Thai Princess's Condition Worsens After Over 3 Years in Hospital, Royal Palace Confirms

(CNA Bangkok, 21st, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Thai Royal Palace announced today that the condition of Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who has been hospitalized for over three years, has worsened. The 47-year-old princess is the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his only child with his first wife. According to AFP, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati collapsed suddenly while participating in military dog training in December 2022 and has remained hospitalized since. The Thai Royal Palace previously stated that the princess had a severe blood infection and that her lung and kidney functions were being maintained by medical equipment and medication. In a statement released today, the Royal Household Bureau said the princess is suffering from an abdominal infection due to colitis, currently experiencing "unstable vital signs, low blood pressure, arrhythmia, and abnormal blood coagulation." Additionally, her lung and kidney functions are still being maintained by medical equipment and medication. The statement added, "Her condition continues to deteriorate," and the infection has worsened to a point where it is difficult to control and is affecting other organs. The princess was educated in the UK, the US, and Thailand, has worked for the United Nations, and has actively advocated for improving the treatment of female prisoners. She is considered to be close to her father and was appointed to a high-ranking position within the King's Royal Guard command a year before her hospitalization. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 73, has seven children from four marriages and has not yet named an heir, although succession rules give preference to males.