Uncertainty and conjecture have coursed through Thailand since Friday when the Thai Raksa Chart party made the explosive announcement of Princess Ubolratana, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s elder sister, as their candidate for premier after the March 24 election. Her tilt appeared to some to be a masterstroke of back-room dealings by Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire self-exiled ex-premier, just weeks before the poll. Meanwhile, a chastened Thai Raksa Chart, a key pillar in Thaksin’s election strategy, agreed to comply with the royal command. Meanwhile, the fate of Thai Raksa Chart hangs in the balance. The party, a second to the Thaksin political powerhouse Pheu Thai, was expected to help the Shinawatra machine secure a majority in the 350-seat lower house.

Source: The Guardian February 11, 2019 10:07 UTC