Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand has died at the age of 47, according to the palace. The princess, who is the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, had been in a coma for nearly four years after suffering heart problems while training her dogs in December 2022.
Health Decline
Since her hospitalization, there had been few updates on her condition. However, in early May, the palace reported that her health had worsened due to multiple infections in several organs, and physicians were unable to stabilize her irregular heart rate. In April, doctors discovered a stomach infection that led to intestinal inflammation, causing a drop in blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. Her kidney function and breathing were supported by medical equipment.
Background and Career
Born in 1978 to then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his wife and cousin, Princess Soamsawali, Bajrakitiyabha held several degrees, including a doctorate from Cornell University. She served as an ambassador to Austria, worked in the attorney general's office and the royal security command, and was a goodwill ambassador for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. She also campaigned for the rights of female prisoners.
Succession Questions
Her death raises questions about succession in Thailand, a sensitive topic due to strict lese majeste laws that limit public discussion of the monarchy. Criticism of the royal family can lead to up to 15 years in prison per charge. Bajrakitiyabha was considered by many analysts to be a well-suited heir to the throne, though this was never officially addressed.
Royal Family
The king has married four times and has seven children. Bajrakitiyabha was one of only three children with a royal title, along with Princess Sirivannavari, 38, and Prince Dipangkorn, 20. Some speculated that Bajrakitiyabha might have acted as regent for Dipangkorn, who is reported to have learning difficulties, or become queen herself. Thailand has never had a ruling queen. The king's four other sons have lived abroad since the mid-1990s after their mother, Sujarinee, was divorced and accused of adultery. Their sister Princess Sirivannavari was returned to Thailand and raised as a royal. The estranged sons visited Thailand in 2023 for the first time in decades but claimed in 2025 they were denied entry. The king divorced Bajrakitiyabha's mother in 1991, but she retains her royal title. Dipangkorn's mother, Srirasmi Suwadee, was stripped of her title after her family faced corruption accusations.
