3 minutes read
Thai princess dies aged 47 after nearly four years in coma
Unknown
Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, also known as Princess Bha or Patty, died aged 47 on Thursday (June 11).
The Bureau of the Royal Household confirmed the sad news, detailing that she had passed away on Thursday evening at a Bangkok hospital.
Princess Bha has been cared for at the premises since she fell unconscious due to illness in 2022, according to the official statement, which was released today.
A group of mourners gathered in an atrium at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, where Patty had been treated, with many holding framed photos of the princess throughout the years.
She was active in justice reform efforts, with the princess best known for her Kamlangjai, or “Inspire,” project, which helped to rehabilitate Thai women in prison before their release.
Thai Prime Minister announces "bad news"
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delivered a televised speech following the beloved princess's death.
He stated: “This loss is not merely bad news announced to the people, but an immeasurable grief in the hearts of the entire nation.”
He went on, describing the late royal family member as “a pride of Thailand,” adding that “her commitment to building a society of kindness, justice, and equality, will forever remain as a moral legacy for the nation, a guiding light for generations of Thais.”
Princess Bha was first hospitalised in December 2022 after falling unconscious while training dogs for an army exhibition.
At the time, the palace revealed that she had a mycoplasma infection, a bacterial infection usually associated with pneumonia.
The life of Princess Bajrakitiyabha
Born on December 7, 1978, to Vajiralongkorn, who was the crown prince at the time, and his then-wife, Princess Soamsawali, Princess Bha was their eldest child and first daughter.
Vajiralongkorn has seven children by three of his four successive wives.
The princess would become known by the royal name Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, used in formal state settings.
While Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti is the presumptive heir because sons take precedence in Thailand's line of succession, Princess Bha would have had an important role in any potential future succession, due to her work in public service.
She also studied law at Thammasat University before heading to Cornell University in New York, where she earned a master’s degree in law, as well as a doctorate.
Having worked at the Thai Mission to the UN in New York City, the priness would eventually return to her homeland and work as a public prosecutor.
She eventually renewed her diplomatic career as she became Thailand’s ambassador to Austria from 2012 to 2014, before returning to Thailand to focus on criminal justice issues.
Back in 2017, Patty was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Her work in Thailand involved enhancing the living conditions of women prisoners and promoting efforts to stem violence against women.
This resulted in the U.N. General Assembly adopting the “Bangkok Rules” on care and conditions for female prisoners.
She is survived by her parents and siblings.