Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha, King’s Eldest Daughter, Dies at 47 After Prolonged Illness

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has passed away at the age of 47, according to a royal palace announcement on Friday. Her death came after years of severe health complications and nearly four years spent in a coma.

The princess was hospitalized in December 2022 following a sudden collapse caused by a heart-related condition while she was visiting Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeastern Thailand. She was airlifted by helicopter to Bangkok for medical treatment.

According to the palace statement, she passed away on Thursday evening after her health deteriorated due to “an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood-clotting disorders.”

Known affectionately as Princess Pa, Bajrakitiyabha was born on December 7, 1978, to then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.

She will be remembered in Thailand for her significant contributions to public life, particularly her work to improve conditions for female prisoners, as well as her career in diplomacy.

The princess pursued law studies at Cornell University, where she earned both a Master’s degree and a Doctorate, and later worked as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General from 2006 to 2011.

Between 2012 and 2014, she served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia before returning to her role at the attorney-general’s office in Bangkok.

She also established a charitable organization focused on advocating for the rights of female inmates, especially those who were pregnant during incarceration.

In 2017, the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice named her goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia.

In 2021, she transitioned to a military role, where she was appointed a general and served as chief of staff of the Royal Security Command.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was one of three of King Vajiralongkorn’s children holding formal titles that make them eligible for succession under Thailand’s constitution.

Her death follows that of Thailand’s Queen Mother, who passed away last October at the age of 93.

The royal palace is expected to hold formal funeral rites, and the government is anticipated to announce a period of national mourning