Thailand's new king reduced the size of his Privy Council from 16 to 11, keeping eight members appointed by his father and promoting three new ones.

The 64-year old Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun was proclaimed king on Thursday, taking over a new era of the 234-old Chakri Dynasty, one of the world's richest monarchies as well as a politically troubled nation. He will be named King Rama X but will not formally be crowned until his father's cremation, which is expected in 2017.

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His highly-venerated father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, died on Oct. 13 at the age of 88 after an illness. He reigned since June 9, 1946 and is the world's longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.

The palace stated on the Royal Gazette Website that Vajiralongkorn appointed top army brass to his powerful royal advisory council, including three generals associated with the ruling junta. The decision demonstrated the close military-royal alliance that has given meaning to the Thai politics for the last 50 years.

Two of the new members are from the military government's present cabinet, Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya and Education Minister General Dapong Ratansuwan. The third new member is General Teerachai Naknavich who became army chief under the junta in 2015 and retired earlier this year.

They will join three ex-generals who keep their titles, giving the military forces dominance on the council. The new king also retained the influential and long-standing head of the Privy Council, 96-year-old Prem Tinsulanonda, a former army chief and prime minister. He was a close confidante to the King Bhumibol and is one of Thailand's shrewdest political operators.

"This is a very calculated move from King Rama X, which signals compromise while also asserting a new order under his reign," a private Bangkok-based analyst said.

Paul Chambers, a Thailand-based expert on Thai monarchy, believes that the diminution of the members suggests that "the sovereign wants a smaller and manageable council" to which he could have more loyalist in the following years.

Vajiralongkorn is not as popular as his father among majority of Thais as he spent much of his time outside of the public eye, particularly in southern Germany where he owns a property.

However, he remains protected from criticisms by one of the world's harshest lese majeste laws that carries up to 15 years in jail for each offense of defaming the king, queen, heir, or regent, which means media based in the country are routinely self-censored.

TagsThai Privy Council, Thai New King, Thai Royal Council, Vajiralongkorn, Thailand, Bhumibol, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Maha Vajiralongkorn, Crown Prince Thailand, Thailand King, Bangkok, Chakri Dynasty