Bangkok: Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47 after spending more than three years in a coma, the Royal Palace announced on June 12.
The princess had been hospitalized since 2022 after collapsing due to a heart-related condition in Nakhon Ratchasima province. She was later transferred to Bangkok for specialized treatment and remained unconscious thereafter. In recent months, her condition reportedly worsened due to multiple infections and complications affecting several organs.
She was the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Princess Soamsawali. She was one of the most prominent members of the Thai royal family and was regarded by many observers as a potential figure in the monarchy’s future succession plans.
A trained lawyer, she earned advanced law degrees from Cornell University and served in several public roles, including Thailand’s ambassador to Austria. She was also known for her work promoting women’s rights and justice reforms, particularly for incarcerated women, and served as a United Nations goodwill ambassador.
Her death has renewed attention on questions surrounding succession within Thailand’s royal family. Princess Bajrakitiyabha was among the few royal children considered eligible to inherit the throne, though no official successor has been named.
The Thai government is expected to announce a period of national mourning, while royal funeral rites will be conducted in Bangkok in accordance with palace traditions.
