Princess Ubolratana running for the March 24 Thai election
The Thai Raksa Chart Party has thrown Thai politics into chaos after it nominated Princess Ubolratana Mahidol as its candidate as prime minister. The princess is His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s elder sister.
Thai Raksa Chart Party nominated Princess Ubolratana as its candidate to be prime minister this morning. Today is the final day for political parties to announce candidates and Prime Ministerial candidates for the March 24 poll.
The party officially registered the surprise PM candidate as the media rushed to get the news at the Office of the Election Commission in Bangkok.
The announcement was a popular, if unlikely, election rumour yesterday and overnight, but no media reported her name or the royal connection.
The move is a serious political blow to current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Palang Pracharath Party to extend power of the military government by being elected in the March 24 elections.
Additionally controversial is that the Thai Raksa Chart has close links with the Pheu Thai Party, both the stamping ground of the fugitive former PMs Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra.
