Former PM's daughter to wed Cambodian boyfriend

Former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Thursday that his daughter; Chayapa, will marry her boyfriend Nam Lynal, a son of Cambodian MP and tycoon Sieng Nam, on May 18 at a Bangkok hotel.

The wedding party will be held again on May 25 at a hotel in Phnom Penh. He said the marriage is the prvate affair of two people who want to build a future together and should not be linked to politics.

"I am a father who wishes to support his child to have stability in her life," he added.

Somchai is a brother-in-law of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and current PM Yingluck.

The 32-year-old groom's father is an MP for Siem Reap province and a real estate tycoon. His mother is Oun Vunly. Sieng Nam is a close aide to Prime Minister Hun Sen. Chayapa, 29, who is known as Shirley, is a former singer and now works as a public prosecutor.

Khmer media reported that Nam Lynal, an official of the Cambodian Council of Ministers, met Chayapa, while studying in Thailand.