A German TV show has apologised for lampooning the wedding ceremony of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Suthida.
In a Facebook post, SAT.1 offered an apology on Tuesday. It said the morning show, Frühstücksfernsehen, discussed the ceremony of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Friday.
"Many viewers feel that the way the show discussed the issue was inappropriate and offensive," SAT.1 said on its Facebook page.
"The editorial department never meant to insult Thai culture in any way. If that happened nevertheless, we hereby apologise formally."
The German TV show apologised after Thais expressed widespread anger on social media.
The Thai Embassy in Berlin also sent a letter of protest to the programme and its two moderators.
The embassy asked them to apologise for their actions.
The embassy said observations of other countries' traditions "should be marked, in today's world, with respect and tolerance. Thailand is standing against such defamation of its precious traditions".
German Ambassador to Thailand Georg Schmidt also tweeted Wednesday morning: "Many of you have asked me for my opinion about this morning's show on German private television. I found it offensive."
According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin Facebook page, it asked German TV to investigate the airing of the news programme about the royal wedding of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty Queen Suthida, which took place on May 1.
The embassy said the Thai ritual, in which a person lies prostrate on the ground in front of someone else, is a sign of respect in the highest form.
This tradition is consciously exercised by Thais as an expression of respect to their parents and ancestors.
The embassy said it is important for Thais to continue this precious tradition and show it off to the world with pride.
