Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati has sadly passed away at 47 years old, as announced by the royal palace.
The princess, commonly known as Princess Pa, was the firstborn of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn. She had been hospitalized in December 2022 after collapsing due to a heart ailment.
Tragically, she succumbed on the evening of Thursday, June 11, after her health deteriorated from an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting issues, according to the palace statement.
Born on December 7, 1978, the princess actively worked to enhance the lives of incarcerated women and held a distinguished diplomatic career.
Princess Pa pursued a law degree at Cornell University, obtaining both a Master’s and a Doctorate. She practiced as a lawyer at the Thai Office of the Attorney-General from 2006 to 2011.
Between 2012 and 2014, she served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia before returning to work at the attorney-general’s office in Bangkok.
Additionally, she established a charitable organization advocating for the rights of female inmates, particularly those pregnant while incarcerated.
In 2017, Bajrakitiyabha was appointed as the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’s goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia.
Transitioning to the military in 2021, she was promoted to the rank of general and held the position of chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.
As one of the king’s three eligible heirs under the constitution, the princess had a potential claim to the throne.
The royal palace will conduct funeral ceremonies, and it is anticipated that the government will announce a period of national mourning.