Deputy spokesman of the army, Col Sirichan Ngathong, said the order was made after Lazada had produced an advertisement that was deemed to have offended the (royal) institution and had a severe impact on the feelings of the Thai people.

The army prohibited all units and organisations under its jurisdiction from ordering products via Lazada and did not allow purchases to be delivered within army compounds and the areas under its supervision, she said.

Sirichan said the move was aimed at protecting the institution and using a social measure to reject the organisation that divided Thai society. The boycott took immediate effect on Monday.

According to media reports, citizens loyal to the king had complained about a TikTok video promoting a Lazada sale on May 5.

Royalists said the advert, which featured a woman in a wheelchair, mocked the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Chulabhorn, who uses a wheelchair as a result of Lupus, an autoimmune disease.

Singapore-based Lazada is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest online retailers.