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What we know about Princess Ubolratana, the Thai royal running for prime minister
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What we know about Princess Ubolratana, the Thai royal running for prime minister
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Thai Princess Ubolratana is a colourful figure known for lead roles in Thai films, vibrant fashion sense and a prolific Instagram following. (Photo: AFP/Martin Bureau)
08 Feb 2019 02:48PM
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Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, the elder sister of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has been
nominated as the Thai Raksa Chart party’s candidate in the prime ministerial race, the party announced on Friday (Feb 8).
This is the first time a close member of the royal family has sought political office in the country’s 86-year history as a constitutional monarchy.
She will be running against current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who also
announced on Friday his intention to contest the Mar 24 elections.
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A party official holds a registration document bearing the image of Thai Princess Ubolratana, who will run for PM. (Photo: AFP/Krit Phromsakla Na SAKOLNAKORN)
KING’S ELDEST CHILD
Nicknamed “La Poupée” after the French word for “doll”, the 67-year-old princess is the eldest child of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. She was born in Lausanne, Switzerland on Apr 5, 1951, while her father was a student there.
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She has three siblings: King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn.
Princess Ubolratana studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she graduated in 1973 with a degree in mathematics. She also attended the University of California in Los Angeles and obtained a master’s degree in public health.
The princess competed in the 1967 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, winning a gold medal in sailing together with her father.
READ: Sister of Thai king Princess Ubolratana to run for PM in March election
RELINQUISHED ROYAL TITLE FOR LOVE
In 1972, Princess Ubolratana gave up her royal style and title to marry MIT student Peter Ladd Jensen. The princess, who took the name Mrs Julie Jensen, then settled in the US with her husband.
The couple has two daughters: Ploypailin and Sirikitiya. Their son, Bhumi, died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The Los Angeles Times reported that the 21-year-old, who had autism, drowned while jet-skiing at Khao Lak in southern Thailand.
She relocated to Thailand in 2001, following her divorce in 1998.
Despite never regaining her full royal titles – she is currently referred to as “Tunkramom Ying” or “Daughter to the Queen Regent” – the princess performs royal duties and is treated by officials as a member of the royal family.
CELEBRITY STATUS
Princess Ubolratana does not shy away from the spotlight. Over the years, she has become something of a celebrity in her native Thailand.
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand speaks during a Q&A session before a movie screening on Jan 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: AFP/Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)
Khaosod English reports that she made her first television appearance in 2003. Since then, she has starred in television dramas such as Kshatriya and Anantalai, where she played the ruler of a kingdom destroyed by a flower with narcotic-like qualities.
She also featured in films, such as Where the Miracle Happens and My Best Bodyguard.
Princess Ubolratana hosts a talk show called To Be Number One Variety, where she gives advice to the youth.
She also has a musical side, having performed in concerts and recorded theme songs, including one for her anti-drug foundation To Be Number One.
In addition, the princess is an avid social media user and posts photos and videos on her Instagram account, which has more than 97,000 followers despite being set to “private”.
Some of the recent videos on her account showed her eating street food and complaining about pollution in Bangkok, reported Reuters.
PHILANTHROPY
The princess also lends her support to philanthropic endeavours.
According to Reuters, her campaign “To Be Number One” was established in 2002 and aims to help youths stay away from drugs.
She started the Khun Poom Foundation in memory of her late son. The foundation helps children with autism and learning disabilities.
Source: CNA/ga(hs)
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Sister of Thai king Princess Ubolratana to run for PM in March election
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya of Thailand. (File photo: AFP/Fred Dufour)
By Pichayada Promchertchoo
08 Feb 2019 10:26AM(Updated: 08 Feb 2019 02:53PM)
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BANGKOK: The elder sister of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn,
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, is running for prime minister in the country's
upcoming election on Mar 24 - an unprecedented move in Thai political history.
The highly anticipated announcement was made by the Thai Raksa Chart Party on Friday (Feb 8) following widely circulated rumours that the 67-year-old would join politics under its banner.
Thai Raksa Chart is an off-shoot of the Pheu Thai Party, formed by loyalists of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra 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.
READ: What we know about Princess Ubolratana, the Thai royal running for prime minister
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.
"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.
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"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."
The Election Commission is required to endorse all candidates by next Friday, Feb 15.
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A party official holds a registration document bearing the image of Thai Princess Ubolratana, who will run for PM. (Photo: AFP/Krit Phromsakla Na SAKOLNAKORN)
The nomination was accepted by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, according to political website Khaosod.
Prayuth also announced on Friday that he will contest in the elections. "I am not aiming to extend my power but I am doing this for the benefit for the country and the people," he said.
Friday is the final day of registration of candidates for members of parliament and submission of names of prime ministerial contenders.
The princess is the first child of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Nicknamed “La Poupée” - French for doll - she was born on Apr 5, 1951, in Lausanne, Switzerland and has three siblings, namely King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn.
Princess Ubolratana graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in United States with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics. Later, she completed a master’s degree in public health at the University of California in Los Angeles.
In 1972, the princess gave up her royal title upon marrying American commoner Peter Ladd Jensen.
The couple has two children, Ploypailin Jensen and Sirikitiya Jensen; a third child, Bhumi Jensen, died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
They lived together in the United States until 1998, when Princess Ubolratana divorced Jensen and, in 2001, relocated to Thailand.
The upcoming vote in March is the first general election in Thailand since a military coup led by Prayuth ousted the administration of democratically elected former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s younger sister.
Both of them now live in self-imposed exile to avoid legal prosecution in Thailand.
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