Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, whose surprise visit to Thailand last week hit headlines both locally and overseas, will return to the US on Sunday as scheduled, Thai Rath online reported today (Saturday).

Vacharaesorn, the second eldest son of HM the King, cancelled some of his scheduled activities on Friday to spend personal time at his hotel with his friends.  He later visited Bangkok’s China town, known as Yaowarat.

Since his arrival last week, Vacharaesorn has been busy visiting the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the City Pillar among other places. He also paid a courtesy call on the Supreme Patriarch. Many people praised him for his polite demeanour.

The public, netizens and the media have followed him closely during his one-week visit, his first in 27 years.

On Friday, he also turned down an invitation to attend a reception for Thai-American US Senator Ladda “Tammy” Duckworth at a Bangkok hotel, because he did not want to get involved in a political event, according to Thai Rath.

Where he is celebrating the birthday of the Queen Mother, his grandmother, today has not yet been revealed.