Thai PM refuses to take female golf presidency

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected as president of the Thai Ladies Professional Golf Association (Thai LPGA) but she refused to take the post, Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday.

Yingluck, who does not play golf, was the only candidate to succeed Somporn Jungrungreangkit as head of the four-year-old association.

The premier, who was not at the conference room on Monday, got huge support from eligible voters. Her aide Apinya Phawasutthikarn, who was at the meeting, later informed her about the election.

But, according to Apinya, Yingluck knew nothing about golf and refused to take the position.

A new election is expected to be held in two weeks.

A few years ago after his government was overthrown in a military coup, Yingluck's brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected as president of the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of Thailand.

But he quit after 18 months of a two-year term saying he did not have time to run the association.