Thai royal family has traditionally been seen as above the political fray, but after Princess Ubolratana’s original announcement last week, the king had issued a royal statement, which ends princess’s bid to be prime minister.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn banned his sister to run for prime minister position because of ‘exist in status above politics’, a traditional status of affairs inside the royal family.
According to King’s statement, all Thai royals ‘exist in a status above politics’, and that makes impossible for Princess Ubolratana Mahidol’s to run or to become the next prime minister of Thailand. her official statement last week has shocked everyone in Thailand but her brother has reacted immediately and has blocked her intentions to break the existing rule.
The Thai Raksa Chart party is steered by the divisive Shinawatra political clan. Ubolratana’s vanishingly brief political career electrified Thailand. She would have represented a party allied to the exiled tycoon and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the combination of his vast popular support and her royal pedigree made her an instant frontrunner
There were no politicians in the Thai ruling family before
Thai monarchy is one of the most revered institutions in the country, the Palace always has stayed above the political fray except in moments of crisis. So when Ubolratana’s extraordinary candidacy was announced, the experts suggest that the 67-year-old woman had her brother’s tacit approval.
The election on 24 March will be Thailand’s first since the 2014 military coup. The frontrunner is Prayut Chan-o-cha, the leader of the coup and head of the ruling military junta, who claims he is standing to maintain peace and order. After repeatedly delaying elections and tightening controls on opposition parties, he had been widely expected to return as prime minister.
