 on hotels, according to Metro UK.
Despite the embassy’s spacious residence, Andrew insisted on luxury hotels.
Following renewed scrutiny and the release of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl, Andrew gave up his remaining royal titles in agreement with King Charles.
He continues to deny all allegations.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
