Seven-day funeral for Thai king's grandson

A grandson of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej was killed when caught by the tidal waves as he was jet-skiing in the south of the country yesterday.

The body of 21-year-old Poom Jensen, accompanied by his mother, Princess Ubolratana, was flown to Bangkok on board a private aircraft piloted by his brother today.

A seven-day Buddhist funeral service for Jensen began at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

The princess and her son were on holiday when earthquake-spawned tidal waves struck the beaches and islands in the region.

Officials said Jensen, a lover of outdoor sports, was jet-skiing when the huge waves surged toward the beach.

Thailand’s royal family, and especially the king, is highly revered.

The king’s eldest daughter was studying in the United States when she married American businessman Peter Jensen in 1972. They were divorced after 20 years of marriage and in recent years the princess and her son lived in Thailand. He was studying in Bangkok.