The sister of the King of Thailand becomes a candidate for Prime Minister.
Ubolratana Mahidol, 67, the sister of King Rama X of Thailand, has unexpectedly become a candidate for the position of Prime Minister.
On the morning of February 8th, political parties in Thailand officially announced their lists of prime ministerial candidates for the election on March 24th. Most surprisingly, Ubolratana Mahidol, the elder sister of King Rama X, became the candidate of the Thai Raksa Chart party. This party is believed to have close ties to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently in exile abroad.
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| Ms. Ubolratana. Photo: BloombergQuint. |
Princess Ubolratana is the eldest daughter of King Rama IX and Queen Sirikit, and the older sister of the current King Rama X. She is a film actress who voluntarily relinquished her title as Princess of Thailand when she married a foreigner. Although she is no longer a princess, she still has the right to participate fully in royal ceremonies.
This marks the first time in Thai history that a person of direct royal blood has participated directly in the country's politics since Thailand established a constitutional monarchy 86 years ago.
The election to civilianize the Thai government has been scheduled for March 24th. The strongest opponent for Ubolratana is expected to be incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, who was nominated by the Palang Pracharat party on February 8th.
