UPDATE—With about eight hours to go until the Thai Raksa Chart party is due to submit its nomination for prime minister to the Election Commission, more media are now reporting the news I revealed on Wednesday, that they intend to submit the name of Princess Ubolratana.
Some allies of dictator Prayut Chan-ocha and enemies of Thaksin Shinawatra may hope they can still manage to prevent this happening, but unless something suddenly changes overnight, this extraordinary development will go ahead.
International news magazine The Economist is the latest to confirm the news.
Its report says: "Thai Raksa Chart ... was preparing to nominate Princess Ubolratana, the older sister of King Vajiralongkorn, pending approval from all concerned. The princess is a friend of Mr Thaksin, but also on good terms with her brother. Her move into politics may be smoother because she was stripped of royal title when she married an American (horrors!) in the 1970s (she has since divorced him and returned to live in Thailand). Were she to allow herself to be nominated, she would be in a strong position to attract support from both the ardently royalist yellow shirts and Mr Thaksin’s red shirts."
The Economist adds that this would be devastating news for Prayut and his Eastern Tigers cronies: "Although her role remains uncertain, the generals are left in limbo. "
It concludes: "Even if the princess demurs at the last moment, her flirtation with running changes Thai politics. It suggests the king, an aloof but meddling figure, is seeking a resolution to the standoff, rather than implicitly endorsing the suppression of the red shirts. That, in turn, makes Mr Prayuth look less secure. An election that seemed destined to conform to a predictable script has become much more intriguing."
You can view the full Economist report here: https://www.economist.com/…/a-royal-rumour-upends-thai-poli… You will have to register (for free) to be able to read it.
There is also an article in Asia Times by Shawn Crispin, which you can read here: https://www.asiatimes.com/…/hints-of-a-royal-election-deal…/
Finally, note that a press release circulating on social media today is NOT genuine, according to Thai Raksa Chart.
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The princess and the PM
Feb 9th 2019
The Economist
Is thai politics about to turn upside down? For almost 20 years an endless political battle has pitted royalist elites, known as “yellow shirts”, against partisans of a populist former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, known as “red shirts”. Parties linked to Mr Thaksin have won every election since 2001; the army has twice ousted Thaksinite governments in coups, most recently in 2014. Although the ruling junta is theoretically restoring democracy via an election on March 24th, the process was looking stage-managed to preserve the generals’ sway and keep Mr Thaksin at bay. But the royal family is contemplating a move that could upend the generals’ schemes and rehabilitate Mr Thaksin.
As The Economist went to press, each Thai political party was finalising a list of up to three choices for prime minister that it must register by law by February 8th. Thai Raksa Chart, a party founded by allies of Mr Thaksin in case his main vehicle, the Pheu Thai party, were to be dissolved by the junta, was preparing to nominate Princess Ubolratana, the older sister of King Vajiralongkorn, pending approval from all concerned. The princess is a friend of Mr Thaksin, but also on good terms with her brother. Her move into politics may be smoother because she was stripped of royal title when she married an American (horrors!) in the 1970s (she has since divorced him and returned to live in Thailand). Were she to allow herself to be nominated, she would be in a strong position to attract support from both the ardently royalist yellow shirts and Mr Thaksin’s red shirts.
Register to read this article in full
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/02/09/a-royal-rumour-upends-thai-politics
As The Economist went to press, each Thai political party was finalising a list of up to three choices for prime minister that it must register by law by February 8th. Thai Raksa Chart, a party founded by allies of Mr Thaksin in case his main vehicle, the Pheu Thai party, were to be dissolved by the junta, was preparing to nominate Princess Ubolratana, the older sister of King Vajiralongkorn, pending approval from all concerned. The princess is a friend of Mr Thaksin, but also on good terms with her brother. Her move into politics may be smoother because she was stripped of royal title when she married an American (horrors!) in the 1970s (she has since divorced him and returned to live in Thailand). Were she to allow herself to be nominated, she would be in a strong position to attract support from both the ardently royalist yellow shirts and Mr Thaksin’s red shirts.
Register to read this article in full
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/02/09/a-royal-rumour-upends-thai-politics
