Khun Poom Jensen'' Khun'' is a Thai courtesy title which is used to show respect but does not indicate a royal status. ( th, พุ่ม เจนเซน; ; ; 16 August 1983 – 26 December 2004), born Bhumi Jensen (also spelled Poomi Jensen, th, ภูมิ เจนเซน; ; ), was a grandson of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; ( Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Grea ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, after whom he was named. He was also a nephew of

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...

, the current King of Thailand. He was the only son of the King's eldest daughter, Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, and her American (former) husband

Peter Ladd Jensen Princess Ubol Ratana ( th, อุบลรัตน, , ; born 5 April 1951); ), while her legal commoner name is Ubolratana Mahidol (). is a member of the Thai royal family. She is the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit an ...

Biography

Poom, as he was commonly known, had

autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

and his status helped heighten awareness of the condition in Thailand. He attended Kasetsart University Laboratory School in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

. He spent his childhood in

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

, where he graduated from Torrey Pines High School. Poom moved with his mother to Thailand in July 2001, after his graduation.

Death and legacy

Jensen drowned after being struck by the

Indian Ocean tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern S ...

on 26 December 2004, while he and his family were on holiday at the La Flora Resort hotel in

Khao Lak Khao Lak ( th, เขาหลัก, ) is a series of villages, now tourist-oriented, mainly in the Takua Pa District and partly in the Thai Mueang District of Phang Nga Province, Thailand. The name "Khao Lak" literally translated means 'Mai ...

. His body was discovered on the beach the following day. His uncle, then-

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wife ...

Maha Vajiralongkorn, identified his body and flew the rest of the family to Bangkok. On 30 April 2005, he received a royal funeral attended by his grandfather the King and virtually every member of the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term p ...

. His mother, Princess Ubolratana, established the Khun Poom Foundation 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.

Honors

King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal (Thailand) ribbon

King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal (First Class).

Police rank

* Police Sub Lieutenant

Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand rank

* Volunteer Defense Corps Majorhttp://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2548/00169756.PDF

Ancestry

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Poom 1983 births 2004 deaths American people of Thai descent American people of Danish descent Deaths by drowning Poom Jensen Natural disaster deaths in Thailand People from San Diego People on the autism spectrum Royalty and nobility with disabilities Poom Jensen Poom Jensen Victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami Poom Jensen