22 Facts About Ubol Ratana

Ubol Ratana is the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit and elder sister of King Vajiralongkorn.

Ubol Ratana is styled in English as Princess Ubol Ratana, without the style Her Royal Highness.

Ubol Ratana started many charitable foundations that focused on improving the quality of life for the disadvantaged.

In February 2019, in an "unprecedented" move, Ubol Ratana announced her candidacy for Prime Minister of Thailand in the 2019 general election, running as a candidate of the Thai Raksa Chart Party.

Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya is the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit.

Ubol Ratana was born on 5 April 1951, at Clinique de Montchoisi in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Ubol Ratana is the only child born outside of Thailand from the four children of former King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit.

Ubol Ratana's parents nicknamed her "Pay", short for poupee.

Ubol Ratana returned to Thailand and stayed at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace.

Ubol Ratana was styled "Her Royal Highness" by her father at the royal celebration of the first month birthday ceremony King Bhumibol Adulyadej gave her full name and title "Her Royal Highness Princess Ubol Ratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi".

Ubol Ratana was Bhumibol's favorite child because she was attractive and excelled at academics and sports, where her brother, Vajiralongkorn did not.

Ubol Ratana attended primary to secondary levels at Chitralada School.

Ubol Ratana went to the United States for her tertiary education.

Ubol Ratana studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1973.

Ubol Ratana later obtained a master's degree in public health at University of California, Los Angeles.

Ubol Ratana made many attempts to ask her father to reinstate her royal title before and after her permanent return to Thailand, but the king never relented.

Ubol Ratana likewise flew to Thailand along with her husband to visit her parents and the other members of the royal family, while joining them in royal ceremonies when she visited Thailand.

Ubol Ratana visited in 1980,1982,1987,1992 and 1996, taking part in several family events, before her permanent return in 2001.

Ubol Ratana launched the "To Be Number One" Foundation in 2002 to combat drug use by young people.

In 2003, Ubol Ratana starred in a Thai soap opera, Kasattiya.

Ubol Ratana plays a "lonely-at-the-top" CEO who begins a life of philanthropy after the death of her only daughter.

In 2019, it was announced Ubol Ratana would run as the prime ministerial candidate for the Thaksin-affiliated Thai Raksa Chart Party in the 2019 general election, called an "astonishing" move without precedent, as the royal family has never been directly involved in electoral politics.