Some ASEAN countries still host some of the richest royal families in the world. How do the monarchs of Southeast Asia live today and what role do they play?
Elizabeth II is dead, Rama IX is dead...and I don't feel so well myself. Monarchs in ASEAN countries continue to influence, to a greater or lesser extent, the political, social, and economic dynamics of their countries. With the only exception of Brunei, where a regime of almost absolute monarchy remains, the other states of the region have long begun a process of governance redefinition facing an increasingly modern world.
Many prerogatives of power and representation are still part of for royal families’ duties. They also remain influential figures due to their enormous wealth. Nonetheless, Asian dynasties are part of the national identity and reflect some distinctive features of their homeland, such as religion or ethnic majorities’ traditions. Public opinion on their behavior is equally varied: in some countries, monarchs are put in a bad light by corruption and fancy habits, while in others they are the most appreciated public figures since they promote social development and social rights.
Thailand
The 2014 coup was not the only event that upset Thailand’s public order in recent years. In 2016, the death of King Rama IX (Bhumibol Adulyadej) after 70 years of regency became the subject of one of the most spectacular national mourning in the world. Over 250,000 people flocked to the capital to celebrate the monarch's funeral, who was cremated in a building specially built for the occasion. A whole year of national mourning followed, which included (for the first 30 days) a ban on organizing parties or playing music.
The Chakri dynasty ascended to the throne in 1782 and experienced years of prosperity and expansion of its influence in the region. In the 19th century, King Rama IV also managed to negotiate agreements with the United Kingdom that allowed the country to maintain a certain independence (unlike the other kingdoms and sultanates in the region) and start the construction of a modern state. The accession of King Rama IX to the throne in 1946 plays a pivotal role in Thai history: he attempted to hold the country together in the face of numerous coups and promoted social development through educational programs and financial support. On the contrary his successor, Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X), has been largely criticized. As Forbes estimated in 2011, the Thai royal house is the richest in the world, with an estimated assets of at least $ 30 billion. Thailand has one of the strictest Lese Majesty laws, which in recent years has often been used to thwart anti-government protests that have sometimes resulted in anti-monarchist positions.
Cambodia
Cambodia also introduced a lese majesty law in 2018. Starting in 1993 the King of Cambodia is elected by the Royal Council of the Throne, a group of nine Cambodian authorities that includes the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate. The criterion for accessing the selection? Be at least thirty years old and descend from the family of King Ang Duong (1796-1860), who today is divided into the houses of Norodom and Sisowath.
King Norodom Sihamoni continues to have some decision-making power in the choice of some government positions, including the prime minister. Sihamoni enjoys a certain respect even abroad, unlike the rest of the royal family, which in 2006 US officials in the country had defined "a tragedy, comedy and melodrama all rolled into one that could have provided grist for at least a half dozen Shakespeare plays” (comment exposed by Wikileaks).
Malaysia
Cambodia is not the only country to have adopted a constitutional monarchy that differs from the hereditary standard of a single dynasty. Malaysia also adopts a governance system that provides for the election of a monarch every five years, according to a shift among the sultans of nine of the thirteen states into which the country is divided. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong ("He who is made Lord") plays above all a representative role of the Malay and Muslim community. In fact, starting from the 1990s, the sultans gradually lost their powers, until the elimination of the same political immunity.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong can choose the prime minister but cannot dismiss him. He plays a representative role in diplomatic missions and is considered the symbolic leader of the armed forces. The sultans, who also play the role of "Guardians of Islam", have often exposed themselves to the issues of corruption in the ruling class and Islamic extremism (whose values are often intertwined with Malaysian supremacism). In recent years, for example, they have opposed the implementation of the Hudud, a subset of Sharia law (the body of precepts derived from the Qumran and which some Islamic countries integrate into their own system of laws).
Indonesia
Even more marginal is the role of Indonesian royal families, who do not officially hold power but maintain a status of representation. The identity connotation, in this case, is still strong: in some areas of the country, such as Java, Bali and Borneo. An example of this is the survival of the Javanese Halus ("refined") culture that revolves all around the ceremonials of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. King Hamengkubuwono X is the only sultan recognized by the government and has risen to the headlines for removing the compulsory male ancestry to the throne. A decree of 2015, in fact, made the title of sultan neutral, thus opening the royal career to his five daughters. He also put an end to the traditional polygamy of the Sultans of Java, always with a view to modernizing the sultanate and to give more rights to women.
Brunei
The influence of the Sultan of Brunei, the only monarch who still holds absolute power in Southeast Asia, is quite different. And it is not the only record: the Guinness Book of Records classifies Istana Nurul Iman ("Palace of the light of faith") as the largest royal residence in the world. The building occupies over 200,000 square meters with its 1788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 5,000 people and an air-conditioned stable that houses 200 polo ponies. Hassanal Bolkiah, in addition to being one of the richest rulers in the world, has also become the longest-serving monarch after the death of Elizabeth II and has reigned continuously since 1967.
The Legislative Council of Brunei was established with the 1959 Constitution but, in fact, its members only have advisory powers. In fact, on the occasion of the revolts of 1962, the king obtained full powers by declaring a state of emergency, which is still in force today. Unlike Malaysia, Sharia laws are part of the regulatory body of Brunei along with some laws inherited from the colonial period.
English 
Italian