Thai king's eldest daughter dies, aged 47, after long illness, Royal Palace says

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47, the royal palace announced Friday. The princess had been hospitalized since December 2022 after suffering a sudden loss of consciousness due to a heart condition. She was subsequently flown to Bangkok for treatment, but her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood-clotting disorders, the palace statement detailed. Known popularly as Princess Pa, she was born in 1978 to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife. Princess Bajrakitiyabha played a prominent role in public life, dedicating efforts to improving the livelihoods of female prisoners and pursuing a diplomatic career. She studied law at Cornell University, earning both a Master's and a Doctorate. Between 2006 and 2011, she worked as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General. She later served as Thailand's ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia from 2012 to 2014. The princess also founded a charity focused on the rights of female inmates, particularly those who were pregnant while incarcerated. In 2017, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice appointed her as a goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia. She transferred to the army in 2021, achieving the rank of general and serving as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command. Princess Pa was one of King Vajiralongkorn's three children with formal titles eligible to ascend the throne. The palace is expected to hold royal funeral rites, and the government is anticipated to declare a period of national mourning.