Bhumi Jensen
Encyclopedia
Bhumi Jensen ' onMouseout='HidePop("13296")' href="/topics/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcription">RTGS:
—Phum Jensen—, always called Bhumi คุณพุ่ม; or Khun Poom) (August 16, 1983 - December 26, 2004), was a grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
of Thailand
, after whom he was named. He was the son of the king's eldest daughter, Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya
, and her American (former) husband Peter Ladd Jensen. Bhumi Jensen, who was commonly known as Khun Poom, had autism
. Jensen's condition brought about much awareness of autism in Thailand. Despite his father being a foreigner, Jensen was accorded royal status in Thailand. He attended Kasetsart University Laboratory School
in Bangkok
.
Jensen became a victim of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
, while he and his family were vacationing at the La Flora Resort hotel in Khao Lak
, Phang Nga province
. He was drowned when the tsunami
caused by the earthquake struck the coast of southern Thailand. His body was discovered on the beach the day following the tsunami. His uncle, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn
, identified the body and piloted the family back to Bangkok. On 30 April 2005, he was given a royal funeral attended by his grandfather the King and virtually every member of the Royal Family. Princess Ubol Ratana established the Khun Poom Foundation (TH: มูลนิธิคุณพุ่ม) in his memory, to aid children with autism and other learning disabilities. She also founded "To Be Number One Project" to campaign against drug usage among teenagers.
Royal Thai General System of Transcription
The Royal Thai General System of Transcription is the official system for rendering Thai language words in the Latin alphabet, published by the Royal Institute of Thailand...
—Phum Jensen—, always called Bhumi คุณพุ่ม; or Khun Poom) (August 16, 1983 - December 26, 2004), was a grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, after whom he was named. He was the son of the king's eldest daughter, Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya
Ubol Ratana
Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi , or Ubolratana in brief , is a princess of Thailand and the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Regent Sirikit...
, and her American (former) husband Peter Ladd Jensen. Bhumi Jensen, who was commonly known as Khun Poom, had autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
. Jensen's condition brought about much awareness of autism in Thailand. Despite his father being a foreigner, Jensen was accorded royal status in Thailand. He attended Kasetsart University Laboratory School
Kasetsart University Laboratory School
Kasetsart University Laboratory School Center for Educational Research and Development , informally known as Satit Kaset , is a well-known laboratory school in Bangkok, Thailand, operated under the auspices of...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
Jensen became a victim of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, while he and his family were vacationing at the La Flora Resort hotel in Khao Lak
Khao Lak
Khao Lak ) is a seaside resort located in the Takua Pa district in the Phang Nga province, Thailand and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands....
, Phang Nga province
Phang Nga Province
Phang Nga is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, on the shore to the Andaman Sea. Neighboring provinces are Ranong, Surat Thani and Krabi. To the south is the Phuket province, but without land boundary to Phang Nga....
. He was drowned when the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
caused by the earthquake struck the coast of southern Thailand. His body was discovered on the beach the day following the tsunami. His uncle, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn
Maha Vajiralongkorn
Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayammakutratchakuman is the only son of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, and Queen Sirikit...
, identified the body and piloted the family back to Bangkok. On 30 April 2005, he was given a royal funeral attended by his grandfather the King and virtually every member of the Royal Family. Princess Ubol Ratana established the Khun Poom Foundation (TH: มูลนิธิคุณพุ่ม) in his memory, to aid children with autism and other learning disabilities. She also founded "To Be Number One Project" to campaign against drug usage among teenagers.