General Somyot Poompanmuang, chief of Royal Thai Police, stands among antique Buddha statues that were seized during an investigation into Police Lieutenant General Pongpat Chayaphan, a former commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, at a militar
General Somyot Poompanmuang, chief of Royal Thai Police, stands among antique Buddha statues that were seized during an investigation into Police Lieutenant General Pongpat Chayaphan, a former commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, at a military base in Bangkok November 26, 2014. Thai police displayed stacks of cash, luxury cars and an extensive collection of antique Buddha statues on Tuesday seized in a probe that has led to the arrest of seven police on charges ranging from insulting the monarchy to money laundering. Three of the seven have been charged with violating Thailand's strict lese-majeste law, which makes it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the monarchy. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The Crown Prince of Thailand has stripped his wife’s family off their royally-assigned name. Princess Srirasm was given the honorary surname Akkharaphongpricha when she married Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in 2001, but now her family will have to revert to their old name.

On Friday, the office of the crown prince issued a directive to the Interior Ministry to strip off the family of Princess Srirasm, 42, of the surname, reports the Bangkok Post. The letter was signed by ACM Sathitpong Sukwimol, the secretary to the Crown Prince. There was no reason given for the directive.

And as typical with issues concerning the royalty in Thailand, details of the news will be off-limits to the public. The Asian nation follows lese majeste laws, which prohibit anyone to utter or publish words that are deemed an insult or threat to the monarchy.

The order is widely speculated to be in connection with the recent corruption scandal that emerged in late November. A group of police officers who have links to the princess’ family were arrested. The group, led by former chief of the Central Investigation Bureau Lieutenant General Pongpat Chayapan, was accused of running illegal casinos, oil smuggling and money laundering among other crimes.

Three men among the 17 people arrested bore the Akkharaphongpricha surname. They now have to revert to their old family name of Kerdampang starting Monday. The three suspects - Mr Natthapol, Mr Sitthisak and Mr Narong – along with two other suspects, Chakan Phakphum and Sutthisak Sutthikit, are accused of citing the monarchy for personal benefit.

Apart from the three accused, every single person who was granted the Akkharaphongpricha surname must also revert to their former family name. It is unknown how the order affects Princess Srirasm.

The princess was a commoner when she entered the service of the 62-year-old Crown Prince as a lady-in-waiting. She married the prince in 2001 in a private ceremony. They have a son together, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti. Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the heir apparent to King Bhumidol Adulyadej, has been married twice before, with both ending in divorce.