Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies aged 47

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha has died after nearly four years in a coma, aged 47.

The Thai king's eldest daughter – who was eligible for the throne – was taken to hospital in December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness during a public engagement in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province.

She was taken to a local hospital before being flown to Bangkok, the capital, for treatment.

She died on Thursday evening after her condition worsened, a palace statement said.

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

She was one of the king's three children who have formal titles, which made her eligible for the throne under a 1924 Palace Law of Succession.

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After obtaining a Master's degree and a doctorate in law from New York's Cornell University, she worked for the Thai attorney general's office from 2006 until 2011.

She served as her country's ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia between 2012 and 2014.

When she returned to Bangkok, she founded a charity promoting the rights of women in the country's jails.

She also became a UN ambassador and served in the army as a chief of staff.

Following her death, the government is expected to declare a period of national mourning.

(c) Sky News 2026: Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies aged 47