Bangkok: Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn said on Friday his elder sister's announcement she is running for prime minister in March elections is "inappropriate" and unconstitutional, likely sinking her candidacy for a populist opposition party.
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Princess Ubolratana Mahidol, 67, shocked the nation when she announced on Friday she would be the sole prime ministerial candidate for the party, which is loyal to ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
But the opposition from her younger brother, a constitutional monarch, is likely to lead to her disqualification by the Election Commission.
"Involvement of a high-ranking member of the royal family in politics, in whatever way, is an act that conflicts with the country's traditions, customs, and culture, and therefore is considered extremely inappropriate," the king said in a statement issued by the palace.
Ubolratana had announced she would stand for the Thai Raksa Chart party, which described her as a candidate who had promoted tourism for over 10 years before deciding it was time to run for office.
Key members of the Thai royal family are protected by the world’s harshest lese-majeste law, where those convicted of royal defamation can be jailed for up to 15 years per offence.
Princess Ubolratana is not one of those officially protected by the law, but all discussions of the family are sensitive in Thailand.
Thai Raksa Chart has attracted several members of the red shirt movement, who have stood against military rule, and boasts several former cabinet ministers from previous governments aligned with Thaksin and his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.
The party is widely seen as the reserve party for Pheu Thai, the political machine of the Shinawatra family which has won every election since 2001. Thaksin and Yingluck are both living in exile after corruption convictions, but are known to be close to the princess. Yingluck and Ubolratana have been seen together in recent months, including in London and at the World Cup in Russia.
Dr Patrick Jory, senior lecturer in South-East Asian history at the University of Queensland, called the intervention a bombshell that was "the biggest news in Thai politics" since the coup.
Before the king poured cold water on Ubolratana's bid, Jory said it was inconceivable she would be running without the new king's blessing and it suggested the royals had reached a deal with Thaksin.
The princess was out of the limelight in Thailand after she married American Peter Jensen, but returned to the fold in 2001, a couple of years after her divorce. She has appeared in movies, hosted TV shows and boasts a significant social media following. She has two daughters, while an autistic son was killed during the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
The Thai royal family has long been said to be “above politics”, although it wields much power behind the scenes.
with Reuters
