Thai princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol dies after long illness

BANGKOK – Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the eldest daughter of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, died at the age of 47 after nearly four years in a coma, the royal palace said in a statement on June 12.

She fell ill during a military dog training session in December 2022, according to previous media reports.

She was the eldest of the 73-year-old King’s seven children, born on Dec 7, 1978, to his first wife and cousin, Princess Soamsawali. She was also the first grandchild of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the late former queen Sirikit of Thailand.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been hospitalised at the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok since Dec 15, 2022, after losing consciousness as a result of a heart condition and other health issues, including infections.

She had been in a coma ever since.

On May 21, 2026, the royal palace issued a statement revealing that her condition had deteriorated after she experienced complications from an infection in April.

The infection was detected in her abdomen, resulting in the inflammation of the large intestine. This led to unstable conditions such as low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal blood clotting, the statement read.

It went on to say that despite continuous support for her lung and kidney functions, several antibiotics and medication to stimulate blood pressure and control heart rhythm, her condition worsened.

She suffered severe and uncontrolled infection affecting the function of several vital organs.

Pran Jintrawet, a political science and public administration lecturer at Chiang Mai University, told The Straits Times that the Princess’ death will be felt by many in Thailand.

“Her absence means the loss of a publicly adored figure,” he said.

The Princess had a doctorate in law from Cornell University.

After completing her studies, she served in the Office of the Attorney-General of Thailand. She was also chair of the special advisory board of the Thailand Institute of Justice, affiliated with the United Nations.

From 2012 to 2014, she served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria and permanent representative of Thailand to the UN in Vienna.

She was known to have initiated a project aimed at addressing the special needs and vulnerabilities of female inmates and their children in correctional facilities. 

In September 2008, she was appointed a UN Women national ambassador to Thailand.

In a statement issued by UN Women then, the Princess was quoted as saying: “I take pride in saying that Thailand’s support to the global UNIFEM Say No To Violence Against Women campaign is second to none.”

“I also note with appreciation the national ownership that has evolved around this process. It is indeed a strong foundation upon which coordinated efforts to end violence against women and girls in Thailand have been and will continue to be built,” she added. 

Pran of Chiang Mai University said the Princess had made significant contributions to social work, and many were drawn to her affable nature.

“She was also widely known for being very approachable,” said Pran, who observed that though she was royalty, citizens found her relatable.

“She was also known for casually speaking and chit-chatting with her colleagues and bureaucrats. She occasionally conversed in English with them to avoid royal words, which is mandatory for Thai commoners when speaking with royalty,” he pointed out.

In 2017, the Princess was appointed UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in South-east Asia. As goodwill ambassador, she helped to secure the health, safety and well-being of individuals and families.

“Throughout her life, Her Royal Highness touched the lives of people around Thailand, including the most vulnerable,” Delphine Schantz, UNODC’s regional representative for South-east Asia and the Pacific, told ST.

“She took a profound interest in the well-being of people caught in the justice system, and became a champion for the rule of law and an effective criminal justice process which treats everyone with dignity,” she added.

In Thailand, the strict lese majeste law, also known as 112, prohibits anyone from criticising, insulting or defaming the king and the royal family.

Anyone who flouts this law can be sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison on a single charge.

That is why Patrick Jory, an associate professor who studies South-east Asian history at the University of Queensland, Australia, feels that the public image of Bajrakitiyabha has also been contained by this law, with few willing to comment candidly about her.

However, he observed: “It was well known that the Princess was close to her father, the King. Even though the King had not formally named a successor, in her public appearances, it appeared that he may have been grooming her to succeed him.”

Thailand’s current 1924 Palace Law on Succession does not allow a female to be a monarch.

Bajrakitiyabha’s death comes less than a year after Thailand’s former queen Sirikit, mother of Vajiralongkorn, died on Oct 24, 2025, at the age of 93. 

The country remains in a one-year mourning period for Sirikit’s death, where civil servants, state employees and government officials have to wear mourning attire.

The late King Bhumibol, Thailand’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2016.

The Princess’ death was met by an outpouring of grief from ordinary Thais to business conglomerates. The government has declared a 15-day mourning period, with flags at half-mast at government institutions.

A number of electronic billboards across the capital displayed a mourning message in black, featuring her royal crest.

Several Thai corporations, such as Charoen Pokphand Group and retail giant Central Group, changed their social media profiles to black and white out of respect for Bajrakitiyabha’s passing. Many also issued public statements expressing condolences.

In a video address to the country, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said her death is “a heartbreak beyond measure felt in the hearts of people throughout the country”.

“May her honour, exemplary conduct and benevolence remain a cherished inspiration and a guiding light in the hearts of the Thai people forever,” he said. “Her vision of a society built upon compassion, justice and equality will endure as a moral legacy for the nation.”

At the lobby of Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok where Bajrakitiyabha had received treatment, people trickled in to pay their respects. Holding portraits of the Princess, some wept openly.

Bakery owner Thanaphon Kanchanarat, 50, took her 12-year-old daughter to the hospital to honour the late Princess. She told ST her daughter skipped school because she was in tears over the news.

“From now on, as a mother, I want to teach my daughter to help society and help others, just as Her Royal Highness did,” she said. “We should do good deeds and give back to our country, following her example of kindness, generosity and helping those in need.”

For 66-year-old housekeeper Thanyaporn Alarmmekha, the news hit especially hard as she had met the late Princess before.

“I feel so sad. I don’t even know how to put it into words. I had the opportunity to be close to Her Royal Highness when welcoming her on royal visits,” she said. “She was always very approachable. Whenever she saw us, she would call me ‘auntie’ every single time.”

Yossapol Paiboon, a 19-year-old university student, said he had seen many young people expressing their sadness on X and TikTok.

“I believe that people in my generation, or even younger, are feeling the same way. I might not know everything that she had done, but I know that she had done a lot,” he said.

King Vajiralongkorn has directed the Bureau of the Royal Household to arrange the royal funeral rites. The royal remains will lie in state at Biman Rataya Pavilion within the Grand Palace.