Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati of Thailand, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47, the Royal Palace announced on Friday. Prior to her death, she faced numerous health issues and had been in a coma for nearly four years. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
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The Princess was hospitalized in December 2022 after suddenly losing consciousness due to a heart condition during a visit to the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. She was airlifted by helicopter to the capital, Bangkok, for treatment.
According to the palace, she passed away on Thursday evening after her condition deteriorated due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmia, and blood clotting disorders.
Bajrakitiyabha, also known as Princess Pa, was born on December 7, 1978, to the then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.
In Thailand, she will be remembered for her active public service, efforts to improve the living conditions of female prisoners, and her diplomatic career.
She studied law at Cornell University, where she earned her Master's and Doctoral degrees, and from 2006 to 2011, she worked as a lawyer at the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand.
From 2012 to 2014, she served as Thailand's Ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia, before returning to work at the prosecutor's office in Bangkok.
She also founded a charitable organization that advocated for the rights of female prisoners, particularly those who were pregnant while serving their sentences.
In 2017, Bajrakitiyabha was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the Rule of Law in Southeast Asia for the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
In 2021, she transferred to the army, where she attained the rank of General and served as Chief of Staff of the Royal Security Command.
The Princess was one of King Vajiralongkorn's three children who hold official titles and are eligible for the throne under the constitution.
In October last year, the Queen Mother of Thailand passed away at the age of 93.
The Royal Palace will hold state funeral ceremonies, and the government is expected to announce a period of national mourning.