Thailand’s royal household has confirmed the passing of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s eldest daughter, at the age of 47. The announcement, made Friday, comes more than three years after the princess was hospitalized for a sudden illness that would ultimately claim her life. She died peacefully on Thursday evening after her abdominal infection led to a steady and irreversible decline in health, the Bureau of the Royal Household said in an official statement.
Following royal tradition, the princess will lie in state at Bangkok’s Grand Palace, and a state funeral will be held with the highest royal honors, the statement added. Popularly known to Thais as “Princess Bha,” Bajrakitiyabha was the only child from the king’s first marriage to Princess Soamsawali. She first fell ill in December 2021, and by May of this year, her condition had deteriorated to the point that she required continuous medical device support for her lung and kidney function alongside round-the-clock medication.
A highly accomplished public figure beyond her royal status, Bajrakitiyabha built a diverse professional career as a trained prosecutor and diplomat. She pursued her education across three countries, earning a law degree from Cornell University in the United States after studying in Britain and her native Thailand, and went on to serve as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria. She also held multiple senior roles with the United Nations, and emerged as a prominent advocate for women’s rights, most notably pushing for improved living and working conditions for incarcerated women across the region. Speaking to students at her alma mater Cornell University during a 2012 visit, she described her multifaceted career as that of a “hybrid” professional, blending expertise in law, criminal justice and diplomacy.
In a televised national address following the announcement, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul paid tribute to the late princess, noting she was deeply loved, respected and admired by people across the kingdom. He praised her as kind, talented and of exemplary conduct, adding that she dedicated her entire life to advancing justice, equality, human dignity and rights across Thai society. Anutin called on all Thai citizens to join in national mourning and hold up the princess as an inspiration for public service to the nation and monarchy.
Within Thailand’s hierarchical social structure, where the royal family occupies the highest position of public reverence, Bajrakitiyabha held significant ceremonial influence. She was widely known to be close to her father, and just one year before her hospitalization, she was appointed to a senior leadership position in the king’s personal bodyguard command. Even Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a prominent Thai scholar known for his public criticism of the monarchy, offered a warm reflection after her death, recalling meeting her in Singapore and describing her as someone who treated every civil servant with inherent kindness and respect.
By Friday morning, crowds of mourners had already gathered outside Chulalongkorn Hospital, where the princess had received all her treatment since falling ill. Many held hand-signed portraits of the late princess, and dozens shared their grief with reporters. Sixty-six-year-old retiree Thanyaporn Arammekha, whose eyes were swollen from hours of crying, told reporters she had rushed to the hospital as soon as she heard the official announcement. “When I heard the announcement, I was very sad,” she said, noting that she had visited the hospital regularly throughout the princess’s treatment. She added that the Thai monarchy had long been a source of personal comfort for her after her parents’ divorce when she was a child, with former King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) serving as a father figure.
Another retired provincial official, 67-year-old Kanokpan Chantarapetch, struggled to speak through her tears as she paid her respects. “I can’t really speak. I’m overwhelmed,” she told AFP. “I have loved Princess Bha since she was very young, and as a former government worker, I understand how much the royal family has done for the country.”
Bajrakitiyabha’s death marks the second major loss for the Thai royal family in less than six months, following the death of King Vajiralongkorn’s mother, former Queen Sirikit, in October at the age of 93. The 73-year-old king, who has seven children from four separate marriages, has not yet publicly named an heir to the throne. Current Thai succession laws prioritize male heirs for the throne. Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws, which carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison per charge for any criticism of members of the royal family, continue to heavily regulate public discussion of the monarchy.