masterchef goes to thailand!

[Kippax 5]

could be worth a watch..9pm bbc1 tonight

[glynbuk 29]

just watching it on Iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01cyzcq/MasterChef_Series_8_Episode_11/

 

They are in Chang Mai and its looking good

[chatkeow 28]

Watched most of it and near the end they wheeled out this "Prince" whom I'd never heard of and throughout the programme introduced famous chefs from Thailand that nobody else had heard of either.

[firth1974 2,659]

Bhisadej Rajani

 

Bhisadej Rajani (complete title: His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Bhisadej Rajani) (Thai: หม่อมเจ้าภีศเดช รัชนี) (born 20 January 1920), is the Prince of Thailand, a member of Thai Royal Family, and member of the House of Rajani (th: ราชสกุลรัชนี), the Royal house descended from Chakri Dynasty, which is originated by his father. He is one of the longest-living royal personages in the Thai history. He is a close-friend of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He is an author and works as the President of the Royal Project for the King. He is a descandant to Pinklao, Vice-King of Siam.

 

[edit] Biography

 

Prince Bhisadej Rajani was born on 20 January 1920. He is the youngest son of Prince Rajani Chamcharas, the Prince Bidyalongkorn (son of Prince Yodyingyos, the Prince Bovorn Vichaichan) and Mom Chao Barabimalabanna Vorawan (daughter of Prince Vorawannakara, the Prince Naradhip Prabandhabongs). He is the great-grandson of the Vice-King Pinklao. He is the younger brother of Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit, the Queen Sirikit's lady-in-waiting and famous royalty author, who was killed in the helicopter by insurgents while visiting soldiers.

 

He graduated from Debsirin School and continued his education at Dulwich College in England where he played rugby, tennis and squash. Running many races in a day, young Prince Bhisadej finally won the Victor Ludorum gold medal (a Latin word for a winner of the games) at the annual Thai students in the U.K. meeting. During World War II, he joined the British Army in 1943 as a soldier and British spy; he was trained to walk up the hills with a rifle and heavy back pack. He trekked along the Himalayan Mountains for two weeks with an army from Darjeeling Hill Station in India to a trade route of Nathula Pass in Tibet. After the tough army training, he engaged the underground resistance movement activities against Japanese called Free Thai during the War. After the war, he came back to Thailand and worked as an officer in the Border Patrol Police in their schools along the northern Thai border for a few years.

 

[edit] Royal duties

 

Prince Bhisadej is a close friend of King Bhumibol Adulyadej since the King held the title Prince during his elder brother's reign, King Ananda Mahidol. In the 1969 narcotics crisis, during which hill tribes villagers in the northern territory grewopuim, King Bhumibol Adulyadej established the Royal Project centred at Fang District under his command to encourage the hill tribes to renounce opium-growing. As President, he gave advice to them about substitution of cash crops such as strawberry, peach, plum, as well as vegetable and fruits in winter. Moreover, he has also served as president of the Thai-United Nations Hill-Tribe Economic Development Project and of the Highland Agricultural Research Committee.

 

The sports and army experiences benefited him when he joined The Royal Project as President in 1969, and his early years involved development works in remote hill tribe villages. On another occasion, the Prince also appreciated the Hmong hospitality at Ban Mae Tho in Chiang Mai where he started trekking from Hod District to visit the Hmong village with a red kidney beans cultivation project.

 

[edit] Lifestyles

 

While working in Chiang Mai, Prince Bhisadej lives in a very simple lifestyle. His hobbies now are reading, listening to music and photography. He has been fond of photography since he was 14 years old. He enjoys taking pictures of flowers grown at The Royal Development Centres, particularly English roses at The Royal Agricultural Station Ang Khang, which are in full bloom in April. He loves to read novels and books about history and traveling to country side and villages telling about farmers' lives, especially in France and Spain.

 

Prince Bhisadej's favourite sports in Chiang Mai used to be windsurfing and horse riding, but it has been years since he has practiced these. He fell from horseback three times and he broke three ribs during one of those falls. Nowadays, his exercises mostly relate to walking while inspecting his numerous agricultural centers on the highlands.

 

As a writer, he contributed to a women's magazine in Thailand. His most recent book in Thai entitled Cheewit Chun Chun published in 2002 under the pseudonym P. of Pramualmak (th: ภ. ณ. ประมวญมารค); the letter P stands for his name when pronounced in the RTGS styles, Phisadet. His book is autobiographical and also deals with Thai history some 100 years ago.

 

Prince Bhisadej is greatly respected among Thais for his dedication and long contributions for King Bhumibol Adulyadej to achieve The Royal Project development strategies thus making him becomes an icon of The Royal Project Foundation.[citation needed] The Prince has frequently been invited to graciously preside over academic or international meetings and grand social events.

 

[edit] Marriage

 

Prince Bhisadej married his first cousin, Mom Rajawongse Dajriraj Vorawan, daughter of Mom Chao Nitayakara Vorawan and Mom Kaew Vorawan na Ayudhya. She is the granddaughter of Prince Vorawannakara, the Prince Naraship Prabandhabongs, and is the direct niece of Mom Chao Barabimalabanna Vorawan, who is Prince Bhisadej's mother.

 

The couple has 2 daughters and 1 son;

 

Mom Rajawongse Dajrabimala Rajani

Mom Rajawongse Bhavari Rajani

Mom Rajawongse Dhiradej Rajani

The Prince and his family reside officially at Pramual Palace, at Pramual road, Silom, Bangkok but usually reside in his private residence in the area of The Royal Project Development and Agricultural Centre, Doi Ang Khang, Fang District, Chiang Mai Province.

 

[edit] Title

 

His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao) Bhisadej Rajani : 20 August 1920–present

[edit] Royal Decoration

 

Knight Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (First class): 5 May 1988–present

[edit] Ancestry

 

[edit] References