His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
HIS MAJESTY KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJof Thailand was born in Cambridge Massachusetts,The United States of America, on Monday the 5th of December 1927, beingthe third and youngest child of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Mahidol of Songkhla
Even the facts of his birth seem to be significant in several ways. He is,first of all, the direct grandson of His Late Majesty KingChulalongkorn or Rama V who was renowned for the greatreforms which he made to all institutions of Thailand to bring them up todate and in line with the rest of the Western-orientated world.
Prince Mahidol himself was perhaps one of the most modern-minded of allthe sons of King Chulalongkorn and his life was dedicated to thedevelopment of many modern ideas particularly in the field of MedicalScience so that he is now known as the Father of the Modern Thai MedicalProfession.
Last but not least, he was given the significant name ofBhumibol Adulyadej, meaningStrength of the Land Incomparable Powerwhich becomes prophetic as his Reign advances through various criticalperiods and the Thai nation evolves more and more around the Throne as thesole sources of unity and strength. 
Prince Mahidol came back to Thailand and passed away when HisMajesty was not yet two years old. After a brief period of primaryschooling in Bangkok, His Majesty left with the rest ofhis family for Switzerland where he continued his secondary education at the Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande, Chailly sur Lausanne and received the Bachelieres Lettres diploma from the Gymnase Classique Cantonal of Lausanne.
He then chose to enter Lausanne University to studyScience, but the death of his elder brother King Ananda Mahidol in Bangkokon the 9th. of June 1946, changed the course of his life completely, forthe Law of Succession bestowed on him the arduous but challenging functionof the Thai Crown. His Majesty decided to go back to Switzerland foranother period of study, but this time in the subiect of Political Scienceand Law in order to equip himself with the proper knowledge forgovernment. In 1950, His Majesty returned to Thailand for the Coronation Ceremony whichtook place on the 5th. of May.
He went back to Switzerland for another period of study before the urgentcall of his country and people brought him back to Thailand in 1951 tostay.
His Majesty met and became engaged on the 19th. of July 1949 toMom Rajawongse Sirikit, daughter of His Highness PrinceChandaburi Suranath (Mom Chao Nakkhatra Mangala Kitiyakara)and Mom Luang Bua Kitiyakara (nee Mom Luang Bua Snidwongse).His Highness Prince Chandaburi Suranath was the third son ofHis Royal Highness Prince Chandaburi Narunath and Her SereneHighness Princess Absarasman Kitiyakara.
Their Majesties were married by Her Majesty Queen Sawang Vadhana,the paternal grandmother of His Majesty, at Sra Pathum Palace in Bangkokon the 28th. of April 1950 and Their Majesties have four children namely: 
1. The Former Her Royal Highness Princess UbolRatana who was born on the 5th. of April 1951, in Lausanne,Switzerland and graduated form the Faculty of Science atMassachusetts Institute of Technologyin The United States of America with a Bachelor of ScienceDegree in Bio-Chemistry in 1973. She is married to Mr. Peter Ladd Jensenand now resides in The United States of America with her husband and theirthree children.
2. His Royal Highness Crown PrinceMaha Vajiralongkornwas born on the 28th. of July 1952, inBangkok, Thailand, and was conferred with the title ofSomdech Phra Boroma Orasadhiraj Chao Fah Maha VajiralongkornSayam Makutrajakuman by His Majesty the King on the 28th.of December 1972, making him the Crown Prince or Heir to the Throne. HisRoyal Highness graduated from the Royal Military College Duntroon,Australia, on the 9th. of December 1975, and now serves in the Royal Thai Army, with the rank of Major General and commands the King's Own Body-Guards Regiment, the Frist Division, Royal Guards. His RoyalHighness is married to Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali (nee MomLuang Soamsawali Kitiyakara) and has one daughter.
3.Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhornwas born on the 2nd. of April 1955 in Bangkok, Thailand, and was conferred the title ofSomdech Phra Debaratana Rajasuda Chao Fah Maha ChakriSirindhorn Rathasimakunakornpiyajat Sayam Boroma Rajakumari by His Majesty the King on the 5th of December 1977.
Her Royal Highness graduated from the Faculty of Arts atChulalongkorn Universitywith a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History , First ClassHonours, in 1976. In 1979, Her Royal Highness received a Master of ArtsDegree in Oriental Epigraphy from the Graduate School ofSilapakorn University and in thefollowing year received a Master of Arts Degree in Oriental Languages fromthe Graduate School at Chulalongkorn University. Her Royal Highnessreceived her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Educational Development fromSrinakharinwirotUniversity in 1986 and is currently studying for a doctorate degree ineducational administration at Chulalongkorn University.
4. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhornwas born on the 4 th. of July 1957 in Bangkok,Thailand, and graduated from the Faculty of Science and Arts atKasetsart University with aBachelor of Science Degree in Organic Chemistry, First Class Honours, in1979. Her Royal Highness completed her doctorate work in organic chemistryin 1985, and received her Doctor of Philosophy Degree fromMahidol Universityin July of the same year.
