Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies aged 47 after long illness, royal palace says
Princess Bajrakitiyabha greets royalists after a ceremony in Bangkok in 2020. (Reuters: Athit Perawongmetha)
In short:
The eldest child of Thailand's king, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, has died at the age of 47 after spending the past three and a half years in a coma due to heart issues.
Her condition worsened recently due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias and blood clotting disorders, a statement from Thailand's royal palace said.
What's next?
The palace will hold royal funeral rites, while the government is expected to declare a period of national mourning.
Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at 47, the royal palace says, after multiple health problems and three and a half years in a coma.
The princess was hospitalised in December 2022 after a sudden loss of consciousness caused by a heart condition while visiting the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. She was flown by helicopter to the capital, Bangkok, shortly afterwards for treatment.
She died on Thursday evening, after her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias and blood clotting disorders, the palace statement said.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha was hospitalised in December 2022 after losing consciousness. (Reuters: Athit Perawongmetha)
Princess Bajrakitiyabha, popularly known as Princess Pa, was born on December 7, 1978, to the then-crown prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.
In Thailand, she will be remembered for her prominent role in public life, her efforts to improve the livelihoods of female prisoners, and her diplomatic career.
She studied law at Cornell University, obtaining a master's degree and a doctorate, and worked as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General between 2006 and 2011.
From 2012 to 2014, she was Thailand's ambassador to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, before returning to the attorney-general's office in Bangkok.
She also founded a charity promoting the rights of female inmates, particularly those who were pregnant while in jail.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha was the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, pictured with his second wife, Queen Suthida. (Reuters: Jorge Silva)
In 2017, Princess Bajrakitiyabha was appointed as the goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in South-East Asia by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
She transferred to the army in 2021, where she was bestowed the rank of a general and served as a chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.
The princess was one of King Vajiralongkorn's three children who have formal titles and are eligible to take the throne under the constitution.
In October last year, Thailand's queen mother passed away at 93.
The palace will hold royal funeral rites, while the government is expected to declare a period of national mourning.
Reuters