BANGKOK -- Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun issued a statement on Friday evening expressing opposition to his elder sister Princess Ubolratana's bid to run for prime minister in the upcoming general election on March 24, topping off a tumultous day for the country's politics.
"Bringing such a high-ranking royal family member into the political system, no matter in which way, is an act against the royal custom, tradition, and the culture of the nation," read the king's statement, which was broadcast on television. "It is considered an extremely inappropriate action," it added.