Thai Princess Dies at 47 After Over 3 Years of Hospitalization

The Thai royal palace announced on Wednesday that Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, died at 7:48 p.m. on Tuesday at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok. She was 47. Multiple television channels and news websites switched to black-and-white displays. The princess had been hospitalized since December 14, 2022, when she lost consciousness due to a heart condition while training her dog. In mid-May, the palace reported that her condition had deteriorated, with an abdominal infection caused by colitis leading to "unstable vital signs, low blood pressure, arrhythmia, and coagulation abnormalities." Educated in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Thailand, the princess had worked for the United Nations and actively advocated for improving the treatment of female inmates. She was considered close to her father and had been appointed to a senior position in the king's command structure shortly before her hospitalization, frequently representing the royal family at important domestic and international events. King Vajiralongkorn has seven children from four marriages and has not yet announced a successor. Under succession rules, males have priority.