Princess Bajrakitiyabha, second in line to Thai throne, dies aged 47

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the eldest child of King Vajiralongkorn, died on June 12 at a Bangkok hospital after spending over three years in a coma due to a heart condition. The Royal Household Bureau confirmed her death on Thursday evening, stating that medical teams at Chulalongkorn Hospital provided intensive care but were unable to reverse her declining health. A highly respected figure in Thailand’s royal family, Bajrakitiyabha held the rank of general and served as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command. She was also a qualified lawyer with graduate degrees from Cornell University, previously working at the Thai UN mission in New York, the Attorney-General’s office in Bangkok, and as ambassador to Austria from 2012 to 2014. Before her illness, she was considered the strongest candidate to succeed King Vajiralongkorn as queen or regent, given her professional achievements and influence. Bajrakitiyabha advocated for reforms in Thailand’s criminal justice system, particularly for minor drug offenders and at-risk women, earning her appointment as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Ambassador for the Rule of Law in Southeast Asia. Her collapse in December 2022 marked the beginning of her prolonged medical struggle, with reports indicating she had been in critical condition since then. As the only child from the king’s first marriage, she retained a royal title despite her parents’ divorce in 1991, unlike her half-brother Prince Dipangkorn’s mother, who lost her title amid corruption allegations. Thailand’s strict lese majeste laws prohibit public discussion of the monarchy, including succession matters, making official statements on the matter rare. Bajrakitiyabha’s death leaves the royal family and the country in mourning, with her legacy as a reformist and senior royal figure remaining significant.