Exposed Prince's Playground: Why Did Andrew's Thailand Trips Involve 40 Escorts?

In the resurfacing Prince Andrew Thailand scandal, biographer Andrew Lownie's explosive claims reveal over 40 women allegedly brought to the Duke's Bangkok hotel suite during a 2006 state visit, igniting royal escorts controversy amid his Epstein associations.

Taxpayer-funded trade envoy trips from 2001 to 2011 blended official diplomacy with private indulgence, according to embassy sources who described high-society Thai women entering Andrew's social orbit during these visits.

This Andrew Lownie book revelation, serialised in August 2025 and amplified by a former UK official's October 2025 disclosures, underscores unchecked royal excess, prompting renewed scrutiny on Andrew's disgraced tenure and calls for financial transparency.

Lownie's Revelations: Industrial-Scale Encounters

Andrew Lownie's biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, published in 2025 after four years of research, alleges Prince Andrew orchestrated encounters with more than 40 women during his June 2006 Thailand visit for King Bhumibol Adulyadej's diamond jubilee.

A hotel witness told Lownie: 'Often, as soon as one left, another would arrive,' detailing a continuous influx to Andrew's luxury Bangkok suite over the weekend. The trip, under British diplomatic auspices, exploited Andrew's royal status, with sources linking it to his Epstein friendship—where the financier reportedly jested Andrew was more sex-obsessed than himself.

Lownie's probe, serialised in the Daily Mail on 2 August 2025, frames these as part of 'industrial-scale sexual consumption' during Andrew's envoy role, which ended in 2011 amid scandals. The claims, unrefuted by Buckingham Palace, tie into Andrew's 2019 withdrawal from public duties following Virginia Giuffre's allegations, which he denies.

This phase of the royal escorts controversy highlights how royal privilege and diplomatic status offered cover for private conduct.

Embassy Insider's Candid Corroboration

Ian Proud, who headed the UK Embassy's political section in Bangkok from 2003 to 2007, confirmed Andrew's allure in a 22 October 2025 Metro interview, stating: 'There was an incredible fascination with him... There would be all these high society Thai women wanting to hang out with a prince. They were flocking to see him.'

Proud, who scouted venues and assisted at events during Andrew's trade missions, addressed Lownie's 40-escorts allegation: 'The only question about the 40 escorts story is whether they were all escorts or were they high-class Thai girls wanting to have a bit of a cuddle with a prince, that's my personal view.' He detailed private jaunts: 'He also went on private trips to see his bits of fluff on the side, where we played a much lighter role in stewarding him through.'

Proud's account, shared after years of discretion, highlights how embassy support masked indiscretions during Andrew's 2006 and 2016 returns, photographed amid duties. On X, user @anabl18 posted on 23 October 2025: 'Prince Andrew 'saw 40 escorts' in Thailand and 'high society' women wanted to 'hang out'.

This insider validation bolsters the Andrew Lownie book claims, framing royal charisma as a magnet for such encounters in the royal escorts controversy.

Taxpayer Costs and Renewed Public Outrage

Freedom of Information requests, obtained by Metro, disclose £46,100 (approximately $61,326) spent on Andrew's 13-day October 2010 Southeast Asia tour, including £37,000 ($49,221) on hotels despite embassy residences, £3,800 ($5,055) on travel, and £5,400 ($7,183) on allowances.

No Palace response followed Proud's revelations by 24 October 2025, mirroring silence on Lownie's serialisation. Critics linked it to Epstein ties, with Republic's Graham Smith posting on X: 'The sex offender formerly known as Prince.' Thai outlet The Thaiger queried on 24 October 2025: 'royal romps on Thai taxpayer dime'.

X user @TaaSaparot shared on 23 October 2025: 'Prince Andrew's 'nights with escorts and high society' on UK-funded Thai visits' with a Metro link.

As King Charles considers reforms, these exposures threaten Andrew's Royal Lodge stay, catalysing demands for envoy-era audits amid the royal escorts controversy.