Thailand’s royal family is mourning the loss of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, who passed away Thursday evening at the age of 47 after spending nearly four years in a coma, according to an announcement from the royal palace on Friday.
The princess, who was the eldest daughter of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, had been hospitalized since December 2022 when she suddenly lost consciousness due to a heart condition during a visit to the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Medical teams transported her by helicopter to Bangkok for emergency care.
According to the palace statement, her death Thursday evening came after her medical situation deteriorated due to complications including an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders.
Born December 7, 1978, to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, the princess was widely known by the nickname Princess Pa among the Thai people.
Throughout her life, she made significant contributions to Thai society through her public service work, particularly her advocacy for improving conditions for female prisoners and her distinguished diplomatic service.
Her educational background included advanced legal studies at Cornell University, where she earned both a Master’s degree and a Doctorate. She put this education to use working as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General from 2006 to 2011.
Her diplomatic career included serving as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia from 2012 to 2014, after which she returned to work at the attorney-general’s office in Bangkok.
The princess established a charitable organization focused on advocating for the rights of female inmates, with special attention to pregnant women in jail.
In 2017, the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice recognized her work by naming her as the goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia.
More recently, she transitioned to military service in 2021, receiving the rank of general and taking on duties as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.
As one of King Vajiralongkorn’s three children holding formal titles, the princess was constitutionally eligible for succession to the throne.
This loss comes less than a year after Thailand’s Queen Mother died at age 93 in October.
Officials expect the palace to conduct royal funeral ceremonies, while the government is anticipated to announce a period of national mourning.
