Thailand's secretive, playboy king has a history of jailing people who insult him and is reportedly holed up in a luxury hotel in the Bavarian Alps. Here's what we know about him.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn in central Bangkok on May 9, 2019.Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

• A 16-year-old teen in Thailand was charged for making fun of the country's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Insider previously reported.
• Thailand's "lese-majeste" law prohibits insulting, defaming, or threatening the monarchy. Protestors who want democracy have been demonstrating in Thailand in recent months, leading to many "lese-majeste" charges.
• Meanwhile, the king is reportedly staying in a four-star hotel in the Bavarian Alps while most of Germany's hotels remain closed to tourists during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Following reports that the king had fled to Bavaria, a Thai hashtag translating to "Why do we need a king?" accrued over 1.2 million tweets, according to the Times.
• Maha Vajiralongkorn has also been photographed cycling in a crop top in Switzerland and Germany, has a reputation as a womanizer, and reportedly gave his dog a four-day funeral.

Thailand's royal family, compared to the constantly spotlighted British monarchy, is extremely secretive. The country has strict laws that forbid citizens and the Thai press from insulting and reporting on embarrassing details about the family.

That's why a 16-year-old is facing criminal charges and up to 15 years in jail for making fun of the king. The teen was at a protest wearing a tank top similar to the king's with insulting words displayed on his body, Insider previously reported.

Thailand's "lese-majeste" law prohibits insulting, defaming, or threatening the monarchy. Protestors who want democracy have been demonstrating in Thailand in recent months, leading to many "lese-majeste" charges.

The monarch in question, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, officially known as King Rama X, was crowned in May 2019, almost three years after the death of the previous king, his father Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thanks to restrictions to the Thai press, relatively little is known about Maha Vajiralongkorn.

What we do know, however, is that he was educated in Britain and Australia, is an enthusiastic cyclist and pilot, and has been married four times.

In October 2019, the palace announced that his royal consort - and long-term girlfriend - had been plotting against the queen, and the king stripped her of all royal and military titles for disloyalty.

About a year later, the king changed his mind, taking her back as a royal consort and restoring her military ranks.

Scroll down to find out more about Thailand's secretive, bicycle-loving king.