Thailand’s royal household has announced the death of 47-year-old Princess Bajrakitiyabha, more than three years after she collapsed and fell into a coma.
The princess, the eldest daughter of King Vajiralongkorn, died late on Thursday at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, according to a statement released by the palace on Friday morning.
"The medical team provided the closest and most intensive care possible, but her condition continued to decline progressively," the statement said, adding that she passed away at 19:48 local time.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha collapsed in December 2022 while exercising her dogs.
Doctors later said she had suffered a severely irregular heartbeat caused by a mycoplasma infection affecting her heart, and she never regained consciousness.
Born on 7 December 1978, she was the child of the King’s first marriage to Princess Soamsawali and was widely regarded as one of the most accomplished members of the Thai royal family.
Trained as a lawyer, she earned two postgraduate degrees from Cornell University in the United States (US) before working at Thailand’s mission to the United Nations (UN) in New York.
She later returned home to serve in the offices of the Attorney-General in Bangkok and other parts of the country.
From 2012 to 2014, she served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, where she developed close links with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Her work there helped shape a public role that focused on justice reform and the treatment of vulnerable groups.
After returning to Thailand, she became the UNODC’s Ambassador for the Rule of Law in South East Asia and spoke frequently about the need for changes to the country’s criminal justice system.
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She was particular about the criminal justice system in relation to women imprisoned for minor drug offences.
Thailand has one of the highest female prison populations in the world.
In 2021, her father appointed her chief of staff of his private bodyguard unit, granting her the rank of general.
Beyond her official duties, the princess was known as a committed fitness enthusiast and regularly took part in long-distance running events.
Her prominence, experience and apparent closeness to the King made her a central figure in quiet speculation about Thailand’s future royal succession.
King Vajiralongkorn, now 73, has not formally named an heir, and even though Thai tradition favours a male successor, constitutional changes allow a woman to ascend the throne.
The King has five sons, though four from his second marriage were disowned decades ago and live in the US.
His remaining son, Prince Dipangkorn, is generally regarded as the presumed heir, although his suitability has been the subject of private debate.
For many royalists, Princess Bajrakitiyabha was seen as a potential stabilising figure, either as a future monarch or as a regent.
Her death leaves questions about succession unresolved, though Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws effectively bar public discussion of the issue.
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