Thailand’s Princess Ubolratana is an election game-changer – but don’t write off the junta just yet

The elder sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn could be a unifying figure to end two decades of political turmoil

But will blurring the lines between palace and parliament be the panacea to the country’s long-running power struggle?

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Princess Ubolratana of Thailand. Photo: EPA

Published: 1:45pm, 8 Feb 2019Updated: 1:49pm, 21 Mar 2019

Thailand’s Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, who on Friday caused a political earthquake by announcing her candidacy for prime minister, is unique among the kingdom’s deified monarchs: she holds no royal title, had a career as an actress and is an avid social media user.

Her foray into politics in alignment with the Shinawatra clan has shocked the nation – no royal has made such a move since absolute monarchy ended in 1932.

The elder sister of King Maha Vajiralongkorn could, however, emerge as a unifying figure to end two decades of turmoil between pro-royalist urban elites and the powerful Shinawatra clan backed by the rural masses.

The development stunned even the most seasoned watchers of Thai politics, which has had its fair share of twist and turns, with 12 successful coups over the last century. Two of those were in the last decade, against Shinawatra governments.

“To be honest, I am flummoxed. This is a real shock,” said Kevin Hewison, an Australian political scientist who has studied Thai politics for four decades.

In light of the speculation the move may have been endorsed by Maha Vajiralongkorn, Hewison said “guesses will be that the king has moved further away” from junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha.

To be honest, I am flummoxed. This is a real shock

Kevin Hewison, political scientist

Ubolratana in an Instagram post on Friday evening characterised her candidacy as an act of “sacrifice” and sincerity”, and sought to distance herself from her royal lineage.