Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, affectionately known as Princess Pa, has died at the age of 47 after spending nearly four years in a coma, the royal palace announced on Friday.
The princess, who was the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and a likely successor to the throne, passed away at a Bangkok hospital on Thursday, June 11. She had fallen ill due to a heart condition and lost consciousness in December 2022.
National Mourning
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul addressed the nation in a televised speech, stating, "This loss is not merely bad news announced to the people, but an immeasurable grief in the hearts of the entire nation."
Bajrakitiyabha collapsed while training dogs for a competition in northeastern Thailand. She was airlifted to Bangkok for treatment and remained hospitalized until her death.
Medical Details
According to the palace, the princess suffered a severe heart arrhythmia resulting from inflammation following a mycoplasma infection. Her condition was further complicated by an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood-clotting disorders. In April, doctors had expressed concerns that her condition was deteriorating due to the infection, as reported by Nation Thailand.
Public Tributes
Mourners gathered on Friday outside Bangkok's Grand Palace and Chulalongkorn Hospital, where the princess had been treated, to pay their respects. Many held framed photos and bowed in tribute as news of her death spread across the country.
Background and Education
Born on December 7, 1978, Bajrakitiyabha was the daughter of then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali. She studied law at Thailand's Thammasat University before earning a master's and doctorate degrees in law from Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York, between 2002 and 2005.
From 2005 to 2006, she served at Thailand's mission to the United Nations in New York City before returning home to work as a public prosecutor.
