Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the eldest child of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47 after nearly four years in a coma, the palace announced. She had been hospitalised since December 2022 with heart problems that left her gravely ill.
The princess, known in Thailand as Princess Bha, had been undergoing treatment after collapsing due to a heart condition while training her dogs. In recent months, her condition deteriorated due to multiple infections, including a stomach infection that led to intestinal inflammation, causing blood pressure drops and irregular heartbeat. Medical equipment supported her kidney function and breathing.
Born in 1978 to then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, Bajrakitiyabha held a doctorate from Cornell University and served as Thailand's ambassador to Austria, as well as roles in the attorney general's office and the royal security command. She was also a UN goodwill ambassador for drugs and crime, and campaigned for the rights of female prisoners.
Her death raises questions about succession in Thailand, where public discussion of the monarchy is restricted by strict lese-majesty laws. Analysts had considered her a potential heir, though this was never officially confirmed. The king has seven children, but only three hold royal titles: Bajrakitiyabha, Princess Sirivannavari, 38, and Prince Dipangkorn, 20.
Speculation had suggested Bajrakitiyabha might serve as regent for Dipangkorn, who is reported to have learning difficulties, or become Thailand's first ruling queen. The king's four other sons, from a previous marriage, have lived abroad since the 1990s and were denied entry to Thailand in 2025 after making visits in 2023.
