Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendra Debyawati, the eldest daughter of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died after being in a coma for more than three years, the royal family announced on Friday. He died at the age of 47.The princess collapsed while exercising her dogs in December 2022. Doctors attributed this to a severely irregular heartbeat caused by a mycoplasma infection in her heart. Despite intensive treatment he never regained consciousness.“The medical team provided the closest and most intensive care possible, but his condition continued to deteriorate progressively,” the palace said in a statement. He died at 7.48 pm local time on Thursday at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok.With his death, the Thai royal family has lost its most talented member and someone who would have played a key role in the as-yet-unclear succession.
‘Lawyer Princess’
Sometimes referred to in local media as the “Lawyer Princess”, Bajrakitiyabha held a Doctorate of Laws degree from Cornell University and was a qualified barrister in Thailand. He worked briefly at the Thai Mission to the United Nations in New York before returning to Thailand to work in the Attorney-General’s Offices.From 2012 to 2014, he served as Thailand’s Ambassador to Austria, where he liaised with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. She began speaking out on the need for penal reform, with a particular focus on vulnerable women who end up in prison. Thailand has the highest number of female prisoners in the world.She started the Kamalangjai (Inspiration) Royal Project to support women and children in prison and prepare for their return to society. She also led Thailand’s advocacy campaign that led to the 2010 UN General Assembly adoption of the Bangkok Rules aimed at improving the lives of female prisoners.
Royal role and succession question
In 2021, his father made him chief of staff in his personal bodyguard, giving him the rank of general. In August 2025, while hospitalized, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the King’s personal Royal Protection Command.His abilities and his father’s confidence in him made him an inevitable subject of speculation regarding royal succession. 73-year-old King Vajiralongkorn has not yet named his successor. Thai custom requires that the heir apparent be male, but a 1974 amendment to the constitution allows a woman to inherit the throne.Raja has five sons, but four sons from his second marriage were disowned in 1996 and have since lived with their mother in the United States. His fifth son, Dipangkorn, by his third wife, is the heir presumptive, although questions have been raised about his ability to assume the role of emperor.To many Thai royals, Princess Bajrakitiyabha seemed the most promising person to succeed her father, either as queen or as a ruler to help Prince Dipangkorn. His death leaves the question of succession unanswered, and the severity of the country’s lèse-majesté law (disallows any public discussion about it).The palace said the funeral would be conducted with the highest royal honors. His body will be interred in the Piman Rattaya Throne Hall within the Grand Palace. Members of the public will be allowed to offer sparkling water and pay their respects from Saturday, June 13.