BANGKOK (THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Thai Raksa Chart Party cancelled plans to launch election campaigns in Bangkok's China Town on Saturday (Feb 9), a day after the party dropped a political bombshell by announcing that former princess Ubolratana was the party's sole candidate for prime minister.

The party informed reporters without explanation that Thai Raksa Chart leader Preechaphol Pongpanit and party campaign chief Nattawut Saikaur would cancel the visit to Yaowarat.

The party earlier informed reporters that Preechaphol, Nattawut and several executives would visit Yaowarat to help its two candidates campaign on Saturday. The two candidates are ML Nattapol Devakul, running in Constituency 2, and Pongpisut Jitsophon, running in Constituency 3.

The campaign was planned to take place from 4pm to 5.30pm.

On Friday morning, Preechaphol dropped a political bombshell when he submitted the name of former princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi as the party's sole prime minister candidate.

But the plan was shattered just 12 hours later after King Maha Vajiralongkorn issued a televised royal command prohibiting his elder sister from entering politics, saying a member of the Royal Family must be above politics.