A portrait of Queen Elizabeth is being displayed outside the royal palace in Bangkok following the Thai king's apparent snub of the funeral in London yesterday, which critics branded a 'diplomatic disaster'.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn reportedly ordered palace officials to pay respect to the late British monarch outside the Grand Palace in the Thailand capital. Footage shows locals laying white flowers on tables in front of the large photograph set against a black background.

The notorious royal - best known for wearing bizarre skimpy outfits in public and reportedly living in an Alpine hotel with a harem of young beauties - did not attend the state funeral.

Scottish academic Andrew MacGregor Marshall, a prominent critic of the Thai Royal Family, said: 'Dozens of royals and world leaders came to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, but the Thai representatives were UK ambassador Pisanu Suvanajata and his wife. A diplomatic disaster.

'Some media in Thailand are claiming Thailand was not invited to the funeral of Elizabeth. This is not true. Vajiralongkorn never responded to the invitation and in a last-minute scramble yesterday evening, the Thai regime decided their UK ambassador would attend, after receiving no guidance from the royals. The presence of the ambassador at the funeral shows it is not true that Thailand was not invited.'