She was part of the House of Mahidol, which is descended from the Chakri dynasty and was founded by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej. Sangwan Chukramol was born on 21 October , in Nonthaburi Province. Her family was of Laotian descent from Vientiane. Her aunt and guardian, Suay, earned a living by making sweets and rolling cigarettes.
Sangwan's mother had taught her to read before passing. With this skill, Sangwan enrolled at an all-girls school of Wat Anongkharam , a nearby temple whose abbot recognized the needs for the girls to have a proper education. She then studied at Suksanari , leaving the school after only a month due to the lack of funds.
At the age of seven, Sangwan found herself at the royal court. Her only duty at that time was to present herself at a twice-daily audience with the princessβwhen she woke up, and again in the evening. Every now and then, she would join the princess's entourage when she went for an audience with her mother, Queen Savang Vadhana, at Suan Hongsa Royal Villa on the grounds of Dusit Palace. After an accident with a sewing needle , Sangwan was sent to Lord Phraya Damrong Baedyakhun, the court physician for surgery.
She stayed at his house while continuing her schooling at Satri Wittaya School. Sensing that she was feeling listless and unhappy, he asked her if she would be interested in studying nursing.
Sangwan answered at once that she would be. Siriraj Hospital had opened a school of midwifery and nursing, but despite the minimum requirement of being able to read and write, had not been able to attract many students. As a further incentive, each student was paid 15 baht per month, sufficient to live on for the entire month. Sangwan enrolled as a student of Siriraj School for Midwifery and Nursing in , when she was thirteen. She was two years younger than the minimum age limit, but the school still accepted her based on her credentials.
