<div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col"><div class="article-detail-headline"><h1 class="article-detail_title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(World Today Saturday 09 February 2019)</span></h1><h1 class="article-detail_title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Thai king's elder sister to contest March 24 election as PM candidate</span></h1><h1 class="article-detail_title" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><img class="img-fluid bg-red" alt="Thai Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi at the 61st Cannes Film Festival May 15, 2008." src="https://img1.daumcdn.net/relay/cafe/original/?fname=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.todayonline.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fnew_app_article_detail%2Fpublic%2Fphotos%2F43_images%2F2019-02-08t021620z_10404781_rc15e5f32590_rtrmadp_3_thailand-election.jpg%3Fitok%3Djjkv8RqE" lazy="loaded"><strong><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Thai Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi at the 61st Cannes Film Festival May 15, 2008. </span></strong></span></h1><h1 class="article-detail_title" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 9pt;">REUTERS</span></strong></span></h1></div></div></div></div><div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col"><div class="article-detail-published-social article-detail_byline"><div class="row align-items-center"><div class="col"><div class="article-detail_bytime"><div class="article-detail_bylinepublish"><br></div><div class="article-detail_bylineupdate"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Updated 09 February, 2019</span></div><div class="article-detail_bylineupdate"><br></div><div class="article-detail_bylineupdate"><br></div></div></div><div class="atclear"></div></div></div></div></div></div><!----><!----><!----><div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col"><div class="article-detail_body"><p><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt;">BANGKOK </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt;">— Thailand's royalty made an unprecedented move into politics on Friday (Feb 8) when the sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn was declared as a prime ministerial candidate for Mar 24 elections, registration papers showed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The nomination of Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, 67, the elder sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, promised to upend Thailand's already turbulent politics because it breaks the long-standing tradition of Thai royalty staying out of politics.</span></p><aside class="today-ad-imu ad-imu1 ad-bg col"><div id="div-gpt-ad-outstream" data-google-query-id="CMnfy5q1reACFUpSvQodplAKeA"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/4654/Today_online/world/outstream_0__container__" style="border: 0pt currentColor; border-image: none;"><iframe name="google_ads_iframe_/4654/Today_online/world/outstream_0" width="640" height="360" title="3rd party ad content" id="google_ads_iframe_/4654/Today_online/world/outstream_0" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="border: 0px currentColor; border-image: none; vertical-align: bottom; display: none;" data-load-complete="true" data-google-container-id="5"></iframe><br></div></div></aside><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Princess Ubolratana will run as a candidate for a party loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra. One of her leading opponents will be Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of Thailand's military junta, who also announced his candidacy on Friday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since 1932 but the royal family has wielded great influence and commanded the devotion of millions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The election shapes as a battle between Thaksin's populists and their allies and the royalist-military establishment. However, the nomination of a member of the royal family by the pro-Thaksin Thai Raksa Chart party could change that dynamic.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Thai Raksa Chart is an off-shoot of the Pheu Thai Party, formed by Thaksin loyalists and the core leadership of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or "red shirts" group, as a strategy to help Pheu Thai win votes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The simmering conflict between the Bangkok-centred elites and the more rural-based populists has resulted in street protests, military coups, and violent clashes over almost 15 years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"The party has nominated the princess as its sole candidate," Thai Raksa Chart Party leader Preechapol Pongpanich told reporters after registering his party's candidate at the Election Commission.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><p><img width="4848" height="3416" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__20234471 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" style="width: 718px; height: 604px;" alt="" src="https://img1.daumcdn.net/relay/cafe/original/?fname=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.todayonline.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2019-02-08t023039z_1246464512_rc15f9334770_rtrmadp_3_thailand-election.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image"><br><sup><strong><font size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Thai Raksa Chart party leader Preechapol Pongpanich holds up the application of candidate for Prime Minister belonging to</span><span class="highlight" style="font-size: 10pt;" data-qa-component="highlight-text"> Thailand</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">'s Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, at the election commission office in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters</span></font></strong></sup></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"She is knowledgeable and is highly suitable. I believe there will be no legal problems in terms of her qualification, but we have to wait for the Election Commission to endorse her candidacy," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Election Commission is required to endorse all candidates by next Friday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Reuters could not independently confirm‎ that Princess Ubolratana's nomination has the approval of the palace.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Mr Prayuth accepted his nomination from the Palang Pracharat Party in an official statement.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"I am not aiming to extending my power but I am doing this for the benefit for the country and the people," he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There was no mention of the princess's nomination in Mr Prayuth's statement.</span></p></div></div></div></div><!----><!----><div class="container"><div class="article-detail_relatedstories"><h2 class="section-header"><br></h2><h2 class="section-header"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Related Stories</span></h2><div class="row"><div class="col-md-4 col-relatedstories"><div class="article-detail_relatedstories_item"><a href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-who-thai-princess-ubolratana-and-why-her-candidature-become-pm-matters"><h5><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Explainer: Who is Thai Princess Ubolratana, and why her candidature to become PM matters</span></h5><h6><a href="https://www.todayonline.com/world/thailands-king-calls-his-sisters-candidacy-pm-inappropriate"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Thailand's king calls his sister's candidacy for PM 'inappropriate'</span></a></h6></a></div></div><br></div></div></div><p><br></p>
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