Thai Princess Registers To Run For Prime Minister, And Thai King Moves To Stop Her

Princess Ubolratana Mahidol, the older sister of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is hoping to be a candidate for prime minister — a move that would mark a startling break with Thai royalty's long-observed practice of staying out of politics. But her effort now seems doomed, after the king spoke out against his sister's bid for office.

Hours after Ubolratana's campaign registration papers were filed, the royal palace issued a statement in which the king said her candidacy is "inappropriate" and "unconstitutional," according to a translation by journalist Saksith Saiyasombut of Channel News Asia.

The princess's candidacy landed like a bombshell when her name was submitted to the election commission on Friday. The move would have pit Ubolratana, 67, against current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the military junta that ousted former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014.

Ubolratana was put forth as the lone candidate from the Thai Raksa Chart Party, which includes members loyal to Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, another ousted former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.