Varananda Dhavaj

Who was Varananda Dhavaj?

Prince Varananda Dhavaj, born Mom Chao Varananda Dhavaj Chudadhuj was the son of Prince Chudadhuj Dharadilok and Mom Ravi Kayananda. Although he was the only son of a senior Thai prince, he was disqualified from succession to the throne because his mother was not Prince Chudadhut's formal wife.

Following the death of his father, the prince was raised by his uncle King Prajadhipok. He joined the monarch in virtual exile in England. He enlisted in the RAF on February 24, 1942 under the name Nicky Varanand, and served as pilot in the Normandy campaign during World War II. He would serve at total of 15 years in the RAF, finally resigning as a group captain to fly commercial aircraft for Thai Airways International. He later created his own airline, Air Siam, which went bankrupt in 1977. In 1973, he also became an adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture.