Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, an attorney and the oldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, passed away at age 47, the Bureau of the Royal Household announced.
The princess died Thursday night at a Bangkok medical facility where she had received treatment since losing consciousness from an illness three years earlier, Friday’s official statement revealed.
The royal was deeply involved in judicial reform initiatives and gained recognition primarily through her “Inspire” or Kamlangjai program, which focused on preparing imprisoned Thai women for successful reintegration into society.
Medical staff admitted the princess in December 2022 after she collapsed during a canine training session for a military demonstration. Palace officials reported she suffered from a mycoplasma infection, a bacterial condition typically linked to pneumonia.
The king’s 2023 New Year greeting featured King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida dressed in dark mourning attire, which many Thai citizens interpreted as evidence of her serious medical state. Sparse updates released over the following years suggested her health was declining.
Born December 7, 1978, she was the daughter of Vajiralongkorn, then serving as crown prince, and his former spouse Princess Soamsawali. The king fathered seven children with three of his four consecutive marriages. The princess also carried the formal royal title Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati for official ceremonies.
Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the king’s youngest child, stands as the expected successor since male heirs receive priority under Thailand’s succession laws. However, the princess’s extensive public service background sparked discussion that she might assume a significant position in future transitions, potentially serving as regent for a young ruler.
She completed legal studies at Thammasat University before attending Cornell University in New York, earning her master’s in law during 2002. Cornell awarded her a doctoral degree in 2005 following her dissertation on protecting defendants’ rights. The university later created Cornell Law School scholarships and a Thailand-Cornell legal scholar exchange program bearing her name.
Following a short tenure at Thailand’s United Nations mission in New York, she returned home to serve as a prosecutor. She resumed international service as Thailand’s representative to Austria between 2012 and 2014, then came back to focus on criminal justice reform. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime named her a goodwill ambassador in 2017.
Beyond her work rehabilitating female inmates, she championed various causes including improving prison conditions for women and combating gender-based violence as an honorary UN goodwill ambassador for women. Her advocacy resulted in the UN General Assembly passing the “Bangkok Rules” governing treatment and conditions for female prisoners.
“Society cannot grow if there is instability and injustice,” the princess stated during a 2013 Associated Press interview.
“Without the rule of law, without a good justice system, it’s always chaos,” she continued. “I think the rule of law is a very important pillar to development, to economic growth, and of course to human rights.”
She leaves behind her parents and siblings.
