Thai King’s eldest daughter dies after nearly four years in coma
By Dan Kauna, June 12, 2026Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47, the royal palace announced on Friday.
The princess, who was popularly known as Princess Pa, had been in a coma since December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness due to a heart condition while visiting the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. She was airlifted by helicopter to Bangkok for treatment.
The palace said she died on Thursday evening after her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders.
Mourning her, US Ambassador to Thailand Sean O’Neill said in a statement: “On behalf of the United States of America and all Americans in Thailand, I offer deepest condolences on the passing of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati Kromluangrajasarinisiribajra Mahavajrarajadhita. Together we mourn with our great friends, the people of the Kingdom of Thailand, at this somber time.”
A life of firsts
Born on December 7, 1978 to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, Bajrakitiyabha was the only child from that union.
She studied law and international relations in Thailand, then went on to earn a master’s degree and PhD in law at Cornell University in New York.
In 2017, she was appointed goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
She also did extensive work advocating for better treatment of incarcerated women in Thailand and around the world.
Her efforts helped lead to the United Nations’ 2010 adoption of the Bangkok Rules, formally known as the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders.
She later transferred to the army in 2021, where she was bestowed the rank of general and served as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.
What her death means for the throne
Princess Bajrakitiyabha was one of three children of King Vajiralongkorn who hold formal titles, making her eligible for the throne under the constitution. King Vajiralongkorn, who is 73, has not yet named an heir.
Thai custom dictates that the heir should be male, though a 1974 amendment to the constitution does allow a woman to take the throne.
His fifth son, Dipangkorn, by his third wife, is the presumed heir, although questions have been raised about his ability to perform the role of monarch in a country where the royal institution carries so much influence.
For many Thai royalists, Princess Bajrakitiyabha had seemed the most accomplished member of the royal family and a figure who might have played a pivotal role in an as yet unclear succession.