Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest daughter of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47 after spending more than three years in a coma. The Thai royal household announced her passing, stating she died on Thursday evening at Chulalongkorn Hospital.
The Princess collapsed in December 2022 while exercising her dogs. Doctors attributed her condition to a severely irregular heartbeat, which was caused by a mycoplasma infection affecting her heart. Despite intensive medical care, her condition progressively declined, leading to her death.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha was born on 7 December 1978, the daughter of King Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali. She was widely regarded as one of the most capable and accomplished members of the royal family. She pursued a distinguished legal career, earning two postgraduate degrees from Cornell University in the United States. Her professional life included a period at the Thai mission to the United Nations in New York, followed by work in the Attorney-General's offices across Thailand.
Her diplomatic experience included serving as Thailand's ambassador to Austria from 2012 to 2014, where she cultivated ties with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Upon her return to Thailand, she became the UNODC's Ambassador for the Rule of Law in Southeast Asia, advocating for significant penal reforms, particularly concerning vulnerable women in the justice system. In 2021, her father appointed her as a chief of staff in his private bodyguard, holding the rank of general.
Her extensive experience and her father's apparent trust in her had made her a prominent figure in discussions surrounding the royal succession. King Vajiralongkorn, aged 73, has not publicly named an heir. While Thai custom traditionally favours a male heir, a 1974 constitutional amendment allows for a female to ascend the throne. Many Thai royalists viewed Princess Bajrakitiyabha as a promising candidate to succeed her father, either as queen or as a regent to assist Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the presumed male heir whose capabilities have been questioned.
The Princess's death leaves the question of the Thai royal succession more uncertain. Public discourse on this sensitive topic is severely restricted in Thailand due to stringent lese-majeste laws, which prohibit criticism or discussion of the monarchy.