Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Dies at 47 After Coma

Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the eldest child of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47 after nearly four years in a coma.

The princess had been hospitalized since December 2022 after suffering heart problems while training her dogs. Few updates on her health were provided, but in early May, the palace reported her condition had worsened due to multiple organ infections and an unstable heart rate.

Born in 1978 to then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, Princess Bajrakitiyabha held several degrees, including a doctorate from Cornell University. She served as an ambassador to Austria and worked in the attorney general’s office, among other roles.

Her death raises questions about the monarchy’s succession, a sensitive topic in Thailand where discussing the royal family is heavily restricted by lese majesty laws. Princess Bajrakitiyabha was considered a potential heir, though this was never officially acknowledged. The king has seven children from four marriages; only three, including Princess Bajrakitiyabha, held royal titles.

Speculation surrounded whether she might have acted as regent for her younger brother, Prince Dipangkorn, who has learning difficulties, or potentially become queen herself—a role Thailand has never had.

The king’s other sons, from his second marriage, have lived abroad since the 1990s and recently claimed they were denied re-entry to Thailand.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s mother retains her royal title despite the divorce, while the mother of Prince Dipangkorn lost hers due to corruption allegations against her family.