Face of the Day

Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at 47, the royal palace said on Friday, after multiple health problems and nearly four years in a coma.

The princess was hospitalised in December 2022 after a sudden loss of consciousness caused by a heart condition while visiting the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Bajrakitiyabha was flown by helicopter to the capital Bangkok for treatment.

She died on Thursday evening, after her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders, the palace statement said.

Bajrakitiyabha, popularly known as Princess Pa, was born on 7 December 1978, to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.

In Thailand, she will be remembered for her prominent role in public life, her efforts to improve the livelihoods of female prisoners, and her diplomatic career.

RNZ