Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies after more than three years in coma

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and a prominent member of the royal family, has died at the age of 47 after remaining in a coma for more than three years.

Her death was confirmed on Friday (June 12) by the Royal Household Bureau.

According to an official statement, the princess passed away at 7:48pm (local time) on Thursday at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, where she had been receiving intensive medical care since collapsing in December 2022.

The royal palace said her condition had continued to deteriorate despite sustained treatment and the efforts of a team of specialist physicians.

Widely known as “Princess Pa,” Bajrakitiyabha lost consciousness while exercising her dogs in December 2022. Doctors later determined that she had suffered a severe cardiac event caused by an irregular heartbeat linked to a mycoplasma infection affecting her heart. She never regained consciousness and remained in a coma thereafter.

Born on December 7, 1978, Princess Bajrakitiyabha was the eldest of King Vajiralongkorn’s seven children. As one of the few royals holding full royal titles, she was considered among those eligible to succeed to the Thai throne under the country's constitutional framework.

Beyond her royal duties, the princess built a distinguished career in law, diplomacy and public service. After earning master's and doctoral degrees in law from Cornell University in the United States, she served as a prosecutor in Thailand's Attorney General's Office from 2006 to 2011.

She later represented Thailand as ambassador to Austria between 2012 and 2014 and concurrently held diplomatic responsibilities for Slovenia and Slovakia. During that period, she worked closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was also widely recognised for her advocacy on behalf of female prisoners and vulnerable women. She established a charitable foundation focused on protecting the rights of incarcerated women, particularly pregnant inmates. In 2017, the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice appointed her as a regional ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia.

In 2021, she joined the Thai military and was later promoted to the rank of general. She subsequently served as Chief of Staff of the Royal Security Command.

Her death marks another significant loss for the Thai royal family following the passing of the Queen Mother at the age of 93 last October.

The Royal Household Bureau said preparations are underway for royal funeral rites, while national mourning is expected to be announced in the coming days.