The 35-year-old qualified "by a whisker" after a series of races in Slovenia at the weekend, her manager told the BBC.

Mae, who will race as Vanessa Vanakorn using her father's surname, took part in four giant slalom races - two on Friday (January 17) and two on Sunday - to qualify.

She came tenth, nine, sixth and seventh in the four races, and was strong enough across the four to meet the standard to make it to the Games.

Mae, who shot to fame in the 1990s, has been skiing since she was a child.

She was born in Singapore but has a British passport. 

Mae started playing the piano at three and the violin at five.

Aged just ten, she made her solo debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London at the Royal Festival Hall.

She was the youngest soloist ever to record the demanding Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos when she was 13.

Today she is estimated to have a personal fortune of £40 million ($66 million/€48 million).

Vanessa Mae is a child prodigy who is now a multi-millionairess ©Getty Images

Because Thailand has no skiers ranked in the world's top 500, it can send one man and one woman to compete in slalom and giant slalom at the Games.

She will become only the second Thai athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics in the history of the Games.

Cross-country skier Prawat Nagvajara took part in the 30 kilometre freestyle mass start in Salt Lake City 2002, but did not finish.

In Turin 2006, he finished 67th out of 71 in the qualifying round of the 1.5 kilometre sprint.

Mae's eligibility has been confirmed by governing body the International Ski Federation (FIS), after it published its Olympic points list and Olympic quota.

She now requires nomination by her national association, which Thai team leader Varin Tansupasiri has confirmed will happen.

Ana Jelusic, FIS Alpine media co-ordinator, said: "She ticks all the boxes."