Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has passed away at the age of 47, the royal palace announced on Friday. Her death follows years of serious health complications and nearly four years spent in a coma.
The princess was admitted to hospital in December 2022 after collapsing due to a heart-related condition while on a visit to the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. She was subsequently airlifted by helicopter to Bangkok, where she received specialist medical care.
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.
Public Service and Diplomacy
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.
Royal Successor and National Mourning
In 2017, Bajrakitiyabha was appointed as the goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast 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.
(With inputs from Reuters)
