Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies at 47 after long illness

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest daughter of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has passed away at the age of 47, the royal palace announced. The princess had been battling multiple health issues and had been in a coma for three and a half years.

She was admitted to a hospital in December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness due to a heart condition while visiting the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. She was subsequently airlifted to the capital, Bangkok, for treatment. The palace statement indicated that her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders.

Born on December 7, 1978, Princess Bajrakitiyabha, affectionately known as Princess Pa, was the first child of the then-crown prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali. She played a prominent role in public life, dedicating efforts to improving the welfare of female prisoners and pursuing a diplomatic career. She studied law at Cornell University, earning master's and doctoral degrees, and worked as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General from 2006 to 2011.

Her diplomatic service included a tenure as Thailand's ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia from 2012 to 2014, after which she returned to the attorney-general's office in Bangkok. Princess Bajrakitiyabha also founded a charity focused on the rights of female inmates, particularly those who were pregnant during their incarceration. In 2017, she was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. In 2021, she transferred to the army, where she attained the rank of general and served as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was one of King Vajiralongkorn's three children with formal titles eligible to inherit the throne under the constitution. The palace is expected to hold royal funeral rites, and the government is anticipated to declare a period of national mourning.