Who Was Thailand’s ‘Lawyer Princess’? Royal Heir Dies at 47 After 3 Years in a Coma

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has passed away at the age of 47 after spending nearly three years in a coma.

The princess died on Thursday at a hospital in Bangkok, where she had been receiving treatment since December 2022. The announcement was made by the Bureau of the Royal Household in a statement released on Friday.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha fell in December 2022 while working out with her pets. Doctors eventually revealed that she had a severely fluctuating heartbeat caused by a mycoplasma infection that impacted her heart. Although she received considerable medical attention and was closely monitored, she never recovered consciousness.

"The medical team provided the closest and most intensive care possible, but her condition continued to decline progressively," the palace said in a statement.

Her death is a significant loss to Thailand's royal family, as she was largely considered as one of its most talented and revered members. Many royal analysts think she may have had a significant influence in Thailand's still uncertain royal succession.

The Princess Who Chose Law and Public Service

Bajrakitiyabha, sometimes known as the "lawyer princess," has created an amazing career outside of royal duties. She earned a doctorate in law from Cornell University and then qualified as a barrister in Thailand. Early in her career, she served at Thailand's UN mission in New York before coming home to work in the Attorney-General's office.

From 2012 to 2014, she was Thailand's ambassador to Austria, where she worked closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Over time, she became a staunch supporter of prison reform, particularly for women facing challenging conditions in the court system. Her work drew attention to the challenges faced by female inmates in Thailand, a country that has one of the world's highest populations of women prisoners.

The princess launched the Kamlangjai (Inspiration) royal project, which aims to help women and children in prisons while also training inmates for their return into society. She also led Thailand's international effort, which resulted in the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Bangkok Rules in 2010. The rules were developed to improve the treatment and living circumstances for female prisoners around the world.

A Fitness Enthusiast and a Key Royal Figure

Away from her public responsibilities, Princess Bajrakitiyabha was known for her passion for fitness and regularly participated in long-distance running events. Among Thailand's royalists, she was widely regarded as the most qualified figure to succeed her father, either as queen or as a regent assisting Prince Dipangkorn.

Her death has added to the uncertainty surrounding Thailand's succession. However, the country's severe lese majeste laws limit public debate on the subject. With the death of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, Thailand has lost not just a senior royal but also a public figure who dedicated much of her life to law, justice reform, and the welfare of vulnerable women and children.