Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47 after being in a coma since December 2022.
The royal palace said she had been hospitalised after losing consciousness during a military dog training session, and her condition worsened in recent months after an infection triggered further complications. She died at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital, where she had been under treatment since 2022.
She fell ill during a military dog training session in December 2022, according to previous media reports.
She was the eldest child of Thailand’s 73-year-old King with his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, and the first grandchild of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the late former queen Sirikit of Thailand.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been hospitalised at the Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok since Dec 15, 2022, after losing consciousness as a result of a heart condition and other health issues, including infections.
She had been in a coma ever since.
On May 21, 2026, the royal palace issued a statement revealing that her condition had deteriorated after she experienced complications from an infection in April.
The infection was detected in her abdomen, resulting in the inflammation of the large intestine. This led to unstable conditions such as low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal blood clotting, the statement read
Pran Jintrawet, a political science and public administration lecturer at Chiang Mai University, told The Straits Times that the Princess’ death will be felt by many in Thailand.
“Her absence means the loss of a publicly adored figure,” he said.
The Princess had a doctorate in law from Cornell University.
After completing her studies, she served in the Office of the Attorney-General of Thailand. She was also chair of the special advisory board of the Thailand Institute of Justice, affiliated with the United Nations.
From 2012 to 2014, she served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria and permanent representative of Thailand to the UN in Vienna.
She was known to have initiated a project aimed at addressing the special needs and vulnerabilities of female inmates and their children in correctional facilities.
In September 2008, she was appointed a UN Women national ambassador to Thailand.
In a statement issued by UN Women then, the Princess was quoted as saying: “I take pride in saying that Thailand’s support to the global UNIFEM Say No to Violence against Women Campaign is second to none.”
“I also note with appreciation the national ownership that has evolved around this process. It is indeed a strong foundation upon which coordinated efforts to end violence against women and girls in Thailand have been and will continue to be built,” added the Princess.
Pran of Chiang Mai University said the Princess had made significant contributions to social work, and many were drawn to her affable nature.
“She was also widely known for being very approachable,” said Pran, who observed that though she was royalty, citizens found her relatable.