The king and Queen Suthida visited France this week to mark the 170th anniversary of formal diplomatic ties between the two nations
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 7:47pm, 2 Jul 2026Thailand’s foreign ministry denied on Thursday that French President Emmanuel Macron knelt before the country’s king during his state visit to Paris this week, after an AI-generated picture circulated online.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida’s trip was the first official visit by a Thai monarch to France since 1960, marking the 170th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two nations.
During a state dinner at the presidential palace, Macron presented the 73-year-old king with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour – France’s highest award – and Queen Suthida with the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit, according to Thai media.
An image widely circulated online in Thailand purported to show Macron kneeling as he presented the awards.
One Thai-language social media post showing the image on Wednesday garnered more than 40,000 likes and more than 2,000 shares by the following day.
The post was also shared by a page with more than 2 million followers that frequently publishes pro-military and nationalist commentary.
